Ranji Trophy - Super League 2009-2010 - Discussion thread

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Ranji Round I : Sans stars Delhi, Baroda square off in Ranji opener More... Sans stars Delhi, Baroda square off in Ranji opener STAFF WRITER 19:32 HRS IST Vadodara, Nov 2 (PTI) Missing their star players, who are either on national duty or nursing injuries, Delhi and Baroda take on each other in their opening four-day match of the Ranji Trophy here tomorrow. Delhi is missing explosive openers Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and in-form pacer Ashish Nehra, who are playing against Australia in the ongoing one-day series. Baroda is without regular skipper and pace spearhead Irfan Pathan, who is nursing a knee injury and another formidable fast bowler in Munaf Patel, currenttly with the national team. Baroda's new captain Connor Williams hoped the absence of the duo won't affect his side's fortune too badly. "The team will be able to put up good score if the middle order batsmen do not fail," he said. Baroda had failed to make even the semis last year but Williams said the team was confident of an improved performance this season. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Leading up to Delhi's opener against Baroda, Vijay Dahiya has often asked about Mithun Manhas's fitness, reports Subhash Rajta. More... Injured Delhi up against Baroda Subhash Rajta, Hindustan Times Vadodara, November 03, 2009 First Published: 00:18 IST(3/11/2009) Last Updated: 00:19 IST(3/11/2009) Leading up to Delhi's opener against Baroda, Vijay Dahiya has often asked about Mithun Manhas's fitness. The coach is still groping for a definitive answer and on the eve of the match, he faces a similar question — this time concerning Chetanya Nanda. The tall leg-spinner twisted his ankle while bowling in the nets, minutes before Delhi wound up their practice session on Monday. Grimacing in pain, Nanda had to be helped out. Manhas, on the other hand, is running against time to recover from the injury he sustained in the Champions League. “Manhas has been shaping up quite well and doing whatever needs to be done. Anyway, we will take the final call on them on Tuesday morning,” Dahiya said. However, it is learnt that Nanda has been ruled out and Manhas too is unlikely to play. Perhaps, the think-tank wants to give them to recover, which is understandable given how crucial they are to the scheme of things. Ankur Jhulka and Joginder Singh have been called as cover for Chetanya Nanda and Mithun Manhas. Baroda too have their share of injuries as Irfan Pathan has opted out after failing to recovery from an injury. His absence will leave the Baroda pace attack rather thin. In his absence, inexperienced youngsters Ajitesh Argal and Salim Veragi will shoulder the attack. It isn't surprising that the wicket at the Motibagh grounds is bereft of grass as the hosts couldn't afford a green top in the absence of Pathan and Munaf Patel. Paras Mhambrey, the Baroda coach, however, sounded a note of caution. “It might not have grass, but it won't be a flat wicket. It has good bounce, and given the dew and early morning moisture, it will seam quite a bit,” he said. Given that it's batting in which Baroda can match and even overshadow Delhi, the wicket should be batsman-oriented. The hosts have an immensely experienced line-up in skipper Connor Williams, Satyajit Parab and Jacob Martin, and young bats like Azhar Bhilakhia and Rakesh Solanki have shaped up well. Last but not the least, there's a certain Yusuf Pathan, who's good enough to demolish any attack. For the visitors, younger batsmen like Mayank Tehlan, Gaurav Chhabra and Yogesh Nagar will need to pull their weight and supplement the efforts of the prominent four — skipper Aakash Chopra, Shikhar Dhawan, Manhas and all-rounder Rajat Bhatia — to outbat Baroda.

