Auqib Nabi's five skittles out Delhi for 211 before Simarjeet picks three

New Delhi: Five zeroes and a single. That is what the Delhi innings on the first day of the Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir at the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds had. Still Delhi ended the day very much in the game.

After being bowled out for 211, which was built on three fifties – skipper Ayush Badoni’s 64, Ayush Doseja’s 65 and Sumit Mathur’s 55 not out – pace bowler Simarjeet Singh picked three wickets to leave J&K reeling at 31/3.

It was a day of low scores on a surface that afforded turn. That is why the bowling attacks picked were spin-heavy. Pace bowlers Umar Nazir and Umran Malik were not picked even in the absence of Yudhveer Singh who is on duty with the India A team for Rising Stars Trophy.

Instead, J&K fielded three spin bowlers in left-arm spinners Vansaj Sharma and Abid Mushtaq and off-spinner Sahil Lotra.

Eventually it was pace bowler Auqib Nabi who returned as the wrecker-in-chief picking five wickets. He had Arpit Rana for a 15-ball duck, caught at slip and then when Abid Mushtaq had got rid of Doseja to break the 64-run partnership he had with Mathur, Nabi returned to scalp four more.

He first got slip into play for Anuj Rawat, who surprisingly was sent below Mathur once again. Then he had two wickets on two balls. Hrithik Shokeen couldn’t keep his bat out of the way of a ball that moved away a bit and was caught by the wicketkeeper. On the very next ball, Manan Bhardwaj was out leg before wicket by an inswinging yorker that hit his toe.  

Nabi then had Money Grewal caught at slip again.

The right-arm pacer, who is known for swing and seam, returned with 5/35.

Delhi then had J&K on the mat with Simarjeet removing both the openers – Qamran Iqbal (14) and Shubham Khajuria (4). He then got rid of nightwatchman Sunil Kumar, who had earlier picked the wicket of Yash Dhull.

Tags : Auqib Nabi, Simarjeet Singh, Ranji Trophy, Ayush Doseja, Ayush Badoni