MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings thumped Kings XI Punjab by 9 wickets in the second semi-final of the Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing 113 runs to enter the final, Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina guide Chennai to victory against Kings XI Punjab in the 15th over.
Chennai Super Kings will play favourite, Rajathan Royals at DY Patil stadium on Sunday in the final on the inaugural Indian Premier League.
Earlier, Chennai Super Kings' pace attack ripped apart the strong Punjab Kings XI top-order batting and restricted them to a paltry 112 for 8 in the second semi-final of Indian Premier League..
Everything went wrong for Kings XI Punjab after captain Yuvraj Singh opted to bat first on winning the toss and half their side was back in the dug-out with only 40 on the board on a seaming track.
Poor batting coupled with some good seam bowling undid the Punjab side.
Makhaya Ntini and Manpreet Singh Gony rocked the high-flying Kings XI Punjab side with a double strike each which reduced Yuvraj Singh-led team to a pathetic 34 for four in the sixth over.
Ntini started the domination of the ball over the bat when he had James Hopes caught behind chasing an outswinger for two in the second over.
Then Gony dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in similar fashion, caught by wicket keeper Parthiv Patel to leave Punjab at a shaky 2 for 11.
Things became grimmer when Kings XI Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh pulled Gony, who bowled an excellent four-over spell for figures of 2 for 14, straight to Muttiah Muralitharan at wide mid-on to leave them gasping at 28 for three.
But the biggest blow was when South African pacer Ntini dismissed Punjab batting mainstay Marsh in his third over.
At 45 for six there was a possibility of Punjab doing worse than what Kolkata Knight Riders had done (67 all out; the lowest score of IPL) against Mumbai Indians at the same venue on May 16.
This was averted with Wilkin Mota (25 off 26 balls) and Ramesh Powar (28 off 22 balls; 1X6; 4X4) leading the way by adding 35 runs for the eighth wicket.
Powar helped boost the tally by creaming Balaji for three fours in the last over from which 14 runs were scored.
Ntini got 2 for 23 in his four overs bowled on the trot, Morkel ended up with 2 for 27 while Muralitharan, who bowled the first over of the innings, finished with 1 for 19.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Clinical Chennai send Punjab packing
An inspired Chennai Super Kings shrugged off the underdogs' tag with a thoroughly comprehensive display to thrash Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets and join Rajasthan Royals in the IPL final. Punjab's batting had been in superb form through most of the tournament, but they came completely unstuck in the face of some accurate and relentless seam bowling by Chennai's three fast bowlers, folding for a paltry 112. Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina then ensured that the run-chase was a canter, putting together 102 for the second wicket - both ended on unbeaten half-centuries as Chennai sailed home with 31 deliveries to spare.
Punjab's two previous losses to Chennai, in the league games, had both come when they'd chased, and Yuvraj Singh did the team a huge favour by winning the toss and choosing to bat on a pitch which was expected to assist the spinners later in the evening. That, though, was the only thing that went right for Punjab, as Makhaya Ntini and Manpreet Gony struck twice each in their first spells, reduced Punjab to 40 for 5, and never released the pressure thereafter, as the Wankhede Stadium played host to the second one-sided semi-final in two days.
On a pitch offering generous bounce to the fast bowlers, Chennai's pace attack of Ntini, Gony and Albie Morkel bowled in the perfect channel, denying the Punjab batsmen any room to execute strokes through the off side. Learning from Shane Watson's spell on Friday, Ntini pitched it slightly short of a length, hit the bat hard, and hurried the batsmen in their shots, while Gony bowled a fuller length, and with the sort of control which would have made Glenn McGrath proud. Chennai were also superb in the field - Muttiah Muralitharan pulled off a splendid catch over his head to intercept a Yuvraj pull, Suresh Raina was equally spectacular in pulling off a diving catch to dismiss Wilkin Mota, while the ground fielding was without blemish.
There was little sign of such a dramatic collapse when Shaun Marsh stroked the first ball of the match - from Muralitharan, surprisingly - through the covers for four. Seven came off that over, but the wheels started coming off in the next over, when James Hopes slashed at a wide one from Ntini and edged to Parthiv.
That dismissal sparked off a procession of wickets, as three more fell in the next four overs. Kumar Sangakkara's was the most bizarre, as he seemed to miss a drive off Gony, but walked off even though Parthiv didn't appeal at all. Yuvraj was restless after playing out three successive dot balls and pulled to Murali at short midwicket, but the biggest blow was delivered in the next over, when Ntini hit back to dismiss Marsh immediately after being creamed for a perfect straight drive. Marsh had top-edged a pull for six earlier in the innings, but wasn't as lucky in the sixth over, as the inside edge crashed into his stumps.
Clearly rattled by the early wickets, Punjab lost the plot with some terrible running between the wickets, which cost Irfan Pathan his wicket. Mahela Jayawardene stroked the ball to third man, ran two, started for the third and then changed his mind, leaving Pathan with too little time to gain his ground. When Jayawardene himself fell next over, steering to the wicketkeeper, Punjab had slumped to 45 for 6.
From there, it was only an exercise in damage control: Mota and Ramesh Powar - the two local Mumbai players - put together 35, easily the most productive partnership of the innings. Mota managed a useful 26-ball 25, while Powar smeared Morkel for a huge six over midwicket and then punished a listless L Balaji for three fours in the last over, but a target of 113 was hardly enough to test Chennai.
