Zaheer Khan was Mumbai’s hero on the second day of the Ranji Trophy group A league match against Delhi, helping his side past the 300-run mark with a half-century, and then dismissing danger man Virendar Sehwag cheaply.
Coming in at No.9, Zaheer hit four sixes in his 51 off 50 balls as the hosts were bowled out for 324.
With bad light bringing the day’s play to an early end, Delhi went to stumps on 191 for three, the first-innings lead looking within its grasp.
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Captain Gautam Gambhir’s 64, and an unbeaten 60 from Mithun Manhas helped the visitors get to within 133 runs of Mumbai’s tally.
Gambhir and Manhas did not dominate the bowling, yet maintained a healthy run-rate in a third-wicket stand that yielded 96 runs.
The former, who hit 14 boundaries, was looking set but he departed held at point off Javed Khan.
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Openers Unmukt Chand and Gambhir had put on a cautious 62 before the former was dismissed by Javed, with ’keeper Aditya Tare taking a tumbling catch.
Then, Zaheer Khan, bowling his second spell, gave Mumbai a huge break by getting Sehwag caught by a diving Tare for 9.
Earlier, Delhi had to deal with Zaheer, the batsman, towards the end of the Mumbai innings. He picked on slow bowlers Manan Sharma and Vikas Mishra, hitting them for four sixes.
Gambhir promptly took new ball after that, and Ashish Nehra and Parvinder Awana prevented further damage.
Zaheer enjoyed a reprieve when he was dropped by Suyal on the long-off fence. But, the Mumbai skipper departed soon after, holing out to Manan Sharma at mid-wicket off Awana.
The scores:
Mumbai — 1st innings: Kaustubh Pawar c Manhas b Nehra 8, Aditya Tare c Gambhir b Sharma 53, Wasim Jaffer c sub b Awana 61, Siddhesh Lad b Awana 74, Abhishek Nayar lbw b Suyal 12, Suryakumar Yadav c Sharma b Nehra 20, Hiken Shah c Bisht b Awana 15, Balwinder Sandhu c Sehwag b Awana 9, Zaheer Khan c Sharma b Awana 51, Javed Khan (not out) 10, Vishal Dabholkar lbw b Mishra 3, Extras (b-2, lb-2, w-4) 8; Total (in 112.2 overs) 324.
Fall of wkts: 1-10, 2-104, 3-160, 4-187, 5-226, 6-240, 7-256, 8-295, 9-316.
Delhi bowling: Ashish Nehra 24-10-33-2, Parvinder Awana 27-8-72-5, Rajat Bhatia 15-7-24-0, Pawan Suyal 13-2-53-1, Manan Sharma 18-2-79-1, Vikas Mishra 14.2-3-56-1, Virender Sehwag 1-0-3-0.
Delhi — 1st innings: Unmukt Chand c Tare b Javed 32, Gautam Gambhir c Lad b Javed 64, Virender Sehwag c Tare b Zaheer 9, Mithun Manhas (batting) 60, Manan Sharma (batting) 13, Extras (b-4, lb-4, nb-4, w-1) 13; Total (for three in 56 overs) 191.
Fall of wkts: 1-62, 2-72, 3-166.
Mumbai bowling: Zaheer Khan 14-2-51-1, Balwinder Sandhu 13-4-30-0, Javed Khan 12-2-36-2, Abhishek Nayar 10-1-34-0, Vishal Dabholkar 7-0-32-0.