Mehra, 23, who was struggling with an injury — spur in the heel of his landing foot — and playing only his second match of the season, revealed that Test pacer Ishant Sharma inspired his comeback
Delhi’s Divij Mehra celebrates the wicket of Mumbai’s Mohit Avasthi at MCA’s BKC ground on Saturday. Pic/Atul Kamble
Delhi pacer Divij Mehra, who claimed 5-30 when they defeated Mumbai at home last time in the 2022-23 season, came up trumps again, taking 5-64 to bowl out the 42-time champs for 317 in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group ‘D’ encounter on Saturday. Thereafter, Delhi captain Ayush Doseja (62 not out, 6x4) and Vaibhav Kandpal (61, 7x4) helped the visitors post 206-4 in their second innings, taking a 110-run lead at stumps on Day Three at the MCA-BKC ground.
Mehra, 23, who was struggling with an injury — spur in the heel of his landing foot — and playing only his second match of the season, revealed that Test pacer Ishant Sharma inspired his comeback. “I was injured after that fifer against Mumbai [in 2022-23], so it felt very good to have contributed [again]. I spent a lot of time with Ishant bhaiya in the Vijay Hazare Trophy [in December and January]. He has helped in setting my routine and the areas I have to work on before the next season. He has told me about the kind of training I have to do and what my schedule will be like as a fast bowler,” Mehra told reporters after the day’s play on Saturday.
“Ishant bhaiya spoke sternly to me after one match, saying, ‘dekh bhai itne se nahi chalega [this isn’t enough].’ He made me realise the things I was not able to do by myself,” Mehra added. Delhi’s pair of Doseja-Kandpal did well to stitch a 106-run fourth-wicket stand as the visitors fought back. Earlier, when Mumbai resumed their first innings on the overnight score of 266-5, they added 51 to finish at 317 all out. Friday’s cebturion Siddhesh Lad (103) managed to add just one run before he was clean bowled by pacer Money Grewal (3-74).
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