Sent in to bat, Delhi managed 256 for eight in 50 overs on a low and slow Kotla wicket with captain Gautam Gambhir top scoring with 58. Batting at No.3, Virender Sehwag did not trouble the scorers much and could only manage 15. However, Delhi scored over 50 runs in the last five overs, thanks to Puneet Bisht (39) and Sumit Narwal (22) throwing their bats around.
In reply, J&K had a whiff of an upset when Adil Rishi (36) and Shubham Khajuria (46) added 72 runs for the second wicket in just 11 overs but lack of partnerships led to J&K's downfall as they were bundled out for just 218 runs with 26 balls to spare.
Most of the J&K batsmen got off to good starts but failed to convert them into big scores. Captain Parvez Rasool (30) and Hardeep Singh (45) tried to steady the innings but often found themselves without any support from the other end. Pacers Sumit Narwal (2/32) and Vikas Tokas (2/28) bowled tightly and did not allow the batsmen to break free. Later, off-spinner Milind Kumar (2/7) wrapped things up by grabbing two wickets in quick succession.
Earlier in the day, offie Rasool (2/52) and left-arm spinner Waseem Raza (3/58) made stroke-making extremely difficult for host batsmen in the middle overs. But the late assault by Bisht and Narwal pegged the visitors back.
Gambhir looked in good touch and shared a 99-run opening stand with Unmukt Chand (42). Gambhir hit seven boundaries during his 79-ball innings. Rasool removed both the openers after which Delhi kept losing wickets at regular intervals.
"We wanted to restrict them to 220 but they scored over 50 runs in the last five overs. That made all the difference. We lost wickets at regular intervals and never had a big partnership. But it was a close match and hopefully we will win out next match," Rasool said after the match.
I would never change my action, asserts Rasool
A day after R Ashwin's new action against Bangladesh raised eyebrows in the cricketing fraternity, Rasool said he would never change his action. "Sometimes you need to experiment but I think it's best to stick to basics. I would never change my action." Rasool, who would be playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL this season , said he is looking forward to meet VVS Laxman. "I would like to learn from him and take batting tips from him."
When asked if he has become a star in J&K, he said, "My life has changed completely. People realize that I am the only one from our state who has played for India A and in IPL, so it's a big thing."
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