Saini takes Delhi to Ranji final, dedicates success to Gambhir

Delhi found out that it helps to have ex-pacers mentoring the team as Navdeep Saini and left-armer Kulwant Khejroliya bowled them to a remarkable victory against Bengal. The seven-time champions won by an innings and 26 runs in three days to enter the Ranji Trophy final after a 10-year gap.

Delhi squandered a solid start to settle for a modest 112-run lead. But Saini and Khejroliya dismissed Bengal for 86.

Delhi bowling coach and ex-India pacer Manoj Prabhakar said: “The key is aggression. That is what we decided. We knew there were no big names in Bengal. When you have pace and bounce on the wicket, just bang it in. I told them, ‘When Shami can do it, why can’t you? He is 30, you are 22’.”

Delhi selector Atul Wassan, also a former India pacer, told HT:

“There is a tact to bowl in domestic cricket. We worked on it. You have to stick to the length and come close to the wickets.”

It was a coming of age for Saini, who was Man-of-the-Match with a seven-wicket haul. The pacer’s inclusion in 2013-14 at the behest of then skipper Gautam Gambhir without any local cricket behind him had stirred controversy. Till then, he had been playing tennis ball cricket for a pittance. However, his pace and movement off the pitch made him Delhi’s key bowler. “I owe this life and my success to Gautam Gambhir. I was a nobody and Gautam bhaiyaa did everything for me,” Saini, who hails from Karnal, told PTI.

The pacer was supposed to go to South Africa with India Test team as a net bowler. “I was happy that I would go to South Africa but I called up Gautam

bhaiyya. He said Delhi needs you now for the semi-final and if you do well, you will be automatically in that Indian dressing room. I didn’t think twice.”

SATISH FIFTY KEEPS VIDARBHA AFLOAT

Ganesh Satish’s defiant unbeaten 50 kept Vidarbha afloat in the semi-final against Karnataka as they took a 79-run lead posting 195/4 at stumps on Tuesday. Resuming at overnight score of 294/8, Karnataka were all out for 301 taking a lead of 116 runs at the Eden Gardens.