The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : MP lets Delhi off the hook

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Wednesday, Dec 08, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

MP lets Delhi off the hook

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 7. Madhya Pradesh ran out of time and most of its resources in search of a victory over Delhi on the final day of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group match at the Jamia Millia ground here on Tuesday.

Chasing 173 runs in 39 overs plus 15 mandatory overs, Madhya Pradesh tossed away a promising start and eventually scored 156 for eight in 36 overs before it ran out of time. Though MP returned home with two points for taking the first innings lead of 55 runs from this drawn match, it was hugely disappointed at letting Delhi get away.

The fall of wickets at regular intervals helped Delhi's cause. Eventually, when MP's skipper Amay Khurasiya finally holed out at long off in search of a couple of sixes in what turned out to be the final over, the home camp was understandably relieved.

Delhi's slow overrate and negative tactics did prove effective in denying MP two additional points. Skipper Ajay Jadeja did not mind his team being penalised 30 per cent of the match fee for slow over rate, same as MP. In 191 minutes, Delhi bowled just 36 overs — short by 18 overs.

After four rounds of matches, MP has four points while Delhi remains on six. Delhi now hosts Karnataka here while MP plays Railways in the matches starting on December 13. Mumbai (12 points) leads the group followed by Gujarat (8). Two points behind are Delhi and Karnataka.

"We did well to deprive MP victory but we were down from the very first day," admitted Jadeja after Delhi's escape. "At no stage we could have pressed for a win as MP would have played for time, if required. We are still not out of contention for a place in the semifinals. But we have to play better cricket from now on."

Lack of partnership

A distraught Khurasiya pointed lack of partnerships that hit MP hard. "The wicket of Nikhil Patwardhan was a huge blow. After that, I had to go for big blows but did not get them right," said the disappointed MP skipper.

If Delhi survived, it owes a lot to young opener Shikhar Dhawan who resumed at 31 and scored 88, his highest, to help Delhi reach 227. After losing overnight partner Rajat Bhatia in the day's first over, Dhawan was associated in vital stands of 49 with skipper Ajay Jadeja and again with Rahul Sanghvi. Injured Sanjay Gill came with a runner and scored four runs off four balls to use up some more time.

Openers Sachin Dholpure and Naman Ojha set the tempo picking up occasional boundaries in the first 12 overs. But in the last over before tea of Rahul Sanghvi, the openers departed in the space of one run and Delhi heaved a sigh of relief.

Thereafter, Khurasiya and Devendra Bundela kept MP in the hunt and took the total of 102 in the 22nd over before the latter, hobbling after stretching himself too much while stealing a single, offered a simple catch. Brijesh Tomar never looked comfortable and fell to a catch at first slip. Abbas Ali swept his way to a 13 off 16 deliveries before spooning an easy catch to short mid-on.

Much depended on in-form Nikhil Patwardhan but he disappointed after being trapped leg-before by Sarandeep Singh.

At the other end, Khurasiya could only watch halpessless as wickets fell with alarming regularity. Soon, Jitendra Likhar offered a simple return catch to Bhandari under fading light. At this stage, MP required 19 runs in less than two overs.

In what seemed to be the final over, Khurasiya had no choice but to set out in search of a couple of sixes. However, he failed to clear the fence in his very first attempt and left the field disappointed.

The scores:

Delhi — 1st innings: 239

Madhya Pradesh — 1st innings: 394

Delhi — 2nd innings: A. Chopra c Ojha b Dholpure 1, S. Dhawan c Ojha b Pandey 88, A. Bali b Dholpure 19, M. Manhas lbw b Dholpure 32, Sarandeep c Ojha b Pandey 6, R. Bhatia lbw b Pandey 11, A. Jadeja c Bundela b Hirwani 24, V. Dahiya c Abbas b Likhar 3, R. Sanghvi (not out) 10, S. Gill c Dholpure b Pandey 4, A. Bhandari b Hirwani 0, Extras (b-8, lb-8, nb-10, w-3) 29, Total (in 92.3 overs) 227.

Fall of wickets: 1-3, 2-32, 3-87, 4-98, 5-120, 6-169, 7-174, 8-223, 9-227.

Madhya Pradesh bowling: Pandey 20-4-61-4, Dholpure 23-4-64-3, Bundela 8-1-18-0, Hirwani 25.3-8-43-2, Likhar 16-7-25-1.

Madhya Pradesh — 2nd innings: S. Dholpure c and b Sanghvi 28, N. Ojha c Manhas b Sanghvi 25, A. Khurasiya c Sanghvi b Sarandeep 48, D. Bundela c Jadeja b Bali 20, B. Tomar c Dhawan b Bhandari 4, Abbas Ali c sub b Bhandari 13, N. Patwardhan lbw b Sarandeep 4, J. Likhar c and b Bhandari 4, S. Pandey (not out) 2, S. Dholpure (not out) 0, Extras (lb-3, nb-4, w-1) 8, Total (for eight wickets in 36 overs) 156.

Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-57, 3-102, 4-111, 5-131, 6-143, 7-154, 8-156.

Delhi bowling: Bhandari 10-0-46-3, Bhatia 1-0-1-0, Sarandeep 14-0-65-2, Sanghvi 7-0-24-2, Bali 2-0-13-1, Jadeja 1-0-2-0, Manhas 1-0-2-0.

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