Delhi look to tame Haryana, face 'old friend' Virender Sehwag

NEW DELHI: In-form Delhi will look to tame Haryana that is being captained by the swashbuckling Virender Sehwag, who shifted loyalties this season, as the two sides lock horns in a Ranji Trophy group game here tomorrow.

Delhi would be hoping that their in-form pace attack led by Ishant Sharma will come out all guns blazing to counter Sehwag's marauding ways at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

Ending his long association with Delhi, the Najafgarh-born Sehwag shifted to Haryana this season in order to open up a slot for the young crop of state players.

After conceding three points to Rajasthan in their opening game, Delhi were bolstered by the return of Ishant in the playing XI against Vidarbha.

Ishant's impressive match figures of 9-47 helped the Gautam Gambhir-led side thrash Vidarbha by 10 wickets and bag a bonus point win at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

The third game will see Delhi face their once favourite star Sehwag, who started the season with a well made 92 in his side's only game against Maharashtra.

Haryana conceded three points to Maharashtra on the basis of first-innings lead but they can take quite a few positives out of the drawn game.

If Himanshu Rana's 157 stood out, medium-pacer Ashish Hooda and off-spinner Jayant Yadav bowled well to pick two wickets apiece. But their bowlers will certainly have to pick up the pieces after giving away 570 runs to Maharashtra in the first innings.

Meanwhile, Delhi's batting has also seen some good innings in the early part of the season with Gambhir's two knocks of 93 (against Rajasthan) and 96 (against Vidarbha) being exemplary.

But their knight in shining armour has been pacer Ishant, who bagged six wickets in the first innings of the game against Vidarbha and then picked three in the next to skittle out the visitors for 98.

His presence has certainly lifted the spirits of a team, which was fighting internal crisis till the last moment of its opening game.

From the DDCA infighting to the musical chairs between the coaches' appointment, Delhi saw it all before settling into a good rhythm in their last game.

Vijay Dahiya was finally zeroed in as chief coach after Ajay Jadeja's brief appointment.

Delhi would certainly want to take the momentum forward against Haryana on their home turf, but the side would be wary of Sehwag, who knows the Kotla wicket like the back of his hand.