Delhi U-25 hits low, lose track, get hammered by Karnataka

On Thursday, the Dehi U-25 team had, at lunch time, thought of stretching their legs and relaxing. After having their backs to the wall for most of the game, they had set a tough target of 200-plus in two sessions for Karnataka U-25 in the opening match of the Col CK Nayudu U-25 cricket tournament and looked certain to draw the game and save points.

Over the next couple of hours, they were made to chase leather at Karnataka batsmen’s will and didn’t know how to stop the run-flow that was started by Mayank Agarwal who hammered under-fire skipper Shelly Shaurya for 19 runs in the very first over of the innings to set the tone.

Shaurya’s father, a DDCA member, who had held sports committee to ransom in order to get his son a place in Delhi senior side and captaincy of Delhi U-25 sat in his car, with head buried in his palms. Even in the wildest of imaginations, he wouldn’t have realized such a fate befalling his son as he was tonked to all corners, giving away 59 runs in 6 overs. Karnataka chased the target in under 40 overs, 39.5 to be precise.

Agarwal, an IPL player who says he has gained a lot in the company of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Kevin Pietersen in RCB dressing room, later explained his strategy. “Our plan was to put them onto the backfoot.” After the 19-run over, the inexperienced Delhi skipper budged and had no idea as he brought in spinners very early into the innings and spread the field. A Delhi skipper is expected to be a tough nut, but Shaurya, with his fashionable curly locks, was proving weak and fragile.

Agarwal and KL Rahul were severe. Most of Agarwal’s strokes came through the off-side, longoff and extra cover region.

Eventually by tea, Delhi had only a few to defend. Yogesh Nagar, the most experienced of the lot was the 12^th man and stepped onto the field and starting helping field placings. It was the lowest a team could have reached. A man they ignored for the playing XI, causing controversy, was now being called upon for help.

 Earlier Delhi had made 342, a decent total after they were shot out for 146 in the first essay and later conceded a 131-run lead. The 212-run target shouldn’t have been surpassed but once the skipper let the initiative slip in the very first over, it was going to be all over.

Scores 

Delhi U-25 146 (V Sood 47*, HS Sharath 5/37) & 342 (A Kaushik 63, J Anand 50, V Sood 47*); Karnataka U-25 277 (M Agarwal 94, K Nair 54, J Anand 3/37, V Sood 3/48) & 215/2 (M Agarwal 114*, KL Rahul 71). Karnataka won by eight wickets.