S Vidyut fell early, but Raina and Parthiv gave Punjab no further opportunity. Raina was in especially sublime touch - he started off with two delectable fours, adjusting to Powar's turn and gliding a four to third man, and then cutting the next ball through point. As he grew in confidence, the ferocity of the strokes increased, and the high point was an incredible pull off Hopes - on a pitch where most batsmen struggled to ride the bounce and execute the stroke - which sailed onto the roof of the stadium. Pathan was similarly dismissed over square leg, while Chawla was slog-swept for six and then driven through extra cover in the last over as Raina brought up his fifty off a mere 32 balls.
Parthiv was slightly more subdued, but the paltry target gave him plenty of time to work with. He started slowly, but then a couple of superb straight hits off the fast bowlers, and powerful sweeps off the spinners. Pathan's early swing with the new ball offered Punjab some hope, but once Chennai got past that threat, there was little the slower bowlers could do. Chennai lost both their league games against Rajasthan, but after such an emphatic win, that'll hardly bother them.
Punjab's two previous losses to Chennai, in the league games, had both come when they'd chased, and Yuvraj Singh did the team a huge favour by winning the toss and choosing to bat on a pitch which was expected to assist the spinners later in the evening. That, though, was the only thing that went right for Punjab, as Makhaya Ntini and Manpreet Gony struck twice each in their first spells, reduced Punjab to 40 for 5, and never released the pressure thereafter, as the Wankhede Stadium played host to the second one-sided semi-final in two days.
On a pitch offering generous bounce to the fast bowlers, Chennai's pace attack of Ntini, Gony and Albie Morkel bowled in the perfect channel, denying the Punjab batsmen any room to execute strokes through the off side. Learning from Shane Watson's spell on Friday, Ntini pitched it slightly short of a length, hit the bat hard, and hurried the batsmen in their shots, while Gony bowled a fuller length, and with the sort of control which would have made Glenn McGrath proud. Chennai were also superb in the field - Muttiah Muralitharan pulled off a splendid catch over his head to intercept a Yuvraj pull, Suresh Raina was equally spectacular in pulling off a diving catch to dismiss Wilkin Mota, while the ground fielding was without blemish.
There was little sign of such a dramatic collapse when Shaun Marsh stroked the first ball of the match - from Muralitharan, surprisingly - through the covers for four. Seven came off that over, but the wheels started coming off in the next over, when James Hopes slashed at a wide one from Ntini and edged to Parthiv.
That dismissal sparked off a procession of wickets, as three more fell in the next four overs. Kumar Sangakkara's was the most bizarre, as he seemed to miss a drive off Gony, but walked off even though Parthiv didn't appeal at all. Yuvraj was restless after playing out three successive dot balls and pulled to Murali at short midwicket, but the biggest blow was delivered in the next over, when Ntini hit back to dismiss Marsh immediately after being creamed for a perfect straight drive. Marsh had top-edged a pull for six earlier in the innings, but wasn't as lucky in the sixth over, as the inside edge crashed into his stumps.
Clearly rattled by the early wickets, Punjab lost the plot with some terrible running between the wickets, which cost Irfan Pathan his wicket. Mahela Jayawardene stroked the ball to third man, ran two, started for the third and then changed his mind, leaving Pathan with too little time to gain his ground. When Jayawardene himself fell next over, steering to the wicketkeeper, Punjab had slumped to 45 for 6.
From there, it was only an exercise in damage control: Mota and Ramesh Powar - the two local Mumbai players - put together 35, easily the most productive partnership of the innings. Mota managed a useful 26-ball 25, while Powar smeared Morkel for a huge six over midwicket and then punished a listless L Balaji for three fours in the last over, but a target of 113 was hardly enough to test Chennai.
S Vidyut fell early, but Raina and Parthiv gave Punjab no further opportunity. Raina was in especially sublime touch - he started off with two delectable fours, adjusting to Powar's turn and gliding a four to third man, and then cutting the next ball through point. As he grew in confidence, the ferocity of the strokes increased, and the high point was an incredible pull off Hopes - on a pitch where most batsmen struggled to ride the bounce and execute the stroke - which sailed onto the roof of the stadium. Pathan was similarly dismissed over square leg, while Chawla was slog-swept for six and then driven through extra cover in the last over as Raina brought up his fifty off a mere 32 balls.
Parthiv was slightly more subdued, but the paltry target gave him plenty of time to work with. He started slowly, but then a couple of superb straight hits off the fast bowlers, and powerful sweeps off the spinners. Pathan's early swing with the new ball offered Punjab some hope, but once Chennai got past that threat, there was little the slower bowlers could do. Chennai lost both their league games against Rajasthan, but after such an emphatic win, that'll hardly bother them.
Chennai Super Kings set up a Royals date
Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings' pace attack ripped apart the strong Kings XI Punjab top-order batting and restricted them to a paltry 112-8 in the second semi-final of Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Saturday night.
Everything went wrong for Kings XI Punjab after skipper Yuvraj Singh opted to bat first on winning the toss and half their side was back in the dug-out with only 40 on the board on a seaming track.
Poor batting coupled with some good seam bowling undid the Punjab side.
