Ishant stars as batsmen fail

An encouraging display from Ishant Sharma, and poor batting both from established names and those seeking to have their names up in lights. As a result, a Delhi team that Virender Sehwag led with some verve dominated the opening day of the Irani Cup in Vadodara.

The Rest of India had the perfect start, lunching at 105 for 1, but the afternoon siesta was rudely interrupted by the pace of Ishant and the tidy legspin of Chetanya Nanda. By tea, the innings was in freefall and Pradeep Sangwan did more damage early in the final session before the last two wickets saved some face.

The first five batsmen all got starts, but only Wasim Jaffer got to 50. His stroke across the line to Nanda set the tone for the other batsmen, and the procession after lunch would have gladdened more than a few Australian hearts.

Ishant trapped Rahul Dravid leg before for 46, and then had a visibly keyed up Subramaniam Badrinath chopping one on. With VVS Laxman and Mohammad Kaif also guilty of terrible shot selection, it was left to Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh and Munaf Patel to take the limping innings past 200.

After being erratic in his opening spell, Sangwan came back strongly, and Puneet Bisht did his cause no harm with a couple of superb catches behind the stumps. But it was Ishant, who got steepling bounce, that was the day's star, nearly unplayable in conditions that were hardly similar to the WACA or the Gabba.

Nanda, who has distinguished himself with the Delhi side in recent times, is no Shane Warne, but he bowled with accuracy and composure. Quite a few of the googlies that he bowled hardly turned, but he created enough doubt to snare three wickets. The sharp turn that Sehwag got at the other end though suggested that the Rest of India's spinners, Harbhajan and Anil Kumble, could have their moment in the Gujarat sun before the match is over.

With Badrinath and Kaif having fluffed their lines, Virat Kohli now has the ideal opportunity to play himself into the selectors' thoughts for the series against Australia. And don't forget Aakash Chopra. The stonewaller of yesteryear smashed three fours in his 16 before stumps, and his partnership with Gautam Gambhir will also be the cynosure of a few eyes on the second day as Delhi look to press home their advantage.