Ranji Trophy | Delhi fails to make knockouts despite bonus-point win against Railways

Shivam Sharma's five-for seals Delhi's innings win over Railways in Ranji Trophy match.

Off-spinner Shivam Sharma’s five for 33 triggered a swift end to proceedings on the third day as Delhi romped past Railways by an innings and 19 runs in a Group-D Ranji Trophy match at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. The 31-year-old’s third fifer in First Class cricket meant that Virat Kohli didn’t get a chance to improve on his first-innings score of six on his keenly anticipated return to the competition after more than 12 years.

Midway through Saturday’s afternoon session, Railways folded up for 114, a meek response after the host got to 374 and claimed a first-innings lead of 133 runs. The resounding victory in the final round of the group phase took Delhi to 21 points, but with Saurashtra also claiming a bonus-point win to equal Tamil Nadu on 25 points, the Ayush Badoni-led team failed to make the quarterfinals.

In a match that drew fierce attention due to Kohli’s presence, there was one final display of adulation from the fans towards the megastar. It came in the penultimate over before the lunch break when three fans from the stand named after Gautam Gambhir dodged the security and invaded the outfield to rush towards Kohli at cover. Around 20 members from the security staff were compelled to follow the three fans into the outfield when Sumit Mathur’s over was in progress and take them away.

Either side of this incident, Delhi was thoroughly dominant. But as the team looks back on its Ranji campaign, skipper Badoni, whose job is to make runs, finishing as the team’s highest wicket-taker with his off-breaks doesn’t reflect well on the frontline spinners.

“There is a problem with the spin department because we have not taken many wickets,” Shivam conceded. “We could have done well in the last match as well on a spin-conducive pitch. The other spinners are quite young. There is potential and they are good bowlers. They will learn.”

The scores: Railways — 1st innings: 241.

Delhi — 1st innings: Arpit Rana c Upendra b Kunal 10, Sanat Sangwan b Himanshu 30, Yash Dhull lbw b Rahul 32, Virat Kohli b Himanshu 6, Ayush Badoni c Kunal b Karn 99, Sumit Mathur lbw b Sangwan 86, Pranav Rajvanshi b Chaudhari 39, Shivam Sharma c Upendra b Kunal 14, Siddhant Sharma c Vivek b Kunal 18, Navdeep Saini (not out) 20, Money Grewal b Sangwan 0; Extras (lb-15, nb-5): 20; Total (in 106.4 overs) 374.