While
the Indians were scything from side to side the Aussie batting line-up at
Mohali for a win inside four days, made likely by their new opening pair, the
just-discarded duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir was taking fresh guard
together some 300 km away in Gurgaon.
Just
a handful of people at the secluded 'green' TERI Gram - built on power-saving
techniques - witnessed the duo's spine-tingling start to a 161-run chase in the
Syed Mushtaq Ali national T20 opener against Punjab.
Clad
in Delhi's yellow and blue, away from fans and media with Sehwag even dumping
his spectacles, they, as MS Dhoni insists in media session, 'expressed
themselves'.
Bright
start
Sehwag
found the meat early next to paceman Sandeep Sharma, glancing one to fine leg
and then clearing mid on; an edge to third man fence finished the over.
Gambhir,
deciding not to play the sheet fasten he is known for, survived jitters.
Siddharth Kaul got some bounce that left Gambhir missing a couple of swats and after
that mistiming one.
Through
the early part, while Viru blaze away to a 26-ball 36, the Gauti rushed into
his shots. He was dropped twice, survive a run-out chance once.
But
he soon found his groove at what time a full delivery was creamed through cover.
From thereon, Gambhir waited, saw and shattered.
After
Sehwag was caught small of his crease in a rather clumsy manner, not grounding
his bat even after reaching the crease, and Unmukt Chand holing one to bottomless
point for a duck, Gambhir took charge and guided the pursue as Puneet Bisht
went berserk.
The
Viru-Gauti unite realized 76 in just 8.3 overs.
When
Sehwag last played in nationwide T20s - just last season - he was eye return to
India team from injury.
Since
then, he has been axed from the T20 squad, then as of the ODI squad and finally
from Tests. This time though, he seem to be eyeing a return - as a pair with
Gambhir.
Punjab
160/7 (Gurkeerat 57, M Sidhana 35, V Sood 2/24, P Negi 2/36, P Awana 1/37)
lost
to Delhi 162/4 in 19.1 overs (G Gambhir 68*, V Sehwag 36, P Bisht 32)
J&K
108/7 (S Khajuria 61, I Khan 2/16, A Sakuja 2/23)
lost to Services 109/5 in
19.2 overs (N Verma 39*, R Paliwal 22)
by five wickets.
Published
by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.
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