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Fit Zaheer to spearhead Mumbai attack against Punjab India left-arm speedster Zaheer Khan, who has recovered fully from the shoulder injury, is set to make a comeback for Mumbai against Punjab in their first Ranji game at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh today, reports Vinod Kumar. More... Fit Zaheer to spearhead Mumbai attack against Punjab Vinod Kumar, Hindustan Times Chandigarh, November 03, 2009 First Published: 00:20 IST(3/11/2009) Last Updated: 00:22 IST(3/11/2009) India left-arm speedster Zaheer Khan, who has recovered fully from the shoulder injury, is set to make a comeback for Mumbai against Punjab in their first Ranji game at the Sector 16 Cricket Stadium in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Buoyed by the presence of Zaheer in the team, Mumbai coach Pravin Amre said, "He is a champion bowler and will definitely give the team a boost. He, along with Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Power, can trouble any batting line-up," said the Mumbai coach. The speedster sustained the injury during the Indian Premier League (IPL-II) due to which he was out of action for the last four months. "He has been out of action for long but I am sure he will deliver the goods for the team," said Amre. On the other hand, with new skipper, Ankur Kakkar, and relatively young team, it will be a test of character for the local team. However, the Punjab coach sounded confident of his team doing well in the season opener. Vishwas Bhalla, Gaurav Gambhir (all-rounders), Bharat Loomba (fast bowler) and Harmeet Bansal (fast bowler) are the new faces included in the team. "Mumbai has always been a team to watch out for and there is nothing like starting Ranji campaign with a win against the domestic giants," said Punjab coach Bhupinder Singh Senior. "It is the first game of the season and, in any championship, it is very important to start off well. A good result will set the tone for rest of the season," he said. "We have the right combination of youth and experience. We need to play good positive cricket and if we play up to our potential, I am sure of good results," he said. The home team has a decent batting line-up but it is the bowling which is an area of concern. With V.R.V. Singh unfit for the match, Manpreet Singh Gony will share the burden of the new ball attack with Loveabhlish, who is making a comeback from the Indian Cricket League. ---------------------------------------------------------- More... Rahane, Dhawal promise encore Taus Rizvi / DNA Tuesday, November 3, 2009 3:18 IST Email Mumbai: Last season two Mumbai youngsters stood out with their extraordinary performances in the Ranji Trophy, which not only brought the team its 37th Ranji Trophy title but also made people sit up and take notice. Now, cut to Season II. Stylish batsman Ajinkya Rahane and medium-pacer Dhawal Kulkarni are keen to repeat their feats this year. Kulkarni picked up 42 wickets in nine games in his debut season, a performance that earned him a call up for the tour of New Zealand. Talking about this season Kulkarni said: "The first match is very important. I want to get into the right rhythm early as it would help me for the rest of the season," Kulkarni told DNA from Chandigarh. Rahane scored 1,089 runs from ten matches. "I just want to keep things simple. There is pressure as people expect you to perform after a good season. However, I will start the new season as if it is my first season," Rahane said. The talented youngsters are in the reckoning for an India berth. Dhawal, who could not break into the playing eleven during the tour of New Zealand, does not want to miss any opportunity that comes his way. "My ultimate dream is to play for India. I want to produce an extraordinary performance," added Dhawal. Rahane too wants to graduate to the next level. "In my first two years I wanted to cement my place in the Mumbai side. Now, the next step is to make the higher grade and play for India. I have learnt a lot in the last few years," Rahane said. Skipper Wasim Jaffer is pinning his hopes on the two young Turks, who turned the tide for Mumbai last season."Dhawal and Ajinkya were instrumental in us winning the title. If they continue to do well this year, the Ranji Trophy will be ours again," said Jaffer.

