Calcutta: The Indian team in Australia had let them down. But the couple of hundreds who trickled into the Eastern Railway Sports Complex ground did not have their Sunday afternoon spoiled.

They witnessed a pulsating contest between traditional rivals Delhi and Mumbai on a crumbling track with the former prevailing in the 49th over by two wickets.

A gutsy 83 by India’s Test opener Akash Chopra saw Delhi through after they were reduced to five for 31, chasing 173 in the national one-day meet.With this win, Delhi have four points from two games while Mumbai stay on nine from three.

Kuldeep Rawat (three for 15) bowled a tight line, running through the Mumbai top-order. Kunal Lal and N.S. Negi complemented Rawat well as Mumbai crumbled to six for 51 in the 18th over.

Manish Bangera (49) and Abhishek Nair (49) put their heads down and grafted to put up a partnership of 86 for the seventh wicket. But strangely enough, Delhi captain Ajay Jadeja did not go for the kill and allowed things to drift.

Medium-pacer Rahul Thakur (three for 27) saw to it that Delhi did not run away with the match. Robin Morris (three for 31) was the perfect support, and he had the prized scalp of Ajay Jadeja (8). The former India captain tried to check a hook at the last moment to be caught at square-leg. But Chopra and Rajat Bhatia (33) did not lose their heads under pressure. They kept finding the gaps.

Kambli had only four fielders in the ring which made things easier for the duo.

Both Chopra and Bhatia got out to bad shots at the score of 141, and it again started looking difficult. Kunal Lal (11) hit a couple of crucial boundaries to bring down the pressure, but it was finally left to Sarandeep (13) to clinch it for Delhi.

Rajasthan fall for 70

Tamil Nadu cruised to a ten-wicket victory against Rajasthan in another match at the Jadavpur University campus in Salt Lake.

SUMMARISED SCORES

At Eastern Railway Sports Complex: Mumbai 172 in 49.4 ovs (M. Bangera 49, A. Nair 49; K. Rawat 3/15). Delhi 173/8 in 49 ovs (A. Chopra 83, R. Bhatia 33; R. Thakur 3/27, R. Morris 3/31). Delhi won by 2 wkts.

At Jadavpur University Ground: Rajasthan 70 (P. Krishnakumr 22; S. Suresh 3/20). Tamil Nadu 71/0 in 8.4 ovs (Aniruddh Srikkanth 47 n.o.). Tamil Nadu won by 10 wkts.