Manhas leads from the front as Delhi in driver`s seat vs MP

Indore: Delhi captain Mithun Manhas led from the front with a knock of 97 on a dodgy track as Delhi took an overall lead of 240 against Madhya Pradesh, in an Elite Group B match of the Ranji Trophy at the Enerald Heights High School ground, on Wednesday.

The encounter that is turning out to be a low-scoring affair saw the visitors take a slender two-run first innings lead as they bowled out Madhya Pradesh for 156 in only 37.1 overs. Ashish Nehra (3/72) and Parvinder Awana (3/51) got three of the four wickets that fell on Wednesday while one batsman was run-out. With more than two days to go, Delhi batsmen had to show a lot of resolve and application. Skipper Manhas brought on all his experience of having wriggled Delhi out of the dumps on a numerous occasions during his 13 years at the first class level. The ball has been doing a fair bit throughout the day Manhas`s innings was a blend of caution mixed with aggression. His runs came off 134 balls with 12 hits to the fence. The skipper was involved in two crucial partnerships -- 50 for the fourth wicket with Rajat Bhatia (16) and 60 runs for the fifth wicket with Yogesh Nagar (35 batting). Manhas well and truly deserved his 21st first-class century but was out off part-time leg-spinner Zafar Ali`s bowling only three runs short of what could be the defining innings of the match. Earlier, Manhas`s gamble of promoting Punit Bisht up the order at No 3 to get some quick runs paid off partially, as the latter scored 25 off 28 balls hitting five boundaries. He also added 44 runs for the second wicket with Shikhar Dhawan (30). Taduri Sudhindra (3/35) was the most successful bowler for Madhya Pradesh. With two days left and the strip still remaining a challenge for the batsmen, anything in excess of 275 may be difficult for the home team to chase considering the fact that Delhi has a very potent seam attack. Brief Scores: Delhi 158 & 238/7 (Mithun Manhas 97, Yogesh Nagar 35 batting, TP Sudhindra 3/35). MP 156 (Naman Ojha 39, Jalaj Saxena 31, Ashish Nehra 3/72, Parvinder Awana 3/51). PTI