Ashish Nehra's 1999-2000 season was a moderate success yielding 29 wickets. The one element serving to dampen his ardour was an ankle injury that called for surgery. Having spent the summer recuperating, Nehra returned with renewed vigour to tackle the demands of a new season. He was easily Delhi's most penetrative bowler in the first two games as they opened the North Zone league on a fairly snappy note, trouncing Services and taking first innings honours against Haryana.

Nehra's next assignment was against Himachal Pradesh at the capital's Harbax Singh Stadium. Delhi won the toss and took first strike. Powered by a double century from opener Akash Chopra the hosts knocked up 417/8 before closing shutters the following afternoon. Nehra was one of only two batsmen to miss out on the action but compensated by a telling burst with the new ball later in the day. Three of the first four wickets were his handiwork as Himachal slumped to 106/4 when stumps were drawn.

On the third day Delhi's immediate task was to get rid of Rajiv Nayyar. The tenacious Himachal skipper had become the first man to spend more than 1000 minutes at the crease during a single first class innings a year ago and Delhi were eager to quash any interest on his part to duplicate that effort. Nayyar stuck to the crease like a limpet for six hours and forty minutes before Nehra had him caught for 75. That triggered a slide and the last five wickets tumbled for 27, the Delhi left armer finishing with figures of 5/74.

Forced to follow on 192 behind, Himachal were halfway through to an innings defeat before the day was out. Nehra struck two early blows, including that of Nayyar trapped leg before for nine, and came back on the fourth morning to polish off the tail. Victory was Delhi's by an innings and 54 runs and Nehra's match figures of 10/118 produced only the second ten wicket haul of his first class career.