Karnataka call the shots

It was a day punctuated by frequent interruptions due to poor light and the Delhi batsmens tendency to be spectacular and suicidal.

It was a day punctuated by frequent interruptions due to poor light and the Delhi batsmens tendency to be spectacular and suicidal. The hosts ended a curtailed third day at 255 for 9 in their second innings,inching 149 runs ahead in their Ranji Trophy clash against Karnataka at the Roshanara ground. Parvinder Awana and Pawan Suyal were at the crease,both yet to open their account.

If Delhi are to draw the game and take a point,they will need to now hope for some more poor weather,while Karnataka,who took the first innings lead,will be chasing an outright victory from the outset.

A total of 108 minutes and 36 overs of play was lost to bad light on a day that started with Shikhar Dhawan and Rajat Bhatia putting their heads down and stretching their partnership to 135. They tackled the early morning haze with immense concentration. Dhawan was the first to reach his 50 from 91 balls with eight boundaries,while Bhatia showcased a series of square-drives to get to the landmark.

Bhatia,however,fell at a crucial time,distracted perhaps by the failing light and the inevitable stoppage. The umpires had negated the batting pairs appeal for bad light,but brought out the light meters one over later. In between though,Bhatia had been done in by an Aravind delivery from round the wicket,which nipped back sharply to disturb his stumps.

Stunning shots

With a series of cover-drives and stunning square-cuts,Dhawan reached his seventh Ranji Trophy century after an early break for lunch,and having survived a chance on 97 when Balachandra Akhil put down a sitter at second slip.

Ten minutes after getting to three figures,however,he set off on a mad dash for a second run; his partner,Punit Bisht didnt respond,and Dhawans desperate dive failed to beat the rising finger.

That sparked some discomfort for the hosts as his exit had come soon after a middle-order collapse that saw Mayank Tehlan and Yogesh Nagar dismissed in the space of two deliveries by Aravind.

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Abhishek Sharma then reeled off some stunning shots down the ground in a flashy 34 that dealt chiefly in boundaries,but got carried away with his shot-making. Bisht had also left by then,nicking the shiny second new ball,while Narwal,after two good hits,fell to a spectacular return catch by Vinay that took his match tally to 11 wickets.

Brief scores: Delhi 154 and 255 for 9 Shikhar Dhawan 100,Rajat Bhatia 64,Abhishek Sharma 34; S Aravind 4/39,Vinay Kumar 3/58 vs Karnataka 260.