Today's match is brought to you by @
kushari. Kushari, where aggression is the name of the game.
Welcome everyone to another day of the exciting Ranji Trophy encounter between @
honu999 and @
arjwiz. Jharkhand Heroes, managed by Honu, and Delhi Diamond Cutters, managed by arjwiz, have both lost their first matches in the tournament and are looking to bounce back with a win.
This test match is very evenly poised, although Jharkhand will perhaps consider themselves slightly ahead.
Delhi Diamond Cutters were all out for 143 in their first innings. They fell from 48/0 to 91/9, before rallying back with a last wicket partnership of 52 runs, 48 of which were scored by Vernon Philander. Jharkhand lie currently at 58/3, having lost Jiwanjot Singh, Kedar Jhadav, and Saurabh Tiwary before stumps. But with De Villiers, Raina, Dhoni, and Ross Taylor still to come, Jharkhand can build a good total today.
Match coverage is delayed slightly since the opposition manager has been summoned back to the pavilion by his wife, who has ordered him to have his lunch before he takes the field. True story. We all know who wins in that battle, folks.
----------
Fielders are out in the field now, warming up. It's a cold day here in Jharkhand, and the fielders will feel the pinch. Delhi have the likes of Ajmal, Chawla, Philander, Mohit Sharma, and the legend Mohinder Amarnath in their bowling lineup. We have Harsha Bhogle at pitchside who thinks Delhi would do well to restrict Jharkhand to under 150 considering that this pitch is fairly disintegrated already.
Over to Geoffrey Boycott and Ravi Shastri on commentary.
GB: Yes thanks, Harsha. I'm not quite sure why you think this is a cold day. Where I'm from, this would be a warm summer's day up in Yorkshire. And what's going on with this manager of Jharkhand? Eating his lunch? My mum could have cooked better food than his wife.
RS: Now now Boycs, settle down. I see that honu has just come online. This match will begin now and the managers will look to finish it off faster than a tracer bullet. Let's get down to the action.
----------
GB: Raina and De Villiers have stepped up to the middle for Jharkhand Heroes. What do you think. What do you think Delhi Diamond Cutters will hope for from this session, Ravi?
RS: Well Boycs, I think DDC will look to get a few early wickets. JH have a good batting line up with Dhoni and Ross to follow.
----------
Amarnath bowling. And what a ball. Swung in like a demon, and Suresh Raina is bowled for just one. 59/4. What a start by DDc.
----------
JH 63/4 after 11.
----------
Vernon Philander gets AB DeVilliers out CLEAN BOWLED first ball with a scorching yorker. The break seems to have done some good for DDC. JH now 63/5.
And oh no, Ross Taylor now out the very next ball. Ravi, are one-bounce catches out these days? I thought that bounced?
Philander on a hattrick. But Aaron hits it down the field for a couple.
----------
And an fast outswinger by Philander gets captain and legend MS Dhoni out for just one. Clean bowled! Philander gets three in that over. JH lose 4 wickets already.
----------
JH 69/7 after 12. Mohit Sharma in to bowl now.
----------
RS: Why did the captain take Amarnath off? Sharma has just conceded 7 runs. 76/7 after 13.
And what's this? Philander gets a caught behind, but forgot to appeal!
----------
RS: He would have had a five-for, you know? Now Aaron hits him down the ground for four. 84/7 after 14.
----------
RS: DDC get Sharma off and replace him immediately with Ajmal's off spin.
----------
Good over for JH off Ajmal. 93/7 after 15. Philander continues his attack now.
GB: Yes, Philander will be ruing his decision not to appeal. I think he got tongue tied. He would have had 5 already. That said, he did get Ross Taylor out on what looked to me like a bump ball.
----------
RS: And what's this? Suicidal run out. Unadkat out for 11(9). They hit the ball straight to mid off but ran the single. Looks like DDC's field change earlier worked. Awana comes out now after the loss of 8 wickets.
----------
Boycott: What's this? JH have called for a time out because it's too cold? DDC captain Sehwag graciously accepts, feeling the cold himself.
Statsman Mohandas Menon has just told me something. Apparently, Sehwag also has to make a call to his mum. My mum should call his mum.
----------
GB: Well Ravi, how do you think the game has gone so far?
RS: I think DDC will be very pleased with their performance today. Their fast bowlers looked up for it. Philander was bowling very well, as was the medium pacer Jimmy. Did you know, Boycs, Jimmy and I were teammates for many years in the Indian team. I'm shocked by the decision of @
valerian140, captain of the Mumbai team, to not pick me as his legend player for Mumbai. He chose Sachin Tendulkar. That boy wasn't even around when I was scoring runs and taking wickets in Australia.
----------
GB: Whatever, Ravi. Looks like this break might take a while. I'm off to have some tea and muffins, my lad. Cheeri-o.
RS: Looks like the sun is back out and the players have taken the field again. Boycs, do you think we will be able to commentate when Delhi are batting?
GB: I don't think we can talk as much as we are now Ravi. Batting requires more concentration, with less of a break between balls. Enjoy our commentary while it lasts, folks.
RS: I don't think anyone's listening, Boycs.
----------
GBL Lovely ball by Philander. Short ball and he gets Aaron out bowled for 17. That's 5 for Philander! JH 95/9 now.
----------
And that's an absolutely scorching yorker. Batsman was beaten all ends up, as they say. Munaf Patel out first ball. Philander on a hattrick, but that will have to wait for the next innings.
JH are 95 all out, and DDC take a lead of 48 into their second innings.