Makhaya Ntini and Manpreet Singh Gony rocked the high-flying Kings XI Punjab side with a double strike each which reduced Yuvraj Singh-led team to a pathetic 34-4 in the sixth over.
Ntini started the domination of the ball over the bat when he had James Hopes caught behind chasing an outswinger for two in the second over.
Then Gony dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in similar fashion, caught by wicket keeper Parthiv Patel to leave Punjab at a shaky 2 for 11.
Things became grimmer when Yuvraj pulled Gony, who bowled an excellent four-over spell for figures of 2 for 14, straight to Muttiah Muralitharan at wide mid-on to leave them gasping at 28-3.
But the biggest blow was when South African pacer Ntini dismissed Punjab batting mainstay Marsh in his third over.
The left-handed opener from Western Australia attempted to pull a ball from wide of his stumps but only managed to get an under-edge that crashed on to the stumps to the absolute delight of the Chennai Super Kings players.
Down in the dumps, Punjab lost Irfan Pathan in a horrible mix-up with Mahela Jayawardene who refused to respond to the former's call for a third run. The long throw from Ntini, who dived to stop a boundary, came handy for running out Irfan when he was stranded at mid-pitch.
Punjab, tottering at 40-5 at Pathan's dismissal, lost their sixth wicket when Jayawardene, with his poise upset at Pathan's run-out and open show of anger while walking back, tried to glide Albie Morkel and top-edged to Patel who grabbed his third catch.
At 45-6 there was a possibility of Punjab doing worse than what Kolkata Knight Riders had done (67 all out; the lowest score of IPL) against Mumbai Indians at the same venue on May 16.
This was averted with Wilkin Mota (25 off 26 balls) and Ramesh Powar (28 off 22 balls; 1X6; 4X4) leading the way by adding 35 runs for the eighth wicket.
The duo took advantage of some below-par performance by the Chennai team in the field to take the score close to 100 before Mota was out.
Powar helped boost the tally by creaming Balaji for three fours in the last over from which 14 runs were scored.
Ntini got 2 for 23 in his four overs bowled on the trot, Morkel ended up with 2 for 27 while Muralitharan, who bowled the first over, finished with 1 for 19.
Teams:
Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Parthiv Patel, Sivaramakrishnan Vidyut, Suresh Raina, Albie Morkel, S Badrinath, C Kapugedera, L Balaji, Manpreet Gony, Muthiah Muralitharan, Makhaya Ntini.
Kings XI Punjab: Yuvraj Singh (captain), Shaun Marsh, James Hopes, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Piyush Chawla, Wilkin Mota, Irfan Pathan, Romesh Powar, VRV Singh, S Sreesanth.
Everything went wrong for Kings XI Punjab after skipper Yuvraj Singh opted to bat first on winning the toss and half their side was back in the dug-out with only 40 on the board on a seaming track.
Poor batting coupled with some good seam bowling undid the Punjab side.
Makhaya Ntini and Manpreet Singh Gony rocked the high-flying Kings XI Punjab side with a double strike each which reduced Yuvraj Singh-led team to a pathetic 34-4 in the sixth over.
Ntini started the domination of the ball over the bat when he had James Hopes caught behind chasing an outswinger for two in the second over.
Then Gony dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in similar fashion, caught by wicket keeper Parthiv Patel to leave Punjab at a shaky 2 for 11.
Things became grimmer when Yuvraj pulled Gony, who bowled an excellent four-over spell for figures of 2 for 14, straight to Muttiah Muralitharan at wide mid-on to leave them gasping at 28-3.
But the biggest blow was when South African pacer Ntini dismissed Punjab batting mainstay Marsh in his third over.
The left-handed opener from Western Australia attempted to pull a ball from wide of his stumps but only managed to get an under-edge that crashed on to the stumps to the absolute delight of the Chennai Super Kings players.
Down in the dumps, Punjab lost Irfan Pathan in a horrible mix-up with Mahela Jayawardene who refused to respond to the former's call for a third run. The long throw from Ntini, who dived to stop a boundary, came handy for running out Irfan when he was stranded at mid-pitch.
Punjab, tottering at 40-5 at Pathan's dismissal, lost their sixth wicket when Jayawardene, with his poise upset at Pathan's run-out and open show of anger while walking back, tried to glide Albie Morkel and top-edged to Patel who grabbed his third catch.
At 45-6 there was a possibility of Punjab doing worse than what Kolkata Knight Riders had done (67 all out; the lowest score of IPL) against Mumbai Indians at the same venue on May 16.
This was averted with Wilkin Mota (25 off 26 balls) and Ramesh Powar (28 off 22 balls; 1X6; 4X4) leading the way by adding 35 runs for the eighth wicket.
The duo took advantage of some below-par performance by the Chennai team in the field to take the score close to 100 before Mota was out.
Powar helped boost the tally by creaming Balaji for three fours in the last over from which 14 runs were scored.
Ntini got 2 for 23 in his four overs bowled on the trot, Morkel ended up with 2 for 27 while Muralitharan, who bowled the first over, finished with 1 for 19.
Teams:
Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Parthiv Patel, Sivaramakrishnan Vidyut, Suresh Raina, Albie Morkel, S Badrinath, C Kapugedera, L Balaji, Manpreet Gony, Muthiah Muralitharan, Makhaya Ntini.
