The Rest Of India selection is strange. Unless they expect runs out of Amit Mishra and Munaf Patel, they've picked five specialist bowlers. Talking of Munaf, he was an apology with ball and on the field. Too many no-balls, too many four-balls, reduced pace, and a very lethargic display of fielding summed up a bad day on the field.
Ishant Sharma, though, bowled several deliveries that beat the bat and whizzed past the batsman's face. He's had a few effective variations and at a height of six foot six (and growing), he's bowling at serious pace. Regularly in the higher 130's, he's bowled the fastest delivery of the match over 140k. He's picked up two wickets so far- one being an incoming delivery to Rahane trapping him leg-before and a rising delivery that took the glove on the way to the keeper, dismissing wicketkeeper Gurav. For a fast bowler, his fielding was very good- he slided and blocked the ball, ran across the outfield to save a few boundaries and threw hard to the stumps. Running on the wicket was an issue (as with Ramesh Powar), but there were just two no-balls! It can become zero in the next innings.
Ranadeb Bose was decent when he started out, getting movement both ways and an edge to get Jaffer out. For some reason, Jaffer, a regular opener for the Test team, came in at three, and was out quickly. His zero no-ball record still stands. However, in the second spell, he looked listless, bowling at less than 120k and with a seven-strong field on the off-side, strayed down leg. Now he looks to have a hamstring injury.
Mazumdar was trapped plumb by Ojha. It was otherwise a disappointing day for spinners Ojha and Mishra, as a certain Abhishek Nayar smothered him, stepping down the track and lofting him for several fours and a six. Nayar was severe on both spinners and the part-timer Badrinath, but looked a little edgy against seamer Bose, bowling way outside off. He ran hard between the wickets to support the settled Sahil Kukreja, who got his century. Nayar stepped down the track repeatedly, then paddle-swept, then a few cheeky guides behind the stumps and a reverse-sweep that didn't come off, then one that did.
With both Nayar and Kukreja gone, Agarkar followed quickly. Ramesh Powar, dropped from the ODI team, scored quickly for ten off nine, then lofted Ojha over cover for six. He's looked good so far with the bat. Now Iqbal Abdullah, left-arm spinner, hit two fours off Patel. Powar also hit a four off Ishant. More coming soon.