Sehwag and Gambhir, the two stalwarts, are coming out to bat.
JH are opening their bowling with the one and only, Munaf Patel.
----------
RS: Is this really the Munaf Patel I know? He is bowling at 145 kpmh, Boycs!
----------
Sehwag off the mark. That's two runs off the first over for DDC.
----------
Unadkat is bowling from the other end. I think this boy took 5 wickets in the first innings, Geoffrey.
----------
8/0 after 2. And that's lunch on Day 1 of this match.
GB: What? I thought they just ate?
RS: They did, but this is India, Boycs. We eat a lot. Of good food.
----------
11/0 off 3, in the over bowled by Munafbhai.
----------
16/0 off 4
----------
GB: Oh my my. Gautam Gambhir was looking so so solid, but is now run out for 19 for failing to ground his bat. Unfortunate.
RS: Hasim Amla coming out to bat next. He has had a good series so far, let's see what he can do today.
----------
29/1 after 5
----------
37/1 after 6
----------
42/1 after 7, over bowled by Awana.
----------
GB: Oh Unadkat with a quick yorker has Sehwag clean bowled, but the umpire calls no ball. Sehwag's mum is looking after her little boy.
----------
Good over by Unadkat but nothing to show for it. DDC are 51/1 now. Lead is 99.
----------
Great over by Munaf Patel, 1 off it. DDC 52/1. Lead now 100.
----------
Oh my, what a catch. Sehwag out caught at mid off, just when he was looking good. 21 runs of 31 balls for him. DDC are 56/2 after 9.3 overs.
Virat Kohli comes out to bat, who has had a miserable tournament so far.
----------
Smashed down to the straight boundary for four by Kohli off his first ball.
----------
DDC 62/2 after 10. Good over for JH.
That's another session done with. Both sides make their way back.
GB: What on earth is happening here. End of Session 2 already? Luckily we are still on Day 1.
RS: Let's get ready for the final session of the first day.
----------
GB: Looks like Munafbhai is spending a lot of his time shining the ball, Ravi. Is that for himself or for the other bowlers? 67/2 after 11.
----------
11 off the over. 78/2 after 12.
----------
GB: Amla beaten all ends up. Out for just 19. Munafbhai was shining the ball again. He's a wily old fox, Munafbhai.
RS: Amarnath out to bat.
----------
That's a wicket-maiden for Munaf Patel. DDC 78/3 after 13.
----------
RS: And AB DeVilliers is out to bowl! What can this man not do, Boycs?
GB: This guy is a dibbly-dobbly bowler, Ravi. My mum could bowl better than him. Even Nicky Boje could bowl better than him.
----------
RS: He conceded just the five singles off the over, Boycs.
GB: That's because the batsmen are absolutely rubbish, Ravi.
----------
83/3 after 14. Munaf back into the attack. He has shined this ball thrice before bowling his first delivery. What does this fox have up his sleeve?
----------
RS: And that's yet another maiden over from Munaf. He is on fire here.
GB: Must be all the spicy curry he's been having.
----------
GB: 83/3 after 15. Varun Raymond Aaron is out to bat now. What kind of a name is that, Ravi?
----------
2 runs off the last ball, after 5 dot balls. Good over by Aaron. DDC are 85/3 after 16. Munaf back into the attack, shining the ball thrice as is his wont.
----------
Just the single off that Munaf over. 86/3 after 17. Amarnath has scored just 4 runs off 18 deliveries so far. Both the batsmen at the crease have had a very poor tournament so far, and are looking to try and take it steady this time.
----------
Just two off that Aaron over. 88/3 after 18.
----------
90/3 after 19. Just two off that Munaf over.
----------
RS: Amarnath bowled off a no ball. How much luck does this guy need? First he gets to play in the Ranji league, then he can't score any runs but still gets into the DDC team, and now he gets to bat twice. Life is unfair, Boycs. Look how hard I work to get my commentary to the level it is at today.
GB: Oh shut up, Ravi. DDC are 93/3 after 20 overs now.
----------
Unadkat replacing Munaf.
----------
Unadkat has now conceded 52 runs in this innings, for just one wicket.
----------
DDC 98/3 off 21.
----------
Bang, bowled him. Amarnath's tired vigil comes to an end. He scored just 6 off a tedious 28 deliveries. Middle stump knocked out by Aaron.
Ed Joyce comes out to bat. DDC 98/4 now.
----------
And Joyce hits the first boundary after many many overs for DDC. DDC 102/4 after 22. Unadkat continuing.
----------
Oh no, Patel replaces Unadkat.
----------
Good over for DDC. 112/4 after 23. Joyce looking good, just like Gambhir.
----------
118/4 after 24.
----------
Ouch, Joyce bowled for 14 off 16 by Munaf. The batsman played late. Rajat Bhatia comes out to bat next.
----------
122/5 after 25
----------
126/5 after 26
----------
Bhatia given LBW to what looked like it hit the elbow.
DRS called for.
There is a huge overstepping by the bowler, which hasn't been considered by DRS.
Replays shows it did hit the elbow. Umpire's call. OUT!
Blimey!
DDC are 128/6
First innings batting hero and second innings bolwing hero Vernon Philander out to bat.
But oh no!!! Philander is bowled first ball off a similar short, slow delivery by Munaf that scrapes the top of the stumps. 128/7 now, and DDC are in disarray as Chawla comes out to bat.
----------
DDC have asked for a time out. Play resumes in about 45 minutes.
