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Journalism of Courage
IN THE end, it was just an innocuous shot – a gentle prod to the deep cover for a single. This was perhaps Dhruv Shorey’s most important solitary run in his short stint in first-class cricket so far. Because the single brought up his maiden century. There were no wild celebrations though, just pumping of fists and general acknowledgement to the applause from his team-mates in the dressing room. Shorey could not have timed his maiden ton better. It was a patient innings, one which proved to be the cornerstone of Delhi’s emphatic 9-wicket win over a listless Mahashtra in their Group B Ranji Trophy encounter.
Walking in the third over at the fall of captain Gautam Gambhir’s wicket, Shorey provided much needed stability to Delhi’s middle order. The beauty of the knock was the manner in which he paced his innings. Known to be a natural stroke maker, the 23-year-old was circumspect in the beginning, allowing Nitish Rana to play a more aggressive game.
His 99-run stand for the third-wicket with Rana proved to be game changing. On a two-paced Kotla track, which provided assitance to the bowlers on Day 1, Shorey dropped guard and played the sheet anchor’s role. He was resolute in defence and rarely did he waver in concentration. He was more than willing to play the waiting game, and saw off Samad Fallah early on. However, whenever an opportunity presented itself, Delhi’s No.3 would pounce on them. He was particularly harsh on Maharashtra spinners, especially Akshay Darekar, smacking the left-arm spinner over mid-wicket for a six. But once he got into the groove, his feet began to move well and his cover drives on the front foot against Maharashtra’s medium pacers were a treat to watch.
Without his stellar effort, Delhi would well have been in a spot of bother after their bowlers bundled out Maharashtra for just 80 on the opening day. None of the Delhi batsmen, barring Shorey and Rana managed to forge any semblance of resistance at the Kotla. When Delhi’s No.11 Navdeep Saini was the last man to be dismissed for 8, Delhi had scored 230 and garnered a crucial 150-run first innings lead. Shorey’s ton assumes greater significiance if you minus his 104 from Delhi’s total.
In their second essay, Maharashtra did not fare any better. None played the innings of Shorey. Most frittered their wickets after getting starts. A 44-run stand for the fourth wicket between Sangram Atitkar and Ankit Bawne was the lone bright spot for runner-up of the 2013 Ranji season. For Maharashta though, the biggest disappointment was the manner in which their batting mainstay Kedar Jadhav played. After getting out for a duck in the first innings, a rearguard was expected from him. Instead, he holed out to Shorey for 7, to hasten Maharashtra’s tepid end.
With the winter setting in Delhi, morning sessions became more crucial, and fast bowlers from both sides got cheap wickets which made this game a low-scoring affair. The batsmen, however, needed to show application if they wanted value for their runs. In the afternoon session on Day 2, the spinners came into their own, getting bite and bounce from the track. Delhi’s left-arm spinner Manan Sharma and offie Pulkit Narang were instrumental in Maharashtra folding for 176 in their second innings.
Shorey’s emphatic arrival to first-class cricket bodes well for Vijay Dahiya’s side. A little more than a month back, at the start of the Ranji season, he was barely a certainty in the Delhi line-up. However, after an impressive debut against Odisha in Bhubaneshwar in their last Ranji game, Shorey has gained the trust of his captain and coach with a match-winning ton in his second match. After spending two years in the sidelines, this is Shorey’s time under the sun.
Brief Scores: Maharashtra 80 and 176 in 56 overs.(Sangram Atitkar 30, Harshad Khadiwale 26; Manan Sharma 4/47. Delhi 230 & 30 for 1 in 14 overs.
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