Openers off the blocks

Gautam Gambhir
33 batting against Gujarat
Gambhir scored a stroke-filled unbeaten 33 laced with six hits to the fence off just 24 deliveries. Gambhir ensured that Delhi didn’t miss Virender Sehwag as he scored 17 runs off Siddharth Trivedi’s first over, which was also the first over of the Delhi innings. Gambhir drove Trivedi’s first two balls to the cover boundary, then sent another racing to the mid-off fence and followed it with a straight drive.

Aakash Chopra
11 against Gujarat
Chopra managed just 11 before he holed out to Nilesh Modi at gully while attempting an uppish drive off leg-spinner Timil Patel. Chopra faced 19 deliveries and had one hit to the fence.

Wasim Jaffer
157 against Railways
Jaffer made another attempt at getting back into the national team by cracking a strokeful 157 against Railways. Jaffer looked confident on the front foot against the Railway attack that included Harvinder Singh, Sanjay Bangar, J P Yadav and Kulamani Parida. Most of his 20 boundaries came in front of the wicket. He got out to the penultimate delivery of the day, chasing a widish away swinger from J P Yadav.

Deep Dasgupta
98 against Karnataka
Though Dinesh Kaarthick has sealed his place behind the stumps for the South African tour after his show at Mumbai, the Bengal wicket-keeper opener does merit a mention. His 98 against Karnataka means he is still around.

Yuvraj Singh
Yet to bat against UP
Yet to bat, but he seems out of reckoning anyway. The season started with skipper Sourav Ganguly backing Yuvraj to be Sehwag’s partner but just after one series things have changed. Punjab coach Intikhab Alam has said, ‘‘Yuvi will be playing one-drop.’’

Ganguly fits in the Bengal squad
Indian skipper Ganguly, recuperating from a groin strain after missing the last two Test matches against Australia, today turned out for Bengal in their game against Karnataka. He was unbeaten on 12 after his 79-minute stay on the pitch but was mum on his fitness.

Bhandari, Nehra hit form
The two Delhi pacers gave good accounts of themselves on the Motera track that lacked pace and bounce. Nehra struck in the first over of the match sending back Akash Christian caught by Gambhir at third slip to an away going delivery and finished with figures of 2/35 from 14 overs. Bhandari, who has been named in the Board President’s XI, was a shade better as he claimed 3/39 from 16 overs.