Even Vintage Viru Can apos;t Save Delhi As India Blue Win By 18 Runs
Not even vintage Viru can save Delhi as India Blue win by 18 runs in Indore By [/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=G+S+Vivek G S Vivek]
Published: 23:27 BST, 26 September 2013 | Updated: 23:29 BST, 26 September 2013
[ ] [ ] [ ] </a> [/indiahome/indianews/article-2433859/Virender-Sehwag-Even-vintage-Viru-save-Delhi-India-Blue-win-18-runs.html#comments
View
comments]
The turnout was unprecedented for a Challenger Trophy game, especially at a venue which is hosting it a second successive time.
Organisers watched with amazement as the Wadekar, Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar stands got filled, while many more cricket fans were pushing at the doors of the Holkar Stadium.
As many as 15,000 turned up to watch the trio of Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Virender Sehwag in action. One failed to turn up, and http://footballncrickethub.website2.me/blog/yuvraj-singh-performance-in-ranji-trophy one failed to turn it on, leaving just one man to provide all the entertainment.
India Blue skipper Yuvraj pulled up with a back niggle during the morning warm-ups, retreated back to the dressing room, and sat out as a precaution. Delhi skipper Kohli flopped, scoring just five, and it was left to Sehwag once again to entertain the crowd, which had witnessed his historic 219 in an ODI against West Indies the last time he was here.
Virender Sehwag hit everything that was pitched up, but it wasn't enough for a win
On Thursday, it was vintage Viru all the way - he tonked the bowlers at will and in the manner he preferred.
He hit everything that was pitched up, including a six over extra cover off Vinay Kumar. He cut and sliced everything that was pitched short outside off, and showcased his famous Natraj-style pull to anything that threatened his ribs from the medium pace of Vinay, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ankit Rajpoot.
But eventually, it wasn't enough to secure victory for the Vijay Hazare Trophy champions, as India Blue won by 18 runs.
The Sehwag show completely overshadowed the game, reducing Abhishek Nayar's brilliant 91, Akshat Reddy's 53 for India Blue and Rajat Bhatia's all-round show to mere sideshows.
Ashish Nehra provided a few lusty hits towards the end to keep the margin of defeat low, but nothing matched the Sehwag show - brief, but crisp.
With the pitch easing out considerably in the afternoon, Sehwag reached his half-century in 33 balls, but more than anything else, the knock meant a lot for the soon-to-be 35-year-old himself.
Abhishek Nayar during his knock of 91 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore
Sehwag walked in at No.4, further fuelling rumours that he's trying to audition for a slot in the Indian middle order, though it's a fact that he has always batted for Delhi at that position. It was Sehwag's first competitive game in four months, and for all his packed itinerary over the years, opportunities had become scarce in the last few months.
After two weeks of practice, at the MRF Pace Foundation and at the Delhi Ranji camp in Roshanara, he skipped an optional practice game against Services three days back because he was running a mild fever and preferred to fly in the evening for a good night's rest before final practice for the first game on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Sehwag stayed in the nets longer than usual, and all the hard work seemed to pay dividends on Friday.
Selection chief Sandeep Patil gave a big hug to Sehwag after the game, looking very pleased at what he saw. Maybe it's a sign of things to come.
BRIEF SCORES: India Blue 270/6 (A. Nayar 91; R. Bhatia 3/46);
Delhi 252 (R.
Bhatia 65, V. Sehwag 59; A. Rajpoot 3/44)
Yuvraj could return for India Red match
By G.S. Vivek in Indore
India Blue captain Yuvraj Singh missed Thursday's game due to a back problem
India Blue captain Yuvraj Singh was conspicuous by his absence from the first game of the N.K.P.
Salve Challenger Trophy on Thursday.
He picked up a minor back problem during the warm-ups and also experienced some stiffness in his groin.
Yuvraj immediately went back to the dressing room to assess his condition with physio Vaibhav Daga and, minutes later, R.
Vinay Kumar walked out with the team sheet in hand.
Though Yuvraj decided to rest and not aggravate his niggle, it was later indicated that he could play Friday's game against India Red.
Coming in to the domestic season after a great show against the West Indies 'A' team, the Challenger Trophy was considered crucial for Yuvraj to stage a comeback into Team India.
Chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil and member of the committee Rajinder Singh Hans, who had come in to watch Yuvraj and assess his form and fitness, were also surprised when they found Vinay, wearing a Manish Pandey jersey, at the toss.
