Jonty Sidhu

Caution and aggression: Sidhu combined with the lower order to finish on an unbeaten 103 against Chhattisgarh.
| Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP

Jonty Sidhu has begun the new Ranji Trophy season just like he had finished the previous one — with an unbeaten century for Delhi.

While his ton against Odisha in February had helped Delhi claim a seven-wicket win to bring down the curtain on a disheartening campaign, his latest effort in Raipur over the weekend was integral to his side bagging the first-innings lead and three points in its opening fixture of the 2024-25 season against Chhattisgarh.

Aiming to overhaul Chhattisgarh’s first-innings total of 343, Delhi was in a spot of bother at 202 for five when the lanky left-hander strode in at No. 7. With the cream of Delhi’s batting line-up back in the dressing room, Sidhu, 26, successfully blended caution with aggression while combining with the lower order to finish on an unbeaten 103.

“If you see most of my innings, I have made a lot of runs with the lower order because I bat at No. 5 or 6,” Sidhu told The Hindu on Tuesday.

Sidhu.
| Photo Credit:
SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

“Being able to bat with the lower order has been developed by playing more. You learn how to handle these situations. I enjoy situations where the team is entirely dependent on me. I enjoy it when I have to bat with bowlers.”

Despite Sidhu’s average of 49.1 after 23 First Class matches, this was oddly the first time in three seasons that he was selected for Delhi’s opening game.

Buoyant

Having begun with a bang this time, Sidhu, who sees No. 4 as his ideal spot, is buoyant. “This will make a lot of difference,” he said. “I was not playing regularly in the last two-three seasons. I would like to cash in now.”

That Tamil Nadu is Delhi’s next opponent should help Sidhu in his endeavour. In three games against that team, Sidhu has notched up two fifties and a century.

“I have scored fifty-plus in each of my three games against Tamil Nadu. The target is to do so again.”