Today's first hour will indeed be crucial in the outcome of Duleep semi

IT could well have been a match-winning partnership for West Zone's Abhishek Nayar and Kedar Jadhav. But an attempted paddle sweep by Nayar off Anand Katti which took the top edge of his bat and ballooned off his helmet to give close-in fielder Dibyendu Chakrabarty an easy catch not only ended the blossoming 90-run alliance but also proved detrimental for the kind of lead skipper Wasim Jaffer was hoping to gain in the Duleep Trophy semi-final against East Zone at the Brabourne Stadium yesterday.

"It was bad shot selection," Jaffer said. "The way those two (Nayar and Jadhav) were going, we could have gained a better first innings lead. So yeah, in that sense it was poor shot selection."

West Zone eventually managed to score 282 before packing up to gain a 111-run lead, which the East Zoners mopped up and secured a 17-run lead over their rivals. They lost Chakrabarty (4), former India opener Shiv Sunder Das (56) and R R Parida (47) in the process. Manoj Tiwary (8) and Saurabh Tiwary (12) were keeping each other company.

So, when stumps were drawn on the second day of this crucial four-day encounter, it will be fair to say that West Zone blew away a golden opportunity, while East Zone coach Utpal Chatterjee would definitely be pleased with his team's all-round effort on the day.

The other concern for Jaffer was the fact that the dampness in the wicket which left-armer Rajesh Pawar fruitfully exploited has gone and the ball has not only stopped turning but is also coming on to the bat nicely.

The Tiwarys Manoj and Saurabh both known for their batting exploits on such tracks, are hoping to cash in on the situation. "The wicket is playing extremely good. I am hoping to play my natural game," Saurabh said. "The only thing that I will really focus on is shot selection. If we manage to pull off the first hour without any hiccups, we will have a good match on our hands."

Jaffer knows how important an early breakthrough is and hoped that his bowlers will give him one today.
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"The wicket has indeed eased on. Yet, anything above 200 to chase on the final day will be challenging. So yes, that first hour will be extremely critical in the outcome of the match," Jaffer said.

The clichu00e9 first hour will be extremely crucial has been a favourite line with the skippers across the globe. But with regard to this tie, today's first hour will actually decide the winner of this contest.