Delhi's Yash Dhull is going to remember his Ranji Trophy debut against Tamil Nadu in Guwahati for a very long time. The 19-year-old Delhi opener (113 n.o, 14x4, 1x6), on Sunday, became only the third batsmen in the tournament's history to score back-to-back hundreds on his debut. Yash had scored 113 in the first innings as well. The others to have achieved this feat were Nari Contractor playing for Gujarat and Maharashtra's Virag Awate.
With no demons on the wicket, Delhi who conceded a 42-run lead to Tamil Nadu in the first innings chose to bat through the 60.5 overs that were bowled in their second essay on the final day. Yash and Dhruv Shorey (107 n.o., 13x4) lit up the ground during their unfinished opening stand of 228. The two were on top of their game and tore the Tamil Nadu attack with shots all around the ground. While the experienced Dhruv was the aggressor of the two, Yash began to open up once he got his eye in. If effortless stroke-making was the standout feature in Yash's maiden hundred, the youngster's calm-headedness came to the fore in the century he scored on Sunday. Yash was prepared to wait for the loose balls and never played a false shot during the course of his 202-ball innings.
Tamil Nadu coach M Venkataramana believes Yash had the makings of an all-format player in the coming years. "The best aspect about Yash is the time he has to play his shots. He looks in control of the situation and that's a sign of a good player," Venkataramana told TOI.
Dhruv was the first to reach the three-figure mark his fifth in first-class cricket in the 58th over of Delhi's innings. Yash reached the landmark three overs later. The two offered loads of entertainment before captains of both teams decided to call off the contest in the post-lunch session. Tamil Nadu bagged three points for having taken the first innings thanks mainly to M Shahrukh Khan's blistering 194 on Day 3. On the other hand, Delhi had to settle for one point.
Coach Venkataramana was pleased with the way his team responded in the first innings. "Our batsmen battled it out and showed character in the first innings against a strong Delhi side. We will take a lot of confidence from that going forward in the tournament," Venkataramana mentioned.
Scoreboard: Delhi 1st innings 452; Tamil Nadu 1st innings 494; Delhi 2nd innings: Yash Dhull n.o. 113, Dhruv Shorey n.o. 107; Extras (b3, lb3, nb2) 8; Total (For no loss in 60.5 overs): 228; Bowling: Sai Kishore 17-5-46-0, Warrier 8-1-27-0, Saravana Kumar 8-0-27-0, Mohammed 8-1-28-0, Shankar 3-1-15-0, Aparajith 8-0-28-0, Shahrukh 8.5-0-51-0
