New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) Delhi seamers did well to bowl out Mumbai for 267 on a seaming surface before the defending champions struck back to reduce the hosts to 47 for two at the end of the first day’s play in the Ranji Trophy Super League match at the Roshanara Club here Wednesday.
Curiously, Mumbai, who are already through to the knockout stage, chose to bat after winning the toss on a green track. The decision seemed to backfire when they were reduced to 94 for four but a brisk half century by debutant Surya Kumar Yadav (73, 89b, 15×4)) and a late thrust by Ajit Agarkar (35, 47b, 3×4, 2×6) pulled them out of trouble.
The visitors then picked two crucial wickets of Unmukt Chand (11) and in-form Virat Kohli (5) to turn the heat back on Delhi, who need an outright win to stay afloat in the competition.
At stumps, Shikhar Dhawan was batting at 25 and Mithun Manhas on 5 with eight overs short for the day.
The hosts took the field in chilly and blustery conditions with a four-prong pace attack of Sumit Narwal, Pawan Suyal, Parvinder Awana and Pradeen Sangwan after left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra sat out due to a strained groin.
Narwal (4-52) was exceptional during his four-wicket haul and provided Delhi with an early breakthrough when in the last ball of the second over he bowled opener Onkar Gurav, who shouldered arms to a moving delivery that came in.
Awana then picked two quick wickets to skittle Mumbai to 47 for three. He tempted left-hander Praful Waghela (10) to nick an outgoing ball for a caught behind and then sent back opener Sahil Kukreja (27) caught by first-slip Dhawan.
Skipper Wasim Jaffer (32, 44b, 6×4) and Rohit Sharma (37, 57b, 6×4) scored 47 runs for the fourth wicket before Jaffer holed out a catch to Mayank Tehlan off Sangwan (4-88).
Sharma and Yadav then set out to work on the rot and carried the visitors to 123 for four at lunch.
Yadav was particularly impressive, knocking his first 36 runs with boundaries. He reached his 50 in 53 balls with 12 fours. The two had rustled up 62 runs off 66 balls for the fifth wicket when Sharma was caught behind off Narwal.
Yadav’s entertaining knock ended two overs later when he edged Sangwan to Kohli at the first slip.
Agarkar was brutal during his 70 minute stay, striking Sangwan for two sixes over long on and mid-wicket. Runs flew thick and fast from his bat and he propelled the visitors to a respectable total.
Narwal, who was unlucky when Kohli dropped Agarkar and Iqbal Abdullah (31) in successive overs, held his own to comeback strong, dismissing Abdullah and Moondeep Mangela lbw.
Mumbai coach Pravin Amre backed the team’s decision to bat. ‘We wanted to be positive. We wanted to test our players in various condition. In fact we chose to bat first in last year’s final on a more greener track. This is going to be an interesting match.’
–Indo-Asian News Service
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