Ranji Trophy: It's Ishant versus Umesh as Delhi take on mighty Vidarbha

A desperate Delhi will be getting Ishant Sharma's services one last time in the season as they face Umesh Yadav's Vidarbha on a seamer-friendly pitch in a group D Ranji Trophy game starting Sunday.

The New Zealand-bound Test team speedsters will be the star attraction on a track on which Vidarbha's spin duo of Akshay Wakhare and Aditya Sarwate are unlikely to be as effective as they were on an under-prepared Jamtha track against Bengal.

While Vidarbha, with 17 points from four games, are placed third, Delhi are languishing at the 11th place in the cross-pool table (group A and B) with 10 points.

As usual, controversy followed the Delhi team as chairman of selectors Bantoo Singh show caused its administrative manager, Vivek Khurana, for calling off Saturday's practice session.

"Vidarbha practised on Friday and when I came to Kotla in the evening, I saw that Delhi team's training has been called off. I have show caused the manager and asked on whose permission the training was called off two days before a game," Bantoo told reporters on the sidelines of a practice session.

Delhi's first XI will comprise Hiten Dalal and Kunal Chandela as openers. Dhruv Shorey and Nitish Rana will be coming in at number three and four respectively, while Jonty Sidhu, Anuj Rawat and Lalit Yadav form the middle-order.

All-rounder Kunwar Bidhuri, Ishant, a fit-again Kulwant Khejroliya and Simarjeet Singh will form a four-pronged pace attack.

"Pitch is such we won't go for a specialist spinner. We have Lalit and Nitish, who can bowl part-time off-spin," Delhi selector Chetenya Nanda said.