Kings XI Punjab: Yuvraj Singh (captain), Shaun Marsh, James Hopes, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Piyush Chawla, Wilkin Mota, Irfan Pathan, Romesh Powar, VRV Singh, S Sreesanth.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Rajasthan crush Delhi by 105 runs
Mumbai, May 30: Early in the Rajasthan Royals innings, one couldn’t help but smile when Swapnil Asnodkar ran across from the non-striker’s end to have a chat with fellow-opener Smith, who was struggling with his dodgy hamstring and dicey timing. The pint-sized Asnodkar, whose normal gaze would reached the burly 6-foot-plus Smith’s navel, tilted his head more than 45 degrees to utter quick words of encouragement to his troubled mate.
The obvious physical disparity of the odd couple did provide the humour but what was more funny about this reverse idea-exchange was the contrasting international stature of the two cricketers. Smith has been in charge of one of the best ODI outfits in the world and a long-standing skipper of a very successful Test side but today he was getting words of advice from a rank junior with no international experience. But things were different today. At the time the conversation was taking place, Asnodkar had hit four fours while Smith just had one.
About three hours later, when Shane Warne was once again swarmed by his committed worker-bees to signal Rajasthan Royals’ Shane Watson-inspired semi-final victory, one understood the seriousness of that light-hearted moment at the start of the innings. There are no commoners in the Royals squad.
Asnodkar didn’t worry about Smith’s pedigree and treated him like just another team mate. And it didn’t come as a surprise when Aussie great Glenn McGrath was treated as merely another bowler by the little opener with a big heart.
It is this attitude that has been the stand-out feature of this team. And today was no different. They showed that for them the semi-final, too, was just another walk in the park. With their most convincing win of the tournament — a 105-run mauling of the Delhi Daredevils — coming at the most crucial moment of the last 40 days, it was clear that this unit is peaking for the big game on Sunday.
All-rounder Watson, who has been having a dream run in this IPL, can’t match the credentials of some of his high-profile rivals. But, like so many times in the tournament, he was the man of the moment for Rajasthan. His 52 and 3-10 were more than enough to get his team through.
Sehwag and Gambhir might have been regulars on the big stage and big run-scorers in the tournament but they failed to rise to the occasion. Once they were out by the fourth over, the game was as good as over.
There were two more Royal performers today who retained their focus despite contrasting mental states. All-rounder Yusuf Pathan didn’t get the high of being picked for the national team come in his way of scoring a vital 45. But more creditable was pacer Munaf Patel’s show. Dropped from the Indian team this afternoon, he was on field in the evening with a clear mind. His figures of 3-17 gave enough evidence that though he might have lost the India blue but being in royal blue was reason enough to give his best.
The obvious physical disparity of the odd couple did provide the humour but what was more funny about this reverse idea-exchange was the contrasting international stature of the two cricketers. Smith has been in charge of one of the best ODI outfits in the world and a long-standing skipper of a very successful Test side but today he was getting words of advice from a rank junior with no international experience. But things were different today. At the time the conversation was taking place, Asnodkar had hit four fours while Smith just had one.
About three hours later, when Shane Warne was once again swarmed by his committed worker-bees to signal Rajasthan Royals’ Shane Watson-inspired semi-final victory, one understood the seriousness of that light-hearted moment at the start of the innings. There are no commoners in the Royals squad.
Asnodkar didn’t worry about Smith’s pedigree and treated him like just another team mate. And it didn’t come as a surprise when Aussie great Glenn McGrath was treated as merely another bowler by the little opener with a big heart.
It is this attitude that has been the stand-out feature of this team. And today was no different. They showed that for them the semi-final, too, was just another walk in the park. With their most convincing win of the tournament — a 105-run mauling of the Delhi Daredevils — coming at the most crucial moment of the last 40 days, it was clear that this unit is peaking for the big game on Sunday.
All-rounder Watson, who has been having a dream run in this IPL, can’t match the credentials of some of his high-profile rivals. But, like so many times in the tournament, he was the man of the moment for Rajasthan. His 52 and 3-10 were more than enough to get his team through.
Sehwag and Gambhir might have been regulars on the big stage and big run-scorers in the tournament but they failed to rise to the occasion. Once they were out by the fourth over, the game was as good as over.
There were two more Royal performers today who retained their focus despite contrasting mental states. All-rounder Yusuf Pathan didn’t get the high of being picked for the national team come in his way of scoring a vital 45. But more creditable was pacer Munaf Patel’s show. Dropped from the Indian team this afternoon, he was on field in the evening with a clear mind. His figures of 3-17 gave enough evidence that though he might have lost the India blue but being in royal blue was reason enough to give his best.
Delhi trampled by 105 runs; Royal final guaranteed
Mumbai, May 30: Rajasthan Royals carried on from where they had left in the league stage as they thrashed Delhi Daredevils by a huge margin of 105 runs. Munaf Patel and Shane Watson shared three wickets apiece for the Royals and played a major role in demolishing the Daredevils. They, thus, take their team into the finals of the IPL to play against either Kings XI Punjab or Chennai Super Kings.
Shane Watson was adjudged the man of the match for his brilliant all-round performance whereas Yusuf Pathan was awarded with a cheque for the DLF maximum sixes. He clobbered four of them.
