By IANS,
Vadodara : Delhi bowlers wrecked the Rest Of India (ROI) batting, dismissing them for 252 in the first innings on day one of Irani Trophy here Wednesday.
Ishant Sharma (3-22) bent his back to extract bounce from the docile track to trouble India’s mainline batsmen. He was well supported by young left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan
(3-57) and leg-spinner Chetanya Nanda who got the ball to turn and bounce to claim three for 60.
Openers Akash Chopra (16) and Gautam Gambhir (4) were at the crease at stumps as Delhi ended the day at 21.
For ROI, Wasim Jaffer scored a half century while Rahul Dravid, surprisingly send in to open the batting, scored a wobbly 46. The rest of the batsmen looked rusty and uncomfortable out in the middle.
The openers gave a cautious start to the innings with a 77-run stand. Dravid bided his time as Ishant bowled a terrific first spell. The lanky fast bowler gave only three runs from his five overs, bowling three maidens, though his rewards came later.
Dravid took 34 balls to reach the double figures while Jaffer broke the shackles with two consecutive boundaries off Pradeep Sangwan’s first over with a wristy flick to mid-wicket and a fluent cover drive.
Nanda broke the partnership when Jaffer drove the leg-spinner uppishly to be caught at short-extra cover. Jaffer’s knock included five boundaries. ROI were 105 for one at the end of first session.
Soon after the lunch, Ishant ended Dravid’s stay in the middle with a sharp incoming delivery to get him legbefore. Dravid’s 46 came off 95 balls with four boundaries.
Ishant struck again when Subramaniam Badrinath drag a delivery on to his stumps as ROI slumped to 3-127.
V.V.S Laxman (21) and Mohammad Kaif (29) tried to build a partnership but could not do much. Nanda got rid of Laxman who tried to hit him over the mid-wicket while skipper Virender Sehwag removed Kaif. Sangwan then forced Mahendra Singh Dhoni to edge to slip to expose the tail.