Cricketing memory fades at a rate of knots. It is not long since Ayush Doseja was piling up centuries for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy: four last season, including a double-ton. His 949 runs left him second on the leaderboard, one shy of the leader. Yet it took only three matches this season, in which he scored 114 runs, for questions to be raised.“There was a lot of outside noise,” Doseja would himself acknowledge. On Tuesday, he silenced it with a fighting 78 against Services.“There was noise because I scored 950-odd runs last season, and this year I didn’t even make a fifty in my first four innings. But I knew I was batting well. Only, luck has not been on my side. I have had a few unlucky dismissals, like today, getting caught down the leg side. But today, I was determined that I will play long,” he told reporters at the Airforce Complex Ground, where at stumps on Day 2 Delhi were 299/6 in response to Services’ 266.Doseja admits his stellar debut season heightened expectations, but also maintains: “Pressure is a privilege. I was not really thinking too much about it. I was getting starts in every game, just that a big score was missing. I was looking to take on the bowlers against Jharkhand and Gujarat. Today, I decided to give myself time.”The 24-year-old left-hander needed to, for his team were placed sixth in the Group C standings and had been reduced to 135/5, losing four wickets for 21 runs. From that position, Doseja put together a 144-run sixth-wicket stand with Sumit Mathur.Luck was kind once: Ravi Chauhan dropped him on 42. Yet he knows the manner of his dismissal, caught down the leg side off a Virender Dagar delivery that could have been left, adds to his list of “unlucky” exits.“It was unfortunate. The bowler did not plan to get my wicket by bowling down the leg side. I will think about it today, but tomorrow, I will forget about it as I know I played a good knock.”On the back of last season’s performance, Doseja, who is on the BCCI’s list of targeted players, was called to a camp at the Centre of Excellence.“I worked a lot with Wasim Jaffer sir and Hrishikesh Kanitkar sir. They gave a lot of technical suggestions. They also said that whatever outside noise is there, you’ve done well, no need to listen too much, focus on yourself. If you play ball-by-ball, you’ll dominate.”Story continues below this adOn Tuesday, he did. His stand with Mathur gave Delhi a crucial first-innings lead.“The most relieving part of today was that we have ensured three points (if the game ends in a draw). It was needed. My aim was to take Delhi higher (in the points table), and hopefully I have done that.”Doseja’s focus is also on the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, which begins on 14 November. Having missed out last year despite doing well in Mumbai Indians’ trials, he wants this chance to count.“There is not much time to prepare, but I did well in the DPL (Delhi Premier League), scoring over 300 runs at a strike rate of around 170. I am prepared for Mushtaq Ali.”Story continues below this adBrief scores: Services 266 trail Delhi 299/6 (Sumit Mathur 80 not out, Ayush Doseja 78; Arjun Sharma 2/48) by 33 runs.Shuvaditya Bose is a Deputy Copy Editor at the sports desk of The Indian Express. Read MoreStay updated with the latest sports news across Cricket, Football, Chess, and more. Catch all the action with real-time live cricket score updates and in-depth coverage of ongoing matches.