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Railways bank on home support against TN When former Ranji champions, Railways, host Tamil Nadu at the Karnail Singh Stadium in here in their Super League Group A Ranji opener, they will be counting on home advantage, reports HT Correspondent. More... Railways bank on home support against TN HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times New Delhi, November 03, 2009 First Published: 00:22 IST(3/11/2009) Last Updated: 00:24 IST(3/11/2009) When former Ranji champions, Railways, host Tamil Nadu at the Karnail Singh Stadium in here in their Super League Group A Ranji opener, they will be counting on home advantage. That is, because, otherwise they are up against a monumental task of fending off a strong Tamil Nadu side. The wicket seems to be the usual Karnail Singh one, on the slower side, and that is the only other worry that the Tamil Nadu coach, Woorkeri Raman, has on mind apart from the fact that it is the first match of the season. "This is the first game of the season, so we can't take it lightly. Also, they (the Railways) know their track very well," he said. The Railways coach, Abhay Sharma, concedes the fact that the season will be tough with strong teams, like Mumbai and Punjab also on their schedule. "We have prepared well and hope to begin on a high note," he said. The Murli Kartik-led team has a starting problem. Anureet Singh, their Kolkata Knight Riders paceman, who should have been one of their strike bowlers, will sit out due to injury. Veteran all-rounder JP Yadav, who featured in the T20 tournament, doesn't find a place in the days’ squad. Faiz Fazal comes into their squad this season from Vidarbha. Murali Vijay will lead the visitors after regular skipper, Dinesh Karthik, was called up for national duty. While Raman has emphasised on youth energy as the key for his side, Railways seem to have a blend of both youth and experience. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ More... Onus on batsmen as TN takes on Railways Special Correspondent -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tamil Nadu has a rich array to choose from Same old Karnail Stadium surface: W.V. Raman NEW DELHI: Murali Kartik’s motivation to go on is exemplary. Thirteen years ago he made a nondescript first-class debut at this very venue. On Tuesday, he will lead Railways against Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy Elite group match. “The desire to play for India is what keeps me going,” says the affable left-arm spinner, who has been saddled with the task of guiding Railways through a difficult transition period. The presence of Yere Goud, Sanjay Bangar and Kulamani Parida should be a comforting thought for the 33-year-old Kartik. They have been together in this journey since Kartik’s debut season. Tamil Nadu has a rich array to choose from. Dinesh Karthik, M. Vijay, S. Badrinath, L. Balaji are known names but the likes of Abhinav Mukund and R. Ashwin are the ones to keep an eye on. Mukund, Karthik, Ashwin and K.B. Arun Karthik had slammed the Railways attack with a century each the last time they met less than a year ago in Chennai. But Tamil Nadu would do well to remember that Railways is a tough side to contain on home ground. “We have prepared well this time even though we have lost Karan (Sharma) for this match,” said Railways coach Abhay Sharma. Karan’s batting and leg-spin would have helped the home team but the all-rounder is down with viral fever. “The pitch looks the same old Karnail Stadium surface,” said Tamil Nadu coach W.V. Raman. “It is likely to be low and slow,” noted Abhay Sharma. The onus clearly would be on the batsmen in this four-day season opener for two teams keen to make a mark. The teams (from): Tamil Nadu: Dinesh Karthik (capt.), M. Vijay (vice-capt.), Abhinav Mukund, K.B. Arun Karthik, S. Badrinath, S. Suresh Kumar, R. Ashwin, C. Ganapathy, L. Balaji, R. Suthesh, R. Aushik Srinivas, S. Anirudha, V. Yomahesh, U. Sushil, M. Kaushik Gandhi and R. Jesuraj. Railways: Murali Kartik (capt.), Yere Goud, Sanjay Bangar, V. Cheluvaraj, M. Suresh, T.P. Singh, Mahesh Rawat, Shailendra Gehlot, K. Parida, Deepak Yadav, Sanjib Sanyal, Faiz Fazal, Harshad Rawle, Karan Sharma and Krishnakant Upadhyaya.

