NEW DELHI: Sumit Narhwal's all-round performance and Ishant Sharma's fiery bowling helped Delhi wrap up an impressive 53-run win against Orissa within two days in the Ranji Trophy Super League tie at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium here Sunday.
Narhwal scored an unbeaten 66 on the dicey Kotla wicket to take Delhi to a second innings total of 150, setting a victory target of 149 runs for Orissa.
Narhwal then took three wickets while Ishant, who finished with a match haul of 11 wickets, claimed four to shoot off Orissa for 96 runs in another dramatic day's play.
Delhi seemed to have fallen in their own trap when their ploy to lay out a pacy green wicket to help their pacers backfired. They were bowled out for 80 in the first innings despite stars Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.
The hosts were again tottering at seven for 49 in the second innings before Narhwal rescued the team with an explosive knock. He got the support of Pradeep Sangwan (15) at the other end.
The pacy green pitch swallowed as many as 24 wickets on day one and continued to prove batmen's grave Sunday. Delhi at resumption of the their overnight second innings total of 38 for four were once again en route an early collapse but Narhwal chose the attacking route to dig them out of trouble. His 75-ball knock had four fours and four sixes.
For the visitors, Sukanta Khatua (4-31) and Debasis Mohanty (4-58) took four wickets each.
In reply, Orissa batting crumbled against the Delhi attack with Ishant (4-27) and Narhwal (3-25) unleashing havoc with their seam bowling. Orissa were left wanting for partnership as their wickets fell like ninepins. The visitors lost both their opening batsmen at one, and barring some meagre sporadic contributions never looked to put a serious fight.
The win will come as a relief for Delhi whose last few ties were reduced to the fight for the first innings lead. The win has fetched Delhi 5 points and none to Orissa who succeeded in taking a slim first innings lead of two runs.
Brief scores: Delhi 78 and 150 (Sumit Narhwal 66, Virender Sehwag 32; Sukanta Khatua 4-31, Debasis Mohanty 4-58)
Orissa 80 and 96 (P Jayachandra not out 19, Haldhar Das 19; Ishant Sharma 4-27, Sumit Narhwal 3-25)