Sehwag heroics in vain as Delhi lose by an innings to Vidarbha
Hosts Vidarbha bowled with clinical precision to outclass table toppers Delhi by an innings and 93 runs in a group league encounter of the Ranji Trophy on Saturday. Having won the match in less than two and half days, Vidarbha with seven points, including a bonus from this match, climbed up to second spot in the league table with 24 points from seven games. Delhi, who have not done well in the last two matches, stay put at the top with 30 points and are already through to the quarterfinals.
On the third day, Vidarbha took exactly 41 overs to demolish Delhi, taking 12 wickets as their seamers and spinners shared the spoils in equal measure. After getting all out for 154 in the first innings, thereby conceding a huge first innings lead of 216, Gautam Gambhir and Co. were asked to bat again and they fared even worse in the second essay as they were skittled out for 123 in 34 overs.
It was Sehwag, running a high temperature, who top-scored with 41 with the help of two boundaries and two sixes. But it was more of a cameo than a match-saving effort.
Skipper Gambhir (16), Unmukt Chand (4) and veteran Mithun Manhas (1) all failed to contribute as left-arm seamer Shrikant Wagh (3/44), part-time seamer Faiz Fazal (2/21), off-spinner Akshay Wakhare (2/32) and left-arm arm spinner Rakesh Dhruv (3/17) shared the wickets amongst themselves.
Brief scores: Vidarbha 370 beat Delhi 154 & 123 in 34 overs (V Sehwag 41; S Wagh 3/44) by an innings and 93 runs. Points: Vidarbha 7; Delhi 0.