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Bengal begin campaign today against Maharashtra - Ranji Trophy visitors decide to go in with seven batsmen More... Bengal begin campaign today against Maharashtra - Ranji Trophy visitors decide to go in with seven batsmen A STAFF REPORTER Calcutta: Bengal open their Ranji Trophy Super League group B campaign against Maharashtra in Pune on Tuesday. The four-day tie, to be played at the Pune Sports Club ground, is the Laxmi Ratan Shuklas’ chance to turn the tide after a dismal start to the season. Having come a cropper in the Moin-ud Dowlah and the JP Atray tournaments, the team also failed to justify their reputation in the East Zone Twenty20 meet in Dhanbad. None of the Bengal players, except Rohan Gavaskar, and that too more than a decade ago, has experience of playing at the venue. Bengal had previously played their away matches against Maharashtra at the Nehru Stadium. “The wicket is hard and the toss will be crucial… The pacers will get some advantage in the first two days… The opening session could decide the course of the match,” said a member of the team management. Bengal have packed their team with batsmen, deciding to play two pacers, Ranadeb Bose and Ashok Dinda and, two spinners, Sourashish Lahiri and Shib Sagar Singh. Sourashish, who missed last season with injury, will be making a comeback of sorts. Shib Sagar pipped Iresh Saxena because of his ability with the bat. “I think with batsmen like Deep Dasgupta, Manoj Tiwary and Avishek Jhunjhunwala batting first will be a good decision,” Shukla said. Coach Roger Binny, who lost his mother last week, is yet to join the team. Shukla sounded confident on the eve of the opener. “Everybody is in great shape… Actually the last 10 days of practice have been very good for us. It has changed the spirit of the team totally.” The Bengal captain was all praises for the ground. “The ground seems to be a very good one. The outfield is fast… I am very positive. What we need is to stay focused and play positively. Everybody needs to play his part… Everybody has certain responsibilities and knows what role to play,” Shukla explained. Moisture will be a factor in the morning. But the organisers have promised to use the super sopper before start of play. Maharashtra surprised all by naming a young squad for the opening match. The 16-man side is led by 21-year-old Harshad Khadiwale who has played just 18 first class games so far. The India under-19 all-rounder has been roped in by the Kolkata Knight Riders this season. The side also includes promising left-arm pacer Samad Fallah. The home team has a high profile coach in Australian Shaun Williams who has worked with the Bangladesh national team. In other group A matches, holders Mumbai, who are gunning for their 39th title, take on hosts Punjab in Chandigarh while Tamil Nadu take on Railways in Delhi. Hyderabad host Himachal Pradesh and Orissa meet Gujarat in Ahmedabad. In group B, Delhi visit Baroda, while Uttar Pradesh host Karnataka. TEAMS Bengal (likely): Deep Dasgupta, Arindam Das, Wriddhiman Saha, Manoj Tiwary, Rohan Gavaskar, Laxmi Ratan Shukla (captain), Avishek Jhunjhunwala, Ranadeb Bose, Ashok Dinda, Sourashish Lahiri, Shib Sagar Singh. Maharashtra (from): Harshad Khadiwale (captain), Sangram Dilp Atitkar, Kedar Jadhav, Ankit Bawne, Ameya Shrikhande, Azhar Ansari, Kiran Adhav, Ranjit Chavan, Ganesh Gaikwad, Samad Fallah, Sajin Sureshnath, Digambar Waghmare, Jitendra Patil, Ranjit Chavan, Rohan Bhosale, Rohit Motwani. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More.... Opening Test A Lot at stake as young and in-form Maharashtra team will take on Bengal which will try to prove a point after returning to the the Elite Group of the Ranji Trophy By Salil Kulkarni Posted On Tuesday, November 03, 2009 at 02:05:07 AM Maharashtra coach Shaun Williams and players in action during the practise session Pune: In their first Ranji Trophy match last season, it was a leather hunt for Maharashtra against Tamil Nadu who batted out the state team in the first two days of the match. For Maharashtra team, and particularly coach Shaun Williams, the task is cut out when they take on Bengal in the first match of the season which begins at Poona Club from Tuesday. For both the teams the first match of the season holds a lot of importance. For Maharashtra, a good start means a lot as they would like to bury the performance of the last season and make a point, whereas for Bengal it would be an opportunity to get off to a decent start after returning to the Elite Group. On Monday Maharashtra team had a