Vikas Mishra Bags Career-Best Figures As Delhi Beat Madhya Pradesh By Nine Wickets

Vikas Mishra tore apart the Madhya Pradesh batting order for the second time in the match as Delhi clinched a comfortable nine-wicket victory over the visitors in the Ranji Trophy on Monday. Delhi, thus registered their first win of the ongoing season. Mishra took six for 30 in the second innings as Madhya Pradesh were bundled out for 157 in 64.3 overs on third day of the Elite Group B match. In the first innings, the left-arm spinner claimed six wickets, which helped him finish the match with career best figures of 12 for 71.

The hosts needed to score just 29 runs without losing wicket to claim the win with a bonus point but lost opener Kunal Chandela (6) two runs short of the target to settle for six points.

Hiten Dalal (15) and Dhruv Shorey completed the win in 6.4 overs. Delhi will next take on Bengal in an away match from December 30.

"At the start of the season I was bowling a bit faster and after talking to coach Mithun Manhas, I started bowling slower. This created confusion in batsman's mind whether to come forward or play on backfoot," Mishra said on his 12 wicket haul.

The visitors resumed at seven for none and their inexperienced openers -- Aryaman Birla (32) and Anand Bais (46) -- put up a fighting 83-run stand but once left-arm pacer Kulwant Khejroliya snared the former, it opened the floodgates.

The MP batsmen again struggled to counter the guile of Mishra, who ran through the middle order.

Not only Mishra (6/30), but the visiting batsmen also struggled to counter off-spinner Shivam Sharma (3/52) as the two spinners shared nine wickets between them.

Rajat Patidar (21), captain Naman Ojha (22) and Yash Dubey (15) got starts but the kind of fight MP needed was no where to be seen or rather the wily Mishra made the rival batsmen dance to his tunes.

After dismissing Ojha and Dubey, Mishra trampled the lower-order along with spin colleague Shivam, who claimed the last wicket in Avesh Khan (6).

"The pitch wasn't great to start with but local curator did a splendid job that match went till tea on third day. At the start it looked like it could finish in two days," MP captain Naman Ojha.

"We should have taken the lead when Delhi were 36 for 5. But save Avesh Khan, others didn't take wickets. Avesh is now ready to play for India as he has pace as well as variations," added Ojha.

Delhi now have 13 points from from six matches. 

(With PTI Inputs)