Delhi skipper Virat Kohli was keen on exploiting the early morning conditions.
With the coin answering his call, he put Saurashtra in at the Roshanara ground on Tuesday.
A weakened attack in the absence of Ashish Nehra, who pulled out citing an upset stomach, did little to further the skipper’s plans, as Chirag Pathak and Cheteshwar Pujara ensured the visitors put on 328 before being bowled out.
The Delhi bowlers, who couldn’t make an impression in the first two sessions, claimed six wickets in the last one, conceding just 67 runs.
Pathak and Pujara batted effortlessly, and smashed the bowling to all ends of the park. Playing it safe, they kept their strokes along the ground, negating the chances of getting caught in the outfield.
At lunch, the duo had added 49 for the fourth wicket, which saw Saurashtra touch 130 for three in 30 overs.
The only six of the innings came off Pathak’s bat. Batting on 92, he went for the big one and dispatched a Rajat Bhatia delivery over the mid-wicket fence. Then, a single off Parwinder Awana saw him reach his ton in the 41st over of the day.
Well set, the two batsmen seemed in no mood to give up until Bhatia struck at the stroke of tea, trapping danger man Pujara
leg before on 83.
Well set, the two batsmen seemed in no mood to give up until Bhatia struck at the stroke of tea, trapping danger man Pujara
leg before on 83.
But his 160-run partnership with opener Pathak had put the visitors back on track.
The situation improved for the hosts after tea, with Bhatia claiming another big wicket. Kohli snapped up an edge off Pathak’s willow and he went back after a rewarding 138.
The scoreboard read 274-5. With Pathak gone, Delhi went in for the kill and the man who could have halted their charge was Ravindra Jadeja.
But Mithun Manhas didn’t give him a chance and claimed him for 29. From 261 for four at tea, Saurashtra plummeted to 328 all out — a massive change in fortune for both teams.
In the morning, Pawan Suyal claimed Sitanshu Kotak and Jayadev Shah in the same over, but it was Awana who utilised the morning conditions to get the better of Sagar Jogiyani (26).
At stumps, Delhi were 22 without loss with Ankur Julka (7) and Aditya Jain (15) at the crease.