Rookie speedster Ishan Sharma continued with his impressive debut to claim his maiden five-wicket haul and put Delhi on top on the first day of the Ranji Trophy Super League match against Baroda in New Delhi on Saturday.
Right-arm seamer Sharma, playing in only his third first-class match, claimed five for 35 as Baroda were shot out for 244 in the first innings at Feroze Shah Kotla ground.
At stumps, Delhi were six for no loss with Aakash Chopra on two and Shikhar Dhawan on four at the crease.
Eighteen-year-old Sharma, who took four wickets on debut earlier this season, ploughed through the Baroda line-up by claiming the top four batsmen in the morning session.
So impressive was his line and length and mastery of the winter morning conditions that by lunch, he had figures of 11-6-11-4, bowled in two spells.
Sharma has claimed 12 wickets from three matches so far.
Baroda owed their total to a staunch 62 by number three Rakesh Solanki and his 79-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Ketan Panchal (45).
Delhi, however, seemed to have learnt less from their previous match in which poor performance on the field prevented them from gaining beyond a first innings lead against Uttar Pradesh.
Chetanya Nanda, coming on as substitute, dropped a sitter from Solanki off Kunal Lal, with the batsman only on five.
Lal, a questionable selection in place of left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi, took three for 35 but 12 no balls from the left-arm seamer did not show him in proper light. Delhi also paid the price for including Yogesh Sachdeva ahead of Chetanya Nanda as Baroda's last five wickets produced 158 runs.
Sachdeva, supposedly an off-spinner, looked like a tiny tot struggling to hurl the red cherry and was an embarrassment for those in the dressing room.
It did not help that Ashish Nehra was indisposed and could bowl only eight overs.
Baroda coach and former India batsman Ashok Mankad praised the efforts of Ishant Sharma but is confident that his bowlers could do an equally good job.
"I think we fell short by at least 75 runs but full credit to the young Delhi bowler. He has all the ingredients to be an India bowler but let us not hype it up," he said.
"I expect Rakesh Patel too to be a handful to the batsmen. We know Delhi's strength and he is an experienced bowler."
Scoreboard:
Baroda first innings:
R Parab c Bisht b Sharma 1
C Williams c Bhatia b Sharma 1
R Solanki c Nehra b Sachdeva 62
J Martin b Sharma 25
A Bhoite lbw b Sharma 0
P Shah c Chopra b Lal 15
K Panchal c Chopra b Manhas 45
Y Pathan b Lal 30
R Pawar b Lal 24
R Patel b Sharma 8
I Pathan Sr. not out 0
Extras (b-8, lb-9, w-1, nb-15) 33
Total (all out in 78.1 overs, 357 min) 244
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-7, 3-64, 4-64, 5-86, 6-165, 7-197, 8-211, 9-232.
Bowling: Ashish Nehra 8-3-22-0, Ishant Sharma 23-9-35-5, Kunal Lal 21.1-2-89-3, Rajat Bhatia 10-3-23-0, Yogesh Sachdeva 11-3-34-1, Mithun Manhas 5-0-24-1.
Delhi first innings:
A Chopra not out 2
S Dhawan not out 4
Total (for no loss in 1.5 overs) 6
Bowling: Rakesh Patel 1-0-4-0, Irfan Pathan Sr. 0.5-0-2-0.