Watson top scored for the Rajasthan Royals with a 29 ball 52 while Yusuf Pathan clobbered the Daredevils for four monstrous hits over the fence and three to it to score 45 runs off just 21 balls. The two hard hitting batsmen capitalised on the rock solid platform laid down by Asnodkar and Smith. Both the openers scored 39 and 25 off 21 balls each. Maharoof was the pick of the bowlers for Delhi as he claimed 3 wickets to rattle the Royal’s top order.
Mohammad Asif looked like an inexperienced player when he was run out due to his non-presence of mind. He did not follow the ball and was casually returning to the crease when a crashing throw came into the hands of Rawat who clipped off theh bails before Asif could put the willow in the crease. This was the end of the Daredevil carnival in the inaugural Indian Premier League.
Yo Mahesh fell prey to a Munaf Patel bouncer which was safely taken by the Royal wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat. The decision came pretty late from umpire Rudi Koertzen as he was confused whether the ball had hit Yomi on the glove or not. The replays, however, showed that the ball had hit the shoulder of the batsman.
Munaf Patel returned to his second spell only to castle Amit Mishra for a score of 2 runs of 5 balls. A lazy drive off the pads did not click and Mishra’s furniture was displaced by the Indian pacer to reduce the Daredevils down to eight wickets.
Shane Warne joined the party as he claimed two quick wickets to celebrate the Delhi Daredevil downfall. He claimed Farveez Maharoof and Tilakaratne Dilshan in the same over to wipe any hopes of a win for the Daredevils. Warne smiled while Delhi mourned the loss of their Sri Lankan duo.
Kaif showed why he is considered one of the best fielders in international cricket when he took a beauty to strangle Delhi Daredevils by claiming Dinesh Karthik off Siddhartha Trivedi. Although Karthik seemed to hit the ball from the meat of the blade, Kaif’s athleticism got the better of the Delhi batsman. The Daredevils were reduced to 55 for the loss of five wickets with Karthik’s dismissal.
Little man Asnodkar took a simple catch off the bowling of Munaf Patel to dismiss Manoj Tiwary for a duck. Tiwary fell in the form of the fourth wicket for the Daredevils and Delhi, for any hopes of making it to the finals of the Indian Premier League, required a huge partnership from Dilshan and Karthik.
Shane Watson claimed three on the trot when he induced Shikhar Dhawan into a mistimed pull shot off a slower short delivery only to be caught by Ravinder Jadeja at mid wicket. It seemed like everything that Watson touched was turning into gold. He had earlier scored a fabulous half century for his team.
The substitute for Smith, Taruwar Kohli, pulled off a stunner to dismiss the in-form Gautam Gambhir off Shane Watson who took his second wicket of the match. Frustration seemed to get on to the Delhi opener who perished in an attempt to up the tempo.
Sohail Tanvir ran almost 30 metres to catch the dangerous Virender Sehwag off Shane Watson. Watson was more than delighted to scalp the Daredevil captain as he could well have made the difference between the two teams. Sehwag perished in an attempt to hook the Australian for the maximum.
The last over proved to be one of the best of the innings for Delhi Daredevils as Mohammad Asif held his nerve and showed class to give only four runs off the 20th over. He caught Rawat off his own bowling in the same over and Yusuf Pathan’s assault was also arrested when Dinesh Karthik collected an accurate throw from Dilshan in the deep to catch Pathan well short of his crease. The Rajasthan Royals finished at 192/9. Related Stories.
Yo Mahesh contributed with two quick wickets after missing a couple of catches to bring the Rajasthan’s juggernaut to a minor halt. Sehwag puuled off a blinder to dismiss the Royals captain Shane Warne and Ravinder Jadeja was caught by Maharoof off Yomi to complete a double. However, Yusuf Pathan remained unaffected and continued his slaughter.
Amit Mishra deceived Shane Watson and rattled the right hander’s stumps to send half the Royal team back to the dugout. Mishra took two of the five till the 16th over.
Mishra joined in the party as he scalped Mohammad Kaif when he rattled batsman’s furniture. Kaif played across the line and missed to hear the jangle of the stumps. The in-form and just selected for the Bangladesh tri-series, Yusuf Pathan joined Shane Watson at the crease.
The loss of the top order seemed to have no effect on Shane Watson, the hard hitting batsman of Rajasthan Royals. He blew the Daredevil bowling smashing them for fours and sixes with Mohammad Kaif at the other end only seeing his Australian partner at his brutal best.
Prior to this, Maharoof became the Daredevil’s saviour as he struck thrice in his two overs and scalped the wickets of Smith, Asnodkar and Tanvir, who was sent in by the captain of Rajasthan Royals, Warne, and applied brakes on the scoring rate of the Royals. Tanvir was sent in to keep the run rate going but the Sri Lankan pacer proved too good for the left hander.
Maharoof struck off consecutive balls to send the openers back to the dugout with 65 runs on the board. Just when Smith started to go after everything, a bowling change to bring on Maharoof clicked when Dhawan plucked the cherry from mid-air to break the opening wicket partnership of 65 quick runs. Next to go was the very explosive Swapnil Asnodkar who was caught at point by Manoj Tiwary.\
Earlier, riding on the explosive and unorthodox batting display, the Rajasthan Royals were off to a flier in the first semi-final against the Daredevils. Smith showed his class while Asnodkar displayed that external appearances are deceptive and unlike his height, he has oodles of talent and hitting prowess. The openers denied the bowling side any wicket and continued their onslaught in customary fashion.
