Lucky Dhawan leads Delhi charge

Wed, Nov 4 05:41 AM

It was a day when nothing went right for Baroda: their strike bowler Salim Veragi was twice called for chucking, the rest of the attack was ineffective on a Motibaug pitch that needed the bowlers to show more purpose and discipline, while the fielders were butter-fingered, dropping half a dozen chances.

Delhi hardly needed further invitation, and the chief beneficiary, Shikhar Dhawan (dropped four times), took full toll, scoring an unbeaten 122 as the visitors reach 300 for two in 90 overs.

Dhawan's knock, during which he has hit 12 boundaries, has so far lasted 379 minutes and 247 balls. Rajat Bhatia was unbeaten on 70 at the other end, with the two involved in an unfinished 133-run partnership.

Baroda will need to do something special with the second new ball, make more of the early morning moisture on Day Two, if they are to peg Delhi back.

Skipper Aakash Chopra won the toss and elected to bat first, and then started earnestly with three cracking cover drives before his 18-ball 21 was halted by a Veragi delivery that nipped back to hit his pads before knocking his stumps over.

Dhawan, by then, had already had his first escape, when Rakesh Solanki at mid-wicket reacted late to his pull shot. Gaurav Chabbra — making the most of Mithin Manhas's absence — looked more compact in comparison, as the left-hand right hand combine took Delhi to 124/1 at lunch.

Dhawan reached his half-century soon after the break, and then benefited from Yusuf Pathan's benevolence at mid-wicket. Chabbra took 115 balls to reach his second half-century, stuttering only once when an outside edge went between the wicketkeeper and first slip. The second-wicket partnership had produced 137 runs, including as many streaky boundaries and rasping straight-bat shots, before Murtaza Vohra came back and trapped Chabbra leg-before for a well-made 65 (139 balls, 9x4).

Bhatia walked in and watched Dhawan get lucky at 70 (this time at slip) and again on 93 (Pawar failing to hold a full-blooded caught & bowled chance), before surviving a chance himself. Dhawan got to three figures eventually, but it wasn't his most fluent knock.

For Baroda, only left-arm spinner Rajesh Pawar looked like picking up wickets, while Yusuf did a decent job of containing with his off-breaks. The happiest they looked all day, however, was when Jacob Martin was felicitated for his 100th Ranji appearance.

Brief scores: Delhi 300 for 2 in 90 overs (S Dhawan 122 batting, R Bhatia 70 batting, G Chabbra 65; S Veragi 1/34) vs Baroda

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