Just when the Rest of India (ROI) was being chastised for making a hara kiri of their approach on day one, the Delhi team seem to have felt sympathy because they conceded a lead big enough to perhaps give the senior Indian side a reason to breathe easy.
Munaf Patel was the chief destructor of the day and his four wickets were instrumental in putting the Delhi team on the back foot after Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra gave them a tremendous start. While Sehwag was clearly the senior hand in the partnership, Chopra was showing signs that he has used his time away from the international circuit well and was showing the adaptability necessary after his being dropped before Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir made themselves permanent at the top of the Indian order. Both missed out on their respective half centuries and it appears as if Delhi missed a trick as well. But the Delhi bowlers’ accuracy was matched by some sharp fielding by the ROI team and the dismissals secured were hard fought to say the least.
But once Sehwag and Chopra slipped, the slide was just as slippery as it was for ROI on the first day. But Delhi slipped further with inexperience and under pressure from the on-the-spot Munaf Patel. The result was a seventy-eight run lead that was well extended when the play was called off for the second day. ROI was standing tall on ninety-nine for one with Rahul Dravid and Subramaniam Badrinath at the crease and both looking to entrench themselves at the crease as ROI see new reason for hope.326915