The captain of the Delhi Daredevils, Virender Sehwag, won the toss in the first semi-final of the lucrative and extravagant Indian Premier League and invited his contemporary, Shane Warne, to bat first.
Rajasthan have come into the semis after a huge loss at the hands of the Kings XI Punjab, another team in the semi-finals. Delhi, on the other hand, have had their share of luck in reaching the top four with Mumbai Indians playing a major role.
Both the teams have met twice prior to this in the tournament and are tied 1-1. Rajasthan were thrashed in their very first game when they were torn apart by lethal bowling by McGrath and co. but the Royals avenged their defeat and beat the Daredevils chasing 157 in the later stage of the tournament riding on a fabulous 74 by Shane Watson.
Smith, Tanvir and Warne will all return for Rajasthan and Kamran Akmal misses out whereas Mohammad Asif is back for Delhi Daredevils in place of Geeves.
Shane Watson was adjudged the man of the match for his brilliant all-round performance whereas Yusuf Pathan was awarded with a cheque for the DLF maximum sixes. He clobbered four of them.
Watson top scored for the Rajasthan Royals with a 29 ball 52 while Yusuf Pathan clobbered the Daredevils for four monstrous hits over the fence and three to it to score 45 runs off just 21 balls. The two hard hitting batsmen capitalised on the rock solid platform laid down by Asnodkar and Smith. Both the openers scored 39 and 25 off 21 balls each. Maharoof was the pick of the bowlers for Delhi as he claimed 3 wickets to rattle the Royal’s top order.
Mohammad Asif looked like an inexperienced player when he was run out due to his non-presence of mind. He did not follow the ball and was casually returning to the crease when a crashing throw came into the hands of Rawat who clipped off theh bails before Asif could put the willow in the crease. This was the end of the Daredevil carnival in the inaugural Indian Premier League.
Yo Mahesh fell prey to a Munaf Patel bouncer which was safely taken by the Royal wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat. The decision came pretty late from umpire Rudi Koertzen as he was confused whether the ball had hit Yomi on the glove or not. The replays, however, showed that the ball had hit the shoulder of the batsman.
Munaf Patel returned to his second spell only to castle Amit Mishra for a score of 2 runs of 5 balls. A lazy drive off the pads did not click and Mishra’s furniture was displaced by the Indian pacer to reduce the Daredevils down to eight wickets.
Shane Warne joined the party as he claimed two quick wickets to celebrate the Delhi Daredevil downfall. He claimed Farveez Maharoof and Tilakaratne Dilshan in the same over to wipe any hopes of a win for the Daredevils. Warne smiled while Delhi mourned the loss of their Sri Lankan duo.
Kaif showed why he is considered one of the best fielders in international cricket when he took a beauty to strangle Delhi Daredevils by claiming Dinesh Karthik off Siddhartha Trivedi. Although Karthik seemed to hit the ball from the meat of the blade, Kaif’s athleticism got the better of the Delhi batsman. The Daredevils were reduced to 55 for the loss of five wickets with Karthik’s dismissal.
Little man Asnodkar took a simple catch off the bowling of Munaf Patel to dismiss Manoj Tiwary for a duck. Tiwary fell in the form of the fourth wicket for the Daredevils and Delhi, for any hopes of making it to the finals of the Indian Premier League, required a huge partnership from Dilshan and Karthik.
Shane Watson claimed three on the trot when he induced Shikhar Dhawan into a mistimed pull shot off a slower short delivery only to be caught by Ravinder Jadeja at mid wicket. It seemed like everything that Watson touched was turning into gold. He had earlier scored a fabulous half century for his team.
The substitute for Smith, Taruwar Kohli, pulled off a stunner to dismiss the in-form Gautam Gambhir off Shane Watson who took his second wicket of the match. Frustration seemed to get on to the Delhi opener who perished in an attempt to up the tempo.
Sohail Tanvir ran almost 30 metres to catch the dangerous Virender Sehwag off Shane Watson. Watson was more than delighted to scalp the Daredevil captain as he could well have made the difference between the two teams. Sehwag perished in an attempt to hook the Australian for the maximum.
The last over proved to be one of the best of the innings for Delhi Daredevils as Mohammad Asif held his nerve and showed class to give only four runs off the 20th over. He caught Rawat off his own bowling in the same over and Yusuf Pathan’s assault was also arrested when Dinesh Karthik collected an accurate throw from Dilshan in the deep to catch Pathan well short of his crease. The Rajasthan Royals finished at 192/9. Related Stories.
Yo Mahesh contributed with two quick wickets after missing a couple of catches to bring the Rajasthan’s juggernaut to a minor halt. Sehwag puuled off a blinder to dismiss the Royals captain Shane Warne and Ravinder Jadeja was caught by Maharoof off Yomi to complete a double. However, Yusuf Pathan remained unaffected and continued his slaughter.
Amit Mishra deceived Shane Watson and rattled the right hander’s stumps to send half the Royal team back to the dugout. Mishra took two of the five till the 16th over.
Mishra joined in the party as he scalped Mohammad Kaif when he rattled batsman’s furniture. Kaif played across the line and missed to hear the jangle of the stumps. The in-form and just selected for the Bangladesh tri-series, Yusuf Pathan joined Shane Watson at the crease.
