VRV back, among the wickets

Just after Punjab pacer Gagandeep Singh bowled his second over, the third of the match, his captain Dinesh Mongia indicated to him to hit th...

Just after Punjab pacer Gagandeep Singh bowled his second over, the third of the match, his captain Dinesh Mongia indicated to him to hit the pitch hard and not look for movement in the air. The instruction was repeated to VRV Singh at the end of the next over and it fetched both bowlers immediate results.

They captured four wickets two each in the first seven overs, conceding just 14 runs. And that was the platform from which Punjab eventually won the match by six wickets.

The match was very important for VRV, playing his first match after an ankle injury that sidelined him for nearly four months. 8220;I was happy with the performance but might take another two to three matches to get into the groove,8221; he said.

Punjab coach Intikhab Alam was bullish but wary. 8220;Though VRV looked good I won8217;t say he8217;s at his best. But by the end of the tournament he should be ready for selection against the visiting English team.8217;8217;

Things could have been much worse for Delhi but for a 99 run partnership between Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia. In the end the host managed just 193/9.

While chasing though Punjab lost a couple of quick wickets to Ishant, a fourth wicket partnership of 190 runs between Mongia and Reetinder Singh Sodhi saw to it that they got full points from the match.

Aakash Chopra said that the toss was crucial and the batsmen failed to cope with the early movement. But then when a team like J038;K got away with out losing the wicket in the first 10 overs with out loosing a wicket, Delhi should have done better.

Brief scores

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Delhi 193-9 Mithun Manhas 54, Rajat Bhatia 54, Chetanya Nanda 33 n.o., VRV Singh 3-40, Gagandeep Singh 2-18, Bipul Sharma 2-11 lost to Punjab 195-4 Dinesh Mongia 97, R.S. Sodhi 70. Ishant Sharma 2-20

Saif repays debt to his kid brother

Jaipur: He8217;s got a safe pair of hands, just like his younger brother and it was the latter8217;s exit that allowed him an entry back to Uttar Pradesh Ranji one-day side after three years in the wilderness. And now, Mohammed Saif thanks his younger sibling for opening up the opportunity for him.

8216;8216;It was Kaif who helped me back into the UP side, before leaving for Pakistan,8221; said Saif, after his side lost to Madhya Pradesh in the Central Zone Ranji one-dayers, despite his patient 31.

Initially beginning his career as a medium-pacer who batted a bit, a shoulder injury forced Saif to become a specialist batsman. He made it to the India under-19 side for three consecutive years from 1994-96.

8212; Jaydip Sengupta