Chetanya Nanda's deadly leg-breaks combined with Amit Bhandari's hostile new ball spell wrecked Haryana and bowled Delhi to the doorsteps of victory in the Ranji Trophy Super Division tie in Rohtak on Thursday.
Bhandari and Nanda grabbed three wickets each to skittle out the hosts for a paltry 113, giving Delhi a handsome first innings lead of 269 runs at the Bansi Lal stadium.
When Haryana followed on, 27-year-old Nanda grabbed four more wickets to reduce Haryana to 105 for six at close on the second day, the hosts needing another 164 runs with four wickets in hand to avoid an innings defeat.
Mahesh Rawat on 16 and captain Joginder Sharma on six were at the crease.
Sachin Rana was the lone batsman to show a semblance of resistance with a patient 54 in Haryana's first innings.
Bhandari (3-18) started the rot when he had Sumit Sharma (1) caught behind in his first over, the second of Haryana innings.
The right-arm medium pacer then had Nitin Saini caught in the slip cordon for four before debutant pacer Ashish Malhotra removed Ankit Rawat (15) in the next over.
Bhandari struck again in his eight over on trot when Sanjay Bamel drove a catch to Mayank Tehlan, leaving Haryana at 32 for 4.
Nanda (3-36) then donned the mantle of the destroyer, dismissing Sandeep Singh (0) and wicketkeeper-batsman Mahesh Rawat (3) in the space of three overs.
Rana and Joginder added 36 runs for the seventh wicket before Delhi skipper Virender Sehwag earned the breakthrough by having his counterpart bowled for 12.
Nanda had Rana caught by Aakash Chopra, the batsman's 114-ball innings from 149 minutes containing eight fours and a six.
Sehwag (2-6) picked one more wicket and then effected a run out to hasten the end of Haryana's innings before promtly enforcing the follow on.
Sehwag had no second thoughts in introducing spin early in Haryana's second innings.
He brought himself and Nanda on at both the ends after only six overs of fast bowling and he was proved right sooner than later.
Saini and Sumit Sharma put up a decent start this time but their partnership, of 32 runs, was shortlived.
Nanda (4-51) struck the first blow when he had Saini caught by Chopra in the 10th over and that opened the floodgates.
Three more wickets fell in successive overs as the two spinners tore into Haryana batting.
Earlier, Delhi, resuming at 330 for seven, finished at 382 with overnight not out batsman Rajat Bhatia going on to make 90.
While Delhi have ensured their Elite Division berth with the first innings lead, Haryana are in danger of being relegated next season.
Haryana, going into the match with seven points, will be demoted if defending champions Uttar Pradesh, who were in sight of an innings win against Andhra, and Tamil Nadu won their matches.
Both UP and Tamil Nadu have four points each.
Scorecard
Delhi 1st innings:
A Chopra c and b Mishra 84
G Gambhir b Budhwar 16
M Tehlan c Rana b Joginder Sharma 3
V Sehwag c and b Mishra 106
M Manhas run out 1
R Bhatia c Sandeep Singh b Mishra 90
P Bisht lbw b Mishra 6
A Malhotra c Bamel b Saini 0
C Nanda c M Rawat b Mann 29
A Nehra c and b Mann 2
A Bhandari not out 10
Extras (b 13, lb 8, nb 14) 35
Total (all out in 103 overs) 382
Fall of wickets: 1-58, 2-69, 3-181, 4-211, 5-244, 6-264, 7-265, 8-331, 9-341.
Bowling: Joginder Sharma 26-4-86-1, T Mann 20-2-85-2, S Budhwar 16-1-68-1, A Mishra 29-5-80-4, S Rana 4-0-19-0, N Saini 8-2-23-1.
Haryana, 1st innings:
N Saini c Bhatia b Bhandari 4
Sumit Sharma c Bisht b Bhandari 1
A Rawat b Malhotra 15
S Bamel c Tehlan b Bhandari 1
S Rana c Chopra b Nanda 54
Sandeep Singh c Bhatia b Nanda 0
M Rawat b Nanda 3
Joginder Sharma b Sehwag 12
A Mishra not out 3
T Mann b Sehwag 1
S Budhwar run out 0
Extras (b 5, lb 1, w 3, nb 10) 19
Total (all out in 48.2 overs) 113
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-28, 3-28, 4-32, 5-38, 6-46, 7-82, 8-110, 9-111.
Bowling: A Nehra 11-1-35-0, A Bhandari 12-6-18-3, Ashish Malhotra 7-4-3-1, C Nanda 11.2-2-36-3, V Sehwag 6-3-6-2, M Manhas 1-0-9-0.
Haryana, 2nd innings:
Sumit Sharma c Chopra b Sehwag 16
N Saini c Chopra b Nanda 13
A Rawat lbw b Nanda 2
S Bamel c Tehlan b Sehwag 0
S Rana b Nanda 20
Sandeep Singh c Bisht b Nanda 20
M Rawat not out 16
Joginder Sharma not out 6
Extras (lb 3, nb 9) 12
Total (for 6 wickets in 24 overs) 105
Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-34, 3-37, 4-42, 5-78, 6-86.
Bowling: A Bhandari 3-2-1-0, A Nehra 1-0-2-0, Ashish Malhotra 2-0-11-0, V Sehwag 9-2-37-2, C Nanda 9-0-51-4.
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