Simarjeet Singh's masterly show after no-show gives Delhi some hope

New Delhi: Two kinds of Simarjeet Singh turned up for Delhi on Day 2 of their Ranji Trophy match against Jammu and Kashmir at the Ferozeshah Kotla. One, a fragile and unfit one who bowled just five overs prior to tea break and in the process allowed J&K to run away with the first innings lead. Then, the pace bowler post tea who we know as an accurate, nippy bowler and one who ran through the J&K lower order to restrict their lead to below 100.

Between the two lay Delhi’s conundrum. The selectors had picked him as the most experienced bowler who could be relied upon. After a below-par showing in the previous game against Pondicherry, Simarjeet repaid faith picking three late J&K wickets on Day 1 after Delhi were dismissed for 211 in the first essay.

On the morning of Day 2 he was expected to lead charge and make early dents. But to everyone’s surprise, Simarjeet did not bowl first up. Instead, it was Money Grewal and off-spinner Hrithik Shokeen who began the proceedings.

It was learnt that Simarjeet woke up with stiff back and couldn’t bowl immediately.

The bowling was tight and J&K had to grind hard. Simarjeet appeared only in the 22nd over, the ninth over of the day.

He bowled the 22nd and the 24th, his seventh and eighth, and then put his feet up. He didn’t bowl in the first session after that.

Paras Dogra celebrates his century at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Sunday

Though Delhi managed to get rid of Vivrant Sharma through a run-out, Paras Dogra (106 off 183 balls), who got an early life dropped in slip off Money Grewal, and Abdul Samad (85 off 105 balls) built a 141-run partnership that brought J&K close to the Delhi total.

The right-handed Abdul Samad, who was looking good for a century, holed out to long on to give left-arm spinner and debutant Manan Bhardwaj his first first-class wicket. Both Dogra and Abdul Samad carved out gaps against a struggling Delhi bowling attack. Simarjeet returned to bowl three overs immediately after the drinks break in the post-lunch session. He couldn’t get any wicket and then went again into cold storage.

Moreover, in that middle session, he dropped Dogra at deep square leg off a full toss when J&K were 195/5, still trailing by 16 runs. Had he taken that catch, Delhi would have hoped to restrict J&K lead to between 20 and 30.

But at tea, J&K had moved to a 49-run lead.

But the pace bowler returned with the new ball in the 82nd over for his 12th over and the day’s sixth over. This was well past tea. In the second over of his new spell, he trapped Sahil Lotra leg before the wicket. Kanhaiya Wadhawan, who looked good for his 47, was the eighth man, caught behind off Money Grewal with the score on 307. Simarjeet then produced a delivery that squared Auqib Nabi and in the very next over, his 17th, had Abid Mushtaq bowled. Mushtaq, batting with No. 11 Vanshaj Sharma, went for a wild hit but missed the line.

One only wonders if the injury-prone Simarjeet had been fit and didn’t have a stiff back at the start of the day.

At stumps, Delhi had nibbled seven runs from the 99-run lead. But Day 3 will be crucial.

Tags : Paras Dogra, J&K, Simarjeet Singh, Ranji Trophy, Abdul Samad