light fielding session, whereas the Bengal team had a proper net session. Bengal, which was promoted to Elite Division last season, after being in the Plate Division for a year, could not come up with a satisfactory show in the JP Atray Memorial and Moin-ud-Dowla Gold Cup in the pre-season. Making a hat-trick of losses, the eastern team also crashed out in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T-20 event. Appar-ently, there were differences among the selectors over giving the cap-taincy to Laxmi Ratan Shukla who was under severe criticism following team’s poor performance. Unlike Bengal, the Maharashtra had a very good outing in the West Zone T-20 tournament. After losing the first match the team made a very good comeback and won three consecutive matches to qualify for the knock-out stage. On the basis of current form and home advantage, Maharashtra has a slight edge over Bengal. But, don’t expect any walkover as Bengal has a very good blend of experience and talent. Its batting line-up is boosted with return of experienced players like Deep Das Gupta and Rohan Gavaskar, who parted ways with the ICL. The team also has a talented batsman in the form of Manoj Tiwary who would try to make a big impression in this domestic season and make a comeback into the Indian team after being dropped from the one-day side after playing just one match against Australia in 2008. Bengal bowling department will revolve around seamer Ranadeb Bose. The fast bowler, playing his tenth season for Bengal, has picked up 270 wickets in 73 matches. Ashok Dinda will give Bose company in bowling department. The Kolkata Knight Riders bowler, playing his fourth season for Bengal, made his first-class debut against Maharashtra in the 2006-2007 season at Nehru Stadium in the city. The team will miss the services of their newly-appointed coach Roger Benny who is not available for the first match as his mother died after a prolonged illness on Saturday. Gautam Shome, assistant coach, was confident that the team will put on a good performance and added that the team balance is perfect for the first match. "We are back in the Elite Group and the team is raring to go. The balance is perfect and the team now has got back some experienced players after their return from ICL. We didn’t do well in the pre-season tournaments but the format was different. In T-20 anything is possible," said Shome. For Maharashtra, the current season means a lot after failing to make any impact last season as they failed to register an outright win. The team, which had 10 debutants last season, will try to consolidate its position. The batting will revolve around skipper Harshad Khadiwale, Kedar Jadhav and Ameya Shrikhande. Kedar Jadhav was the highest run-getter last season, with 651 runs in 6 matches. Shrikhande scored 571 runs in 6 matches. Maharashtra bowling depends on the performance of seamer Samad Fallah. The left-arm seamer seemed off-colour in the T-20 tournaments. Last season Fallah was the pickk of the bowlers as he claimed 33 wickets. The team will heavily rely on him to provide the early breakthroughs. It is still unclear who will open the bowling with Fallah. Sajin Sureshnath, Jitrendra Patil and Azhar Ansari are the other three fast bowlers in the team. Most likely, Kiran Adhav will get a place in the final XI. The left-arm spinner had a very good T-20 tournament and most importantly has impressed coach Shaun Williams with his performance. Same is the case off-spinner Ganesh Gaikwad. The twenty-two-year-old player was the best bowler from the team in the T-20 event and complemented well with Adhav in all the matches. Although Shaun Williams didn’t disclose any information regarding the combination of the team, he made it clear that the bowling department is far more settled as as compared to last year. "In our preparation to the season, bowling has been the one area where we have really worked on and have discovered a lot of talent," said Williams. On his team’s ablity to take 20 wickets Williams didn’t sound optimistic. He said, "Well it is just too early to say anything. But one thing is for sure, the results will be different." About the pitch Williams said that pitch is one of the best in the State and has got something for everyone. During the T-20 event, after the first three matches the pitch provided a lot of assistance to the spinners. Bengal’s assistant coach Shome also said that the pitch looks decent. Both the coaches were tight-lipped about the final XI and said that they will take a final call only after looking at the pitch before the start of the match.

