Delhi today paid the price for over-confidence. Haryana cut short their wining streak with a 26-run victory in their Ranji one-day match at the Ferozeshah Kotla.

Delhi had only themselves to blame for the defeat. Haryana, on the other hand, were more composed, outclassing Delhi in all departments of the game. Their batsmen played a patient game and their bowlers maintained line and length, with their fielders always on their toes.

Opener Aakash Chopra and Shikhar Dhawan failed to give Delhi the much-needed start, departing early. Chopra was the first to return to the pavilion. After scoring two consecutive tons and more than 1400 runs in the ongoing domestic season, Chopra was taken by surprise as he failed to judge the short-pitched delivery from left arm pacer Sanjay Budhwar, giving an easy catch to keeper Nitin Saini. He hadn’t even opened his score. Shikhar followed soon, off a failed attempt at sending an away swinger off Sachin Rana to third man. It gave Kamal Beniwal a catch in the second slip instead. And then came the collapse. Puneet Bisht got the ball of the day by Rana. An in-swinging delivery by the right arm pacer shattered Bisht’s leg stump.

The only partnership that raised hopes for Delhi was between skipper Mitthun Manhas and all-rounder Rajat Bhatia. They put up 63 for the fifth wicket after Delhi were reduced to 4/57. Earlier in the day, Amit Bhandari reached another milestone against Haryana, scalping his 151st Ranji one-day wicket.

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