“We have been here three days, trying to get used to the cold. Vignesh was the one who told everyone that we should cover our ears and wear woollen skull caps. He asked the team management to get a white skull cap so that it doesn’t clash with the red ball,” Warrier, who bowled with cotton plugs in his ears, said after the day’s play.
Vignesh marked his run-up at the start of the day with a skull cap on and started hitting the right length from the word go. He nipped out Anuj Rawat and captain Yash Dhull for 3 and a duck respectively by the third over the day.
(Tamil Nadu pacer L Vignesh wearing a skull cap – PTI Photo)
It helped that Dhull was given a bad decision by the umpire, given out caught behind. It came down to Delhi’s most experienced and in-form batter Dhurv Shorey to resurrect the innings.
The weather may have helped in getting some movement but the Kotla pitch didn’t really have demons in it. Just when Shorey and Jonty Sidhu were getting things back on track, Warrier resorted to a short-pitch plan. It worked as he broke the 105-run third-wicket stand by dismissing Jonty caught behind while ducking for 57. He soon had Vaibhav Rawal fending to be caught and bowled.
Huge fog in Delhi, Lot of Tamilnadu players using monkey cap. #RanjiTrophy #DELvTN https://t.co/Cx1ErP5SVr
— Resanth. (@Cric_Resanth) 1672115547000
Vignesh delivered a sucker punch when he dismissed Shorey for 66, leaving Delhi wobbling at 154/5. In the last session, when Lalit Yadav and Himmat Singh were again settling in, Warrier delivered a sharp in-dipper to knock over Himmat’s (25) off stump.
“We had decided that we will implement the short-ball tactic throughout the season. We felt we fell short last season by not trying it. It worked. When I was bowling to Himmat in the last session, I was exhausted and switched to the full ball,” Warrier explained.
Tamil Nadu will hope that they get rid of the dangerous Lalit, batting on 33, early to take charge on Day 2.
