Shubhankar Sharma did not get off to the best of starts but then played solid for 4-under 68 to force himself in sight of Top-10 as he was T-12 at the hallway mark in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic. Thrilled to have fought back well for his 68 on his sister, Vandini’s birthday, Sharma had six birdies against two bogeys and is now 6-under for 36 holes in Tied-10th place.

Meanwhile Gaganjeet Bhullar also had six birdies in the second round but also gave away three bogeys and a double on the front nine of the Emirates Golf Club, which was his second nine. His first round was 77 and at 4-over for 36 holes he missed the cut, which fell at even par.

Belgian Thomas Detry (67-67) still looking for his first win on the European Tour was a picture of consistency as he surged to the top of the leaderboard at the halfway mark. He is without a bogey so far and leads Scot Robert MacIntyre (67-68) by one shot. Tommy Fleetwood (68-68), Kalle Samooja (68-68) and Justin Harding. (66-70) were tied third at 8-under.

A smiling Sharma said, “I was really happy with the way I played. I didn't have the best of starts; it was a slow start. I didn’t make birdie on the Par-5 10th, made a good putt for par and then bogeyed 12, missed a birdie on 13. So I'm very proud of myself the way I fought back especially the birdies on 14 and 15. They are not easy holes.”

He added, “I hit a great shot on 18 and had a birdie. Then had a good second nine. Especially to finish with birdies on 7 and 8. On the first it was a bad iron shot, made a good chip but couldn’t make a putt from down the hill from six feet.” That was one of the two bogeys for him.

Sharma starting on 10th, birdies 14, 15 and 18 and then added three more on third, seventh and eighth. He bogeyed 12th and first.

He felt his work during the break is paying off. “It feels good to see all that hard work I put in is working. It tells you that you have done all the right things, definitely gives you that extra push. Especially after last week, getting off to a good start and then kind of moving into the middle made some mental errors. This week, that was my main goal not to make these errors and even if I do make them not reacting to it and spoil things. I think I did a very good job of kind of staying in the present.”

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