Bhupinder Singh (Sr), the Punjab coach, had predicted that even a total of 300 plus would not be safe on the wicket they were scheduled to play Delhi on Friday. His guess turned out dead right as Delhi lost to Punjab by six wickets even after amassing 338 runs.
Having lost their first match to Haryana by just one run, Punjab batsmen showed lot of character while chasing the big target and overhauled it with six wickets to spare in the last over.
Punjab opener Karan Goel (63) and Ravi Inder Singh (98) gave Punjab a rousing start with a 124-run stand. While Goel fell soon after completing his half-century, Ravi Inder marched on.
He looked set to reach the three-figure mark, but a throw from Virat Kohli found him short of the crease when he needed just two more runs to complete his ton.
His dismissal, however, didn’t derail Punjab’s chase as Mandeep Singh and Bipul Sharma struck fine half-centuries to keep their team in the hunt.
Nehra dismissed Mandeep for 73, but by then he had already done the damage.
Earlier, Delhi openers Shikhar Dhawan (83) and Unmukt Chand (74) also gave their team a fine start.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Delhi openers Shikhar Dhawan (83) and Unmukt Chand (74) also gave their team a fine start.
{{/usCountry}}Even after Punjab got their first breakthrough, Delhi kept going at a brisk rate as skipper Virat Kohli smashed a breezy 71, studded with four boundaries and two sixes.
The tail also chipped in with useful contributions to help Delhi reach a mammoth 340.