The loss of the top order seemed to have no effect on Shane Watson, the hard hitting batsman of Rajasthan Royals. He blew the Daredevil bowling smashing them for fours and sixes with Mohammad Kaif at the other end only seeing his Australian partner at his brutal best.
Prior to this, Maharoof became the Daredevil’s saviour as he struck thrice in his two overs and scalped the wickets of Smith, Asnodkar and Tanvir, who was sent in by the captain of Rajasthan Royals, Warne, and applied brakes on the scoring rate of the Royals. Tanvir was sent in to keep the run rate going but the Sri Lankan pacer proved too good for the left hander.
Maharoof struck off consecutive balls to send the openers back to the dugout with 65 runs on the board. Just when Smith started to go after everything, a bowling change to bring on Maharoof clicked when Dhawan plucked the cherry from mid-air to break the opening wicket partnership of 65 quick runs. Next to go was the very explosive Swapnil Asnodkar who was caught at point by Manoj Tiwary.\
Earlier, riding on the explosive and unorthodox batting display, the Rajasthan Royals were off to a flier in the first semi-final against the Daredevils. Smith showed his class while Asnodkar displayed that external appearances are deceptive and unlike his height, he has oodles of talent and hitting prowess. The openers denied the bowling side any wicket and continued their onslaught in customary fashion.
The captain of the Delhi Daredevils, Virender Sehwag, won the toss in the first semi-final of the lucrative and extravagant Indian Premier League and invited his contemporary, Shane Warne, to bat first.
Rajasthan have come into the semis after a huge loss at the hands of the Kings XI Punjab, another team in the semi-finals. Delhi, on the other hand, have had their share of luck in reaching the top four with Mumbai Indians playing a major role.
Both the teams have met twice prior to this in the tournament and are tied 1-1. Rajasthan were thrashed in their very first game when they were torn apart by lethal bowling by McGrath and co. but the Royals avenged their defeat and beat the Daredevils chasing 157 in the later stage of the tournament riding on a fabulous 74 by Shane Watson.
Smith, Tanvir and Warne will all return for Rajasthan and Kamran Akmal misses out whereas Mohammad Asif is back for Delhi Daredevils in place of Geeves.
Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils, 1st semi-final, IPL
Watson! Watson!
Crowd favourite: Half an hour before the first semi-final, the Wankhede was only about half full. An hour into the game the crowd, now packed to the rafters, was screaming "Watson, Watson" as he smashed Delhi's bowlers to all parts of the ground. Mumbai has been known to cheer only their own but two neutral teams contesting the semi-final meant that the fans could cheer for the excellent cricket, irrespective of who was playing it.
VIP treatment: The union railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav arrived for the match surrounded by a throng of commandos who wanted to sit next to him to guard him. However, the MCA officials, owners of the VVIP box that sits atop the Garware Pavilion, objected and tempers had to be calmed by Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI chief operating officer. Lalit Modi was obviously irritated and was seen shaking his head.
Walking wounded: Graeme Smith was struggling with his leg and his footwork was severely restricted. Glenn McGrath tried to capitalise on the weakness but Smith countered by using his bottom hand to lift two consecutive deliveries for four to deep midwicket. McGrath then replied with a yorker which swung into Smith. Forgetting his injury for a moment, Smith punched hard at the ball, sending it racing to the long-off boundary before hobbling away to the side in pain.
Catch it right: The pull from Swapnil Asnodkar came in flat, fast, and above chest height towards Farveez Maharoof at deep fine leg. The thumb rule for catching at that height is to take it with hands cupped in front of the chest - the conventional way. Maharoof tried to catch it Aussie style - with fingers pointing upwards - and spilled it. The ball bounced off his hands, hit his face and went over the boundary for four.
Gambhir plays into Watson's hands: With the asking-rate climbing steadily, Gautam Gambhir, Delhi's best batsman, decided to force matters but failed repeatedly. He charged out of his crease to pull but was beaten by Watson's quick bouncer. He then tried to slash through covers but was beaten yet again. A second attempt at pulling also failed and when Gambhir finally connected with a fierce cut, he saw Taruwar Kohli dive to his right to pull off a stunning catch at cover.
Crowd favourite: Half an hour before the first semi-final, the Wankhede was only about half full. An hour into the game the crowd, now packed to the rafters, was screaming "Watson, Watson" as he smashed Delhi's bowlers to all parts of the ground. Mumbai has been known to cheer only their own but two neutral teams contesting the semi-final meant that the fans could cheer for the excellent cricket, irrespective of who was playing it.
VIP treatment: The union railways minister Lalu Prasad Yadav arrived for the match surrounded by a throng of commandos who wanted to sit next to him to guard him. However, the MCA officials, owners of the VVIP box that sits atop the Garware Pavilion, objected and tempers had to be calmed by Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI chief operating officer. Lalit Modi was obviously irritated and was seen shaking his head.
Walking wounded: Graeme Smith was struggling with his leg and his footwork was severely restricted. Glenn McGrath tried to capitalise on the weakness but Smith countered by using his bottom hand to lift two consecutive deliveries for four to deep midwicket. McGrath then replied with a yorker which swung into Smith. Forgetting his injury for a moment, Smith punched hard at the ball, sending it racing to the long-off boundary before hobbling away to the side in pain.
