Cautious Delhi gamble for bonus point

Delhi had to deal with a Catch-22 situation on Day Three of their Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat.

Delhi had to deal with a Catch-22 situation on Day Three of their Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat. In their pursuit of an innings or 10 wickets that would given them a bonus point,the hosts risked missing out on an outright win. And it was this dilemma that saw them bat an extra hour. Eventually,after a lead of 366,Delhi declared at 437/6. At stumps,Gujarat were 114/2 with opener Priyank Panchal (62) and nightwatchman Salil Yadav (0) at the crease.

In case Gujarat batsmen survive the final day,questions can be raised about the timing of the declaration. Aiming for six points,Delhi might have to end up with just 3 for getting the first innings lead. Delhi started briskly in the morning session with overnight batsmen Shikhar Dhawan and Yogesh Nagar looking aggressive.

Gujarat delayed taking the second new ball to restrict strokemaking. Dhawan was the first to fall as he edged an attempted glance to the wicketkeeper on 149. Nagar at the other end completed his maiden century.

Story continues below this ad

At this stage,Delhi lost momentum. Aditya Jain,who replaced Dhawan,was indecisive while Nagar showed little urgency. As overs ticked and wickets fell,Gujarat spread the field to cut the boundaries. It was only after Nagar reached 151 that Delhi declared the innings.

The Delhi seam bowlers managed only a few loud shouts as Panchal and Jay Desai put on 96 for the first wicket before left-arm spinner Vikas Mishra broke through Desais defence. Niraj Patel took too long to settle in and eventually left without scoring,caught by Pradeep Sangwan at mid-wicket off Mithun Manhas. With Gujarat still 252 behind to making Delhi bat again,the first hour of play will have a big impact on the game.

Brief scores: Gujarat 71 & 114/2 in 37 overs (Priyank Panchal batting 60,Jay Desai 49) vs Delhi 437/6 decl (Yogesh Nagar 151 not out,Shikhar Dhawan 149; Ishwar Chaudhary 2/91)

RBI keeps repo rate unchanged at 5.5%

Business2 hr ago

The Reserve Bank of India Wednesday kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.5 per cent. "MPC decides to keep monetary policy stance unchanged at 'neutral'", says RBI Governor. This is the second time that the repo rate has been kept unchanged.

View all shorts

Live Blog

PHOTOS