All-round Wagh upsets Saurashtra

Shrikant Wagh strode in at No. 8 and elevated Vidarbha into a dominant position with a breezy 81 off 122 balls. With the comfort of 583 on the board, he took the new ball and ran through two of Saurashtra's top three batsmen to complete another good day for his side in Nagpur.

As on the first day, there was an early wicket followed by a hefty partnership. S Badrinath made 89 off 159 balls, with nine fours and a six before becoming Dharmendrasinh Jadeja's only wicket over 44 overs. Ravi Jangid built on his captain's work with 83 off 173 balls and was part of a 101-run stand for the seventh wicket.

Saurashtra found relief when offspinner Kamlesh Makvana claimed his fourth wicket, the ninth of the innings, prompting Badrinath to declare on 583, giving his bowlers 17 overs before stumps. Wagh was used for nine of them and in addition to the two strikes, five of those nine overs were maidens.

Rujul Bhatt secured a fifth first-class century to lead Gujarat to 513 for 8 before they declared. He worked past Venugopal Rao's dismissal in the fifth over of the day and found good support from the lower order to convert his overnight 37 not out.

Rujul made 150 off 315 balls, yet only 52 of those came in boundaries. Not that he allowed himself to stagnate either. Using singles and twos to feed his innings, and manipulate the strike to extend the innings, he ensured his sixth fifty-plus score was converted into his third one of 150 or more. The issue with Rujul though is getting a start - 22 of his 38 innings have ended before he could reach 20.

In Motera though, he was adamant and received solid help from Manpreet Juneja, who blocked an end during a 45.2-over sixth-wicket partnership that produced 112 runs. Ramesh Powar picked up the sidekick mantle as the seventh wicket added 53 runs. Rush Kalaria, at No. 9, struck 38 off 39 balls as well with Punjab struggling to knock off the tail. But when Rujul was bowled by an indipper from Siddharth Kaul in the 169th over, Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel decided to declare.

Punjab's openers Jiwanjot Singh and Uday Kaul handled the seven overs left for stumps capably.

Mithun Manhas was fending Odisha away on his own until No. 10 Navdeep Saini clattered an unbeaten run-a-ball 42 to help Delhi to a good first-innings total of 353 in Feroz Shah Kotla. Seamer Basant Mohanty was the wrecker in chief, claiming his 11th first-class five-wicket haul.

Delhi began with Manhas on 55, but his overnight partner Puneet Bisht became an early casualty for 0. Mohanty ripped out Shivam Sharma in the next over and the score flagged to 260 for 7 in the 94th over. Manhas survived six more before falling for 84 off 205 balls, with seven fours and a six.

Delhi were 14 shy of 300 and they had only two men remaining. But one of them decided to gamble. Saini collected six fours and a six as he led a ninth-wicket partnership that added 67 runs. His partner Varun Sood fell when with the score on 353 and Delhi were wrapped up a ball later, Mohanty claiming the final wicket to finish with 5 for 76.

Delhi's cause was helped further when Odisha opener Subhrajit Sahoo was run-out before close of play.

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