Severe on anything wide, Kukreja’s transition from overnight 77 to his hundred was quick — he got there in 154 balls with 18 fours, while his double ton was laced with 29 boundaries. He was involved in an unfinished fifth-wicket partnership worth 118 runs with wicketkeeper Vinayak Samant, who helped himself to a half-century. The only batsmen to miss out as Delhi dished out some pedestrian fare from their mainstream bowlers were Amol Muzumdar and Hiken Shah.

The latter got a leading edge straight to mid-wicket off Chetnya Nanda — the leg spinner’s only success in the innings after he pleaded for one more over in a marathon 23 over spell. Awana, at the other end, had got the ball to reverse a bit to send Muzumdar’s stump flying. This was after Ajinkya Rahane, looking bored, tried an adventurous shot off seamer Sumit Narhwal to be caught at extra cover just before lunch.

Wanted: Form from Chopra

Delhi languish in the pits of Group A after three rounds — the defending champions are on five points from three games. As they search for two outright wins and a first innings lead in the remaining four games, they desperately need a big knock form one of their batsmen.

Skipper Aakash Chopra, in his own mission of an image makeover, has played aggressively, but right now Delhi require him to revert to his old, effective style. Delhi’re the only big team yet to get a five-wicket haul from any of its bowlers or a century from any of its batsmen — the highest individual scores being Rajat Bhatia’s 99 and Mithun Manhas’s 98.

... contd.