Half centuries by Akash Chopra, Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia helped Delhi take a crucial 57-run first innings lead over Maharashtra on the second day of the four-day Elite Division Group A match on Monday.

At stumps, the visitors were 276 for five from their overnight 23 for one, in reply to Maharashtra's paltry 219, with Rajat Bhatia (66 with 2 sixes and 3 fours) and Mayank Tehlan (14) at the crease.

Chopra, who made 73 with eight fours and Manhas (74 with 7 fours), guided the visitors past the 150-run mark after Delhi lost Chaitanya Nanda (10) and skipper Virender Sehwag [Images] (9) in the morning session to be 78 for three.

Chopra and Manhas - who completed 5000 runs in his 88th first class match, steadied the innings with 75-run stand after the early departure of night watchman Nanda and Sehwag, both falling to left arm seamer Samad Fallah.

The fourth-wicket pair battled hard to keep the home team bowlers at bay before Chopra was trapped leg before by veteran leg spinner Sairaj Bahutule.

The 28-year-old Jammu-born Manhas then found another able ally in Bhatia, who took five wickets in Maharashtra's first innings, and the fifth wicket duo carried the score past the hosts' total with a stand of 91 in 37.4 overs.

Later Bhatia got involved in another fruitful partnership of 34 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket with Tehlan to increase Delhi's lead.

Scorecard:

Maharashtra (1st innings): 219
Delhi (1st innings, overnight 23-1):
A Chopra lbw Bahutule 73
S Dhawan c Takawale b Sayyed 7
C Nanda c (sub) Dhruv Mohan b Fallah 10
V Sehwag b Fallah 9
M Manhas c More b Agharkar 74
R Bhatia batting 66
M Tehlan batting 14
Extras: (b 7, lb 6, w 4, nb 8) 25
Total: (for 5 wkts, in 100 overs) 278

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-61, 3-78, 4-153, 5-244

Bowling: Sayyed 20-8-49-1, Fallah 24-8-69-2, Khadiwale 12-2-24-0, Bahutule 13-0-48-1, Agharkar 21-3-51-1, V Rao 10-1-24-0