Mumbai: Skipper Ayush Doseja’s unbeaten 159 helped Delhi force a draw against table-toppers Mumbai, while Jammu and Kashmir joined the 42-time champions in the quarterfinals from Elite Group D of the Ranji Trophy here on Sunday.
Doseja’s 230-ball 159 which included 11 fours and two sixes kept Mumbai at bay and the two teams decided to shake hands about half-an-hour before the tea break, here at the MCA-BKC Ground.
Delhi reached 407 for six declared with an overall lead of 311 runs, having erased a 96-run deficit from the first innings as the visitors stretched Mumbai over the last two days.
Himanshu Singh was the pick among the bowlers for Mumbai, returning 3/86 from his 29 overs while Onkar Tarmale took 2/49 from his 14 overs. Shams Mulani and Mohit Avasthi, who had bagged a five-for in the first innings, remained wicketless while Tushar Deshpande claimed one.
Mumbai, who took first-innings lead of 96 and had already made the quarterfinals, finished at the top of the Elite Group D with 33 points in seven matches. Mumbai won four and drew two.
With six drawn matches and one defeat, Delhi finished at the penultimate spot with 12 points in the points table.
Jammu and Kashmir, meanwhile, finished second with 24 points from seven matches with three wins and one defeat, much ahead of the third-placed Chhattisgarh.
J&K had taken a massive lead of 603 runs in the first-innings against Himachal Pradesh, who were bowled out for 168 in the first innings and were tottering at 26 for two in the second. HP, meanwhile, finished at the bottom of the points table.
Due to overnight rains, no play was possible on the fourth and final day at the Amtar cricket ground in Nadaun as Jammu and Kashmir walked away with three points on the basis of first-innings lead. They will face Madhya Pradesh in the quarterfinals.
Against the hosts Hyderabad, Chhattisgarh reached 411 for eight in their second innings to lead by 63 runs overall, wiping off a massive deficit of 348 runs in the first innings as the game ended in a draw.
Hyderabad had taken a 348-run lead after responding with a massive 631 in the first essay, having bowled Chhattisgarh out for 283.
Puducherry, meanwhile, beat Rajasthan by five wickets as they scored 172 for five riding on R Shreeram’s 57 and an unbeaten 49 from Ajay Rohera.
