Cricket Pulse

Virat Kohli and Mithun Manhas steadied Delhi’s innings to 106 for 3 by lunch after Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd initially jolted the Ranji Trophy champions on the first day of the Mohammed Nissar Trophy at Ferozshah Kotla on Monday.

Kohli (45 batting) and Rajat Bhatia (1) were at crease before rains forced an early lunch after 24.1 overs.

Opting to bat first, Delhi faced some early setbacks, with both the openers Virender Sehwag (0) and Akash Chopra (4) returning to the pavilion with just four runs on board. Kohli and Manhas (49) then steered Delhi back into the game.

Chopra drove fast bowler Asad Ali for a four in the third ball of the day. But then on pacers Asad and Imran Ali troubled Sehwag and Chopra.

The Pakistani bowlers took advantage of an overcast condition and swung the ball both ways. Sehwag failed to negotiate a late in-swinger from Imran in the second over which rattled his stumps. Chopra soon followed his captain when he edged Asad’s outgoing delivery to wicketkeeper Adnan Akmal in the fifth over.

Manhas and Kohli then stitched a valuable 86-run partnership for the third wicket to pull out Delhi from a precarious situation. Manhas’ cameo came to an end after he was caught and bowled by left-arm spinner Imran Khalid in the 20th over.