Bowlers, and match, come alive

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New Delhi, November 17: In the Delhi dressing room they have still kept the ball that reduced Mumbai from 295/2 to 330 all out in the first session. They were probably trying to figure out what exactly prompted the red cherry to behave as it did, even as Sumit Narhwal, who finished with figures of 4/43 off 25 exhausting overs, got a chance to soothe his agony in an ice-bath.

But soon it was clear that it was less about the ball and more about the bowlers. With the Mumbai seamers too making the ball talk, even the second session saw plenty of excitement.

There were few wild guesses in the stands about the factors responsible for the sudden change in fortunes of the pacers — moisture in the air, and even snowfall in Jammu, were seen as reasons for the collapse.

The simple explanation probably was that the bowlers, after toiling tirelessly on the first day, finally managed to put the ball in the right areas.

Mumbai managed to add just 53 runs in 23.3 overs, and lost eight wickets in the bargain. Things didn’t change in the second session with Delhi reduced to 86/4 at tea. The men doing the damage were the new-ball bowlers Ajit Agarkar and Dhawal Kulkarni.

Another twist

At this stage, it seemed as if the match had taken another turn and, like on the first day, the visitors were once again on top. But Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia came up with a now-routine rescue act to compile an unfinished 97-run fifth-wicket partnership and take Delhi to 176/4. When stumps were drawn, the game was hanging in balance with the all-important fight for the first innings lead on in real earnest.

Manhas, playing his 100th first class game, showed the responsibility that comes with experience. He figured out where his fourth stump was quite early and left everything outside well alone. Bhatia, on the other end, punched precisely into the gaps off the back foot.

Manhas, who completed his half-century from 77 balls with ten boundaries, was batting on 72 while Bhatia was unbeaten on 45.

Top-order collapse