Abhishek Nayar and Ajit Agarkar, in Mumbai, on Sunday. (PTI)

Mumbai: All-rounder Abhishek Nayar cracked an unbeaten 111 to help the defending champions recover from a difficult pre-lunch period on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semi-final against Delhi, here on Sunday.

Reduced to 86 for three on a bouncy pitch, Mumbai staged a remarkable recovery, thanks mainly to Nayar’s gritty display and his two significant partnerships with Onkar Khanvilkar (70; 115 balls, 4x8) and Ajit Agarkar (57 batting; 84 balls, 4x9).

At stumps, the 38-time champions were at a sound 329 for four in 83 overs which looked a distant dream when they had lost their top three batsmen, including skipper Wasim Jaffer, by the 25th over.

Nayar added 145 runs for the fourth wicket with fellow left-hander Khanvilkar off 221 balls to steady the rocking boat on either side of lunch and then put on 98 runs during a breezy, unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with the free-stroking Agarkar.

Towards close Nayar, who missed Mumbai’s last three games due to a hand injury, suffered cramps in the right hand but his partnership with Agarkar, which produced a near-century stand in only 105 minutes, has swung the match towards the hosts.

But the morning session, after Mumbai captain Jaffer won the toss and elected to bat at the Brabourne Stadium, belonged to the visiting team with paceman Ishant Sharma breathing fire from one end with pace and lift.

Ishant sent back Mumbai’s mainstay Jaffer (7) cheaply by trapping the right-handed batsman leg before when the home team skipper tried to flick to the leg side.

Ishant came back for his second spell and sent another top Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane’s (29 off 43) off stump reeling, as he too tried injudiciously to play across the line.

In between these two dismissals Parwinder Awana made a ball climb up from good length and had Kukreja (29) caught behind by Puneet Bisht.

Ishant was off the field soon for 20 minutes after lunch and his absence saw the fourth wicket pair of Nayar and Khanvilkar slowly and steadily growing in confidence.