New Delhi: Himmat Singh’s stylish hundred complemented by a gutsy 65-run last-wicket stand between tail-enders Harshit Rana and Divij Mehra earned Delhi three vital points against Andhra in a Ranji Trophy Group B game here on Friday.
However, with only five points from five games, Delhi are out of the competition and even two bonus-point wins in the next two games against title contenders Mumbai and wooden spooners Hyderabad won’t take them to the top-two in the group.
Inexplicably dropped from the playing XI in the previous away game against Saurashtra, Himmat was back with a bang as he hit 10 fours and three sixes in his 104 off 204 balls in Delhi’s first innings score of 488/9.
This was after Andhra declared its first essay as 459/9.
However Himmat became the ninth wicket to fall at 423 and Delhi were still 33 runs short with a wicket in hand.
But credit should be given to debutant Divij (32 not out) and an equally greenhorn Harshit (33 not out) as they held their nerves.
Andhra captain Hanuma Vihari’s ploy of asking his pacers KV Sasikanth and Nitish Kumar Reddy to bowl short with the field up didn’t make much sense as both the batters got some easy runs.
Just before the start of the mandatory overs, the players shook hands as Delhi ensured its first respectable performance of the season.
If in-form Dhruv Shorey’s brilliant 185 off 311 balls laid the foundation, the talented Himmat kept the team afloat with his audacious strokeplay, blending caution with aggression.
Against left-arm spinner Lalit Mohan, he hit two maximums down the ground while off-spinner Shoaib Mohammed Khan was lofted over long-on for a six. His airborne celebration was an indicator of what he must have gone through after being axed in the last game.
Once Shorey got out after a 156-run stand, Lakshay Thareja despite limited batting capability, helped Himmat in forging a 40-run stand for the sixth wicket.
However from 406 for 5, Delhi slumped to 423/9 but credit to Harshit and Divij for giving the team’s disastrous campaign some sense of respectability.
In the end, there is only one word for skipper Yash Dhull. While he is a young captain, he has lost a bit of respect in the dressing room for running away from challenging situations and conditions.
It is learnt that he couldn’t be convinced to open or come at No. 3 in conditions that aided seam and swing. Not once in the last four games did he want to come out when the chips were down.
It will be interesting to see if DDCA president Rohan Jaitley continue with a man whose temperament, more than his technique, has come under the scanner in every game.
Brief scores
In Delhi: Andhra 459/9 declared. Delhi 488/9 in 147 overs (Dhruv Shorey 185, Himmat Singh 104, Harshit Rana 33 not out, Nitish Reddy 3/90).
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