Five-Star Avasthi Steals Thunder from Sangwan’s Century in MUM vs DEL Clash

Sanat Sangwan’s debut performance against Mumbai was unforgettable as he scored a smooth century. However, it was Mohit Avasthi’s sharp bowling that put the home team in a strong position on the first day of the Ranji Trophy Group D match at the Sharad Pawar Cricket Academy ground on Thursday.

Avasthi claimed his sixth five-wicket haul in First Class cricket, helping Mumbai dismiss Delhi for 221 late in the day. Delhi managed to get a late wicket when Divij Mehra forced an edge from Akash Anand, just before play ended due to low visibility from dusty conditions during the extended half-hour.

Delhi, after being invited to bat on a green-tinged pitch, faced an early challenge when Tushar Deshpande bowled Dhruv Kaushik. Mumbai’s pace attack then faltered, bowling short and allowing Sangwan and Vaibhav Kandpal, both left-handed, to settle in. The pair batted freely, showing confidence against both full and short deliveries.

Despite taking a couple of blows to the ribs early on, Sangwan gained confidence and displayed an array of shots, including lofted hits when spin came into play. The partnership for the second wicket exceeded the century mark before Shams Mulani’s turn and bounce led to Kandpal’s dismissal at leg-gully.

This breakthrough paved the way for Avasthi to change the game’s course. He bowled a tight spell of 6-0-17-3, consistently hitting the right areas and drawing false strokes from the Delhi middle order. Within seven deliveries by Avasthi, Aryan Rana, captain Ayush Doseja, and Sumit Mathur all edged behind, causing Delhi to collapse from 146 for two to 152 for five.

Sangwan continued his innings, driving Deshpande through the covers for his third century of the season. Nonetheless, post tea, he misjudged a delivery from Mulani, resulting in a lofted shot that Deshpande caught impressively while backtracking from mid-wicket.

Avasthi ultimately cleaned up the tail to secure his well-deserved five-for, even as worsening air quality from nearby construction dust prompted many Mumbai players to wear masks.