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Hyderabad takes on Himachal HYDERABAD: From the slam-bang of T20, the scene will shift to the sedate version when Himachal Pradesh takes on Hyderabad in their lung-opener of the Ranji Trophy. The Gymkhana Grounds, home of Hyderabad cricket until the move to the ... More... Hyderabad takes on Himachal Special Correspondent HYDERABAD: From the slam-bang of T20, the scene will shift to the sedate version when Himachal Pradesh takes on Hyderabad in their lung-opener of the Ranji Trophy. The Gymkhana Grounds, home of Hyderabad cricket until the move to the Rajiv Gandhi international stadium, will serve as the stage for the four-day tie that kicks off on Tuesday. Even if the nation’s premier domestic championship hasn’t got its due, it’s actually been the crucible that’s seen many a cricketer’s career take wing. The home side seems formidable with former Indian Cricket League (ICL) players returning to the fold. “After skipper V.V.S. Laxman, Ambati Rayudu will be our best bet,” said Hyderabad coach Venkatapathi Raju on the eve of the contest. Admitting its batting looked better, he said the bowling would be bolstered by speedsters Alfred Absolom and M.P. Arjun, besides Pragyan Ojha. Looking back on the last season, he said Hyderabad had done well to stay afloat in the super league, but needed to look further this time. “The team’s transition following the return of the ICL players was not easy, but we’ve done well,” said the former Test spinner. Asked if Hyderabad with so many Deccan Chargers players in its ranks looked strong, he said the switch from the four-day format to T20 would have been easier rather than vice-versa. He, however, hoped the side delivered, backed by impressive performances in the KSCA and Buchi Babu tournaments. “Noel David has done a great job with the fielding and we wish to see preparation translated into performance,” he said. Of the opposition, he said they’d be motivated better to do well against a bigger team and the host couldn’t afford to relax. Of the other sides in the group, he said good displays against title-holder Mumbai, former champion Railways and Tamil Nadu would take players to the next level — the Duleep Trophy. Of Ojha’s prospects, he felt the tweaker would come back strongly, which would not only boost his confidence but cement his place at the highest levels. The teams (from): Hyderabad: V.V.S. Laxman (captain), N. Arjun Yadav (vice-captain), T. Suman, Abhinav Kumar, Ambati Rayudu, Anoop Pai, Ibrahim Khaleel (wicket-keeper), Pragyan Ojha, M.P. Arjun, Ashwin Yadav, Alfred Absolom, Anirudh Singh, D.B. Ravi Teja, Abdul Khader and Ahmed Quadri. Coach: L. Venkatapathi Raju. Himachal Pradesh: Ashok Thakur (captain), Ravikant Saini (wicket-keeper), Abhinav Bali, Vishal Bhatia, Kuldeep Diwan, Paras Dogra, V.A. Indulkar, Vikramjeet Malik, Ajay Mannu, Jitender Mehta, Mohinder Sharma, Mukesh Sharma, Sangram Singh, Sarandeep Singh and Bhavin Thakkar.

