New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Saurashtra medium pacer Jayesh Odedra’s maiden five-wicket haul left Delhi struggling at 262 for seven in their first innings at the end of second day’s play in the Ranji Trophy Super League tie at the Roshnara Club ground here Wednesday.
After bowling Saurashtra out for 328 runs in the first innings on the opening day, Delhi top order crumbled after a cautious start this morning.

At stumps, Delhi were still trailing by 66 runs with wicket-keeper Puneet Bisht batting at 49 and Sangwan scoring a quick 19 runs that included two fours and a six off Odedra. Play ended eight overs short due to poor light.

Bisht and Sangwan’s 47-run unbroken partnership off 61 balls held hopes for the hosts that they could just manage to scrape past Saurashtra’s first innings total for the crucial lead. But for that the lower order batsmen would have to show resilience against the Saurashtra pace attack.

That brief partnership apart, it was Saurashtra bowlers who dominated the second day.

Left-arm seamers Sandeep Jobanputra and Balakrishna Jadeja teased the Delhi top order with their outswingers but were unlucky to go wicketless.

The two right-arm pacers — Sandeep Maniar (2-58 ) and Odedra (5-71) — did the damage.

The day belonged to Odedra, who was playing his fist match this season. The 21-year-old, who played just three matches last season, bowled an unusually long 17 overs, stretched between two sessions to break Delhi’s back with three wickets.

The hosts were defensive in their reply and paid for it. Unlike their opponents, who a day before scored a bulk of their runs at five runs per over, Delhi chose to build their innings at a snail’s pace.

Carrying on from overnight 22 for no loss, openers Ankur Julka (36) and Aditya Jain (38) added 43 more to their opening stand in 20 overs. Odedra separated the pair when he rattled Jain’s stumps.

Julka, keen to prove a point in his debut match, took 120 balls for his 36 runs before nicking Odedra to wicket-keeper Sagar Jogiyani at the stroke of lunch and Delhi was reduced to 86 for two in 39.1 overs.

Experienced middle-order batsman Mithun Manhas (15), playing his first match this season after recovering from a strained groin, joined captain Virat Kohli (39) but didn’t last long as Odedra trapped him leg before.

Kohli was given a lifeline at 21 when Ravindra Jadeja failed to latch on to a catch at the second slip off Sandeep Jobanputra.

Kohli, who made a fighting 145 in the last match that Delhi lost to Uttar Pradesh, could not do much as Maniar knocked off his off-stump, bringing an end to his 132-minute stay where he faced 94 balls and smashed six fours.

Odedra returned in his second spell to dismiss Mayank Tehlan for 14.

With Delhi reeling at 156 for five, a lot depended on the last recognised pair of Rajat Bhatia (33) and wicket-keeper Bisht. The two added 41 runs before Maniar had Bhatia caught by Jogiyani.