Rajkot: Ravindra Jadeja put on a vintage display of spin bowling on a turning track in Rajkot, taking a match haul of 12 wickets and steering Saurashtra to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over Delhi inside two days in their Ranji Trophy Group D clash at Niranjan Shah Stadium.
The emphatic win kept Saurashtra firmly in contention for a knockout spot while leaving Delhi’s chances hanging by a thread.
The match began with Saurashtra opting to bowl first on a rank turner, a deliberate move by skipper Jaydev Unadkat to exploit their spin strength. After bowling out Delhi for 188 runs in the first innings, Saurashtra posted a challenging 271 in their first innings, thanks to gritty contributions from their middle order.
Delhi’s reply was disastrous. Jadeja, returning to domestic cricket to regain match fitness ahead of international assignments, was unplayable. He claimed 7/38, dismantling Delhi’s batting lineup, which folded for a meagre 94 in just 25.2 overs. Dharmendra Jadeja supported him with two scalps.
Delhi’s Rishabh Pant failed to make an impact. He managed just 1 in the first innings, falling to Dharmendra Jadeja while attempting an ill-timed slog-sweep.
Delhi began their second innings on the back foot, trailing by 83 runs. Ravindra Jadeja returned with even greater energy, exploiting the spin-friendly conditions to devastating effect, running through Delhi’s lineup once again.
Pant briefly counterattacked, scoring 17, but was undone by Ravindra Jadeja’s extra bounce, edging to first slip. Captain Ayush Badoni was the lone bright spot for Delhi with a gritty 44, but the rest of the lineup crumbled under relentless pressure. Delhi were bowled out for 94, leaving Saurashtra needing just 12 runs to win.
Saurashtra chased the target in 3.1 overs, sealing a resounding 10-wicket victory. Post-match, Jadeja was seen sharing bowling tips with Delhi’s struggling left-arm spinner Harsh Tyagi, who had an underwhelming season. Jadeja also bagged the Player of the Match accolade.
The victory propelled Saurashtra to 18 points, placing them back in contention for a knockout spot alongside Tamil Nadu (19 points) and Chandigarh (18 points). Delhi, with 14 points, must win their final game against Railways outright and hope for other results to go their way to stay alive in the competition.
(IANS)