[Chandan]

The updates are there after the lunch. Delhi vs Baroda: Delhi have reached 121/1 batting first at Vadodara. Chopra was dismissed for 21 by Veragi(?who is this guy?) who is a 'right arm medium' bowler. Dhawan is batting on 46 while Gaurav G Chabra is not out on 37. Delhi 121/1 vs Baroda Other scores are: Gujarat 80/2 v Orissa Maharashtra 96/6 v Bengal Punjab 89/2 v Mumbai Railways 93/1 v Tamil Nadu How on earth is Dinesh Karthik playing against Railways? He is with Indian squad, isn't he? Karnataka vs UP Where is the score of Hyderabad vs Himachal Pradesh? PS: Just found it. It is here: Hyderabad (India) v Himachal Pradesh Why is VVS not playing? I was looking forward to see him in form after his successful county stint this year!

[Sachinism]

^^ Good point, what is he doing there? :hmmmm:

[Shane]

The Outsiderji, Manish Pandey scores a 100 on the First Day of the Ranji Season, against the last year Runners Up. :D

[Sachinism]

^^ Rahul batting well too Bose and Dinda Rip through Maharashtra Zak has 3 wickets for 40 (hopefully more to come)

[kooljatt]

The Outsiderji' date=' [b']Manish Pandey scores a 100 on the First Day of the Ranji Season, against the last year Runners Up. :D

114* from 145 at tea B->B->B->

[Sachinism]

Saurabh Tiwary - 136

[zaheer]

114* from 145 at tea B->B->B->

194 Not out... EOD

[Cricketics]

Shikhar Dhawan unbeaten on 122. Nice.. Well DOne Shikhar and Well Done Manish Pandey

[ViruRulez]

Sir Eggy is bowling better than Zak for Mumbai :omg: Just checked the Mumbai bowling in their first match the stats for Zak, Sir Eggy and Nayar are: Z Khan 16 3 45 3 2.81 AB Agarkar 22 10 41 4 1.86 AM Nayar 10 3 30 0 3.00 And Sir Eggy is outperforming everybody else in Mumbai lineup with his bowling. How about giving Sir Eggy a chance too. :hmmm: ...... in b4 everybody starts cursing and aboozing me :vroam:

[ViruRulez]

Amongst other bowlers from other teams RP Singh and Piyush Chawla are bowling crap in domestic too. In fact, Piyush Chawla has bowled his spell of 13 overs today for a whooping 71 runs without any wicket and that too in test cricket :headshake:

[Sachinism]

^^ Aggy actually has been bowling quite well for a while

[Malcolm Merlyn]

AGGY is a strict no no for indian team

[ViruRulez]

^^ Aggy actually has been bowling quite well for a while

if he is back in form why should he not be given a chance.. har kisiko chance de diya use bhi de do :giggle:

[SachDan]

AGGY is a strict no no for indian team

Why?

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Dhawan blitzkreig props up Delhi Opener Shikhar Dhawan hit a composed unbeaten century to put Delhi in a strong position of 300/2 against Baroda on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match here on Tuesday. More... Dhawan, Bhatia put Delhi on top Subhash Rajta, Hindustan Times Vadodara, November 03, 2009 First Published: 23:41 IST(3/11/2009) Last Updated: 23:42 IST(3/11/2009) Delhi couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season opener. They won the toss, opted to bat on a featherbed, and most importantly, the batsmen made the most of it. As a result, they were 300 for 2 against Baroda. That all the top batsmen, except for skipper Aakash Chopra, got big runs must have left the think-tank more than pleased. Shikhar Dhawan (batting 122) led Delhi’s charge with a patient century. The left-hander though may have been tempted to slip in a thank-you note into the Baroda dressing room, for he was dropped as many as four times. Nevertheless, the left-hander deserves all the credit. He traded his usual aggression and flamboyance for patience and hard work that laid the foundation for a mammoth total. Dhawan found able partners in Gaurav Chabbra (65), in for an injured Mithun Manhas, and Rajat Bhatia (batting 70). Coming at one down, Chabbra shared a 137-run partnership with Dhawan to help Delhi get back on track after the early loss of the skipper. The youngster displayed good temperament in his 65-run knock. Once he departed, Delhi had another fruitful partnership between Dhawan and Bhatia. The all-rounder quickly got into the groove and the scoreboard kept moving. By the end of the day, they had shared a 133-run partnership and looked good for much more. Chopra, too, looked good during his brief stay. He saw the side off to a quick start, hitting three cover drives in his brief 21-run knock off just 18 balls before a Salim Veragi delivery disturbed his stumps. In contrast, nothing went well for Baroda. Their bowling left a lot to be desired, and the poor catching — they dropped as many as six catches — did not help matters. Worse was to follow as opening bowler Veragi, who alone looked capable of causing some discomfort, was called twice for throwing by the umpires. Baroda will lose him for the innings if he is called again, and that would leave the Baroda attack at the mercy of the Delhi batsmen. Baroda will be in for a long haul on Wednesday if they don’t come up with a vastly improved bowling and fielding