Catch it right: The pull from Swapnil Asnodkar came in flat, fast, and above chest height towards Farveez Maharoof at deep fine leg. The thumb rule for catching at that height is to take it with hands cupped in front of the chest - the conventional way. Maharoof tried to catch it Aussie style - with fingers pointing upwards - and spilled it. The ball bounced off his hands, hit his face and went over the boundary for four.
Gambhir plays into Watson's hands: With the asking-rate climbing steadily, Gautam Gambhir, Delhi's best batsman, decided to force matters but failed repeatedly. He charged out of his crease to pull but was beaten by Watson's quick bouncer. He then tried to slash through covers but was beaten yet again. A second attempt at pulling also failed and when Gambhir finally connected with a fierce cut, he saw Taruwar Kohli dive to his right to pull off a stunning catch at cover.
IPL 1st Semifinal: Delhi blown away, Rajasthan in final
Delhi Daredevils were blown away like leaves in a tropical storm as Rajasthan Royals stormed into the final of the IPL at the Wankhede Stadium.
The Royals had an inauspicious start to the game --- in the form of a hamstring injury to Graeme Smith --- but recovered in style with chunky contributions from the regular suspects --- Swapnil Asnodkar, Yusuf Pathan, Munaf Patel and Shane Warne himself. But the real star was Shane Watson whose 52 (29 balls) and 3-10 stood out.
Rajasthan made 192-9 after being put in, and 87 was all that Delhi could make. But Delhi's innings was done the moment Watson reduced them to 3-24 in the sixth over. Virender Sehwag's men caved in against the mounting run rate. With the ball, they had been wayward and had dropped as many as three catches.
Smith-Asnodkar at it again
The Royals' juggernaut has rolled on unstoppable, but it seemed for a moment that it would come to a halt tonight. Smith pulled his hamstring attempting a quick single in the second over. He was initially denied a runner, and for a couple of overs, the runs dried out.
However, Smith recovered from the blow, batted with a runner, and added 65 runs in quick time with his partner Swapnil Asnodkar to set the stage for Shane Watson and Yusuf Pathan, both of whom hurt Delhi bad in the last ten overs.
Rajasthan got off to a slow start --- 15 in three overs --- but it was important they saw off the opening spell by Glenn McGrath and Mohammad Asif. The wicket was hard and flat, and the aggressive openers cashed in.
Asnodkar led the way, hitting Asif over the covers to get going. Smith, on one leg, punched three fours on the trot in a McGrath over. But before the partnership bled Delhi to death, Ferveez Maharoof removed both in the seventh over.
Maharoof had dropped Asnodkar in the previous over at long leg, and he made amends. Smith fell to a catch at deep square leg and Asnodkar couldn't keep a cut shot down and hit it to point.
Watson, Yusuf carry on
Rajasthan's powerful allrounders have been in good form, and they made it count in a big game. Watson's 52 came in just 29 balls while Yusuf's 45 in 21. The two controlled the middle stages of the innings when Maharoof had taken three wickets in good time.
Watson was harsh on Yo Mahesh --- who has been quite miserly in the tournament --- and his third over went for 21 runs. Watson hit one six bang on the roof of the Sunil Gavaskar stand at midwicket in the over.
Yusuf was equally merciless on the bowlers. The highlight of the innings was the slower one he picked up from McGrath in the 19th over. The bat swung in a smooth motion, hitting the ball effortlessly into the crowd behind deep mid wicket.
Patchy performance from Delhi
Delhi had relied heavily on their seamers in the tournament but on Friday night, all didn't go to plan. No bowler was spared by Rajasthan and only Maharoof (3-34) had wickets to show. Besides there were three missed catches.
But the biggest disappointment for them was the collective failure of Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan. Delhi's three best batsmen in the IPL were consumed in one spell by Watson.
Sehwag top-edged a catch to fine leg, Gambhir fell to a stunning air-borne catch by Turuwar Kohli at cover, and Dhawan hit a short ball straight to square leg who didn't move an inch for the catch.
Manoj Tiwary miscued a pull off Munaf Patel, and Dinesh Karthik hit a full toss to Mohammad Kaif at midwicket, who tumbled to take a low catch on the boundary.
Maharoof slog-swept Warne to deep midwicket, while Tilakaratne Dilshan's slog sweep went to fine leg. The score read 76-7 but the game had been decided long before that.
Rajasthan will now face the winner of the Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab to be played on Saturday.
The Royals had an inauspicious start to the game --- in the form of a hamstring injury to Graeme Smith --- but recovered in style with chunky contributions from the regular suspects --- Swapnil Asnodkar, Yusuf Pathan, Munaf Patel and Shane Warne himself. But the real star was Shane Watson whose 52 (29 balls) and 3-10 stood out.
Rajasthan made 192-9 after being put in, and 87 was all that Delhi could make. But Delhi's innings was done the moment Watson reduced them to 3-24 in the sixth over. Virender Sehwag's men caved in against the mounting run rate. With the ball, they had been wayward and had dropped as many as three catches.
Smith-Asnodkar at it again
The Royals' juggernaut has rolled on unstoppable, but it seemed for a moment that it would come to a halt tonight. Smith pulled his hamstring attempting a quick single in the second over. He was initially denied a runner, and for a couple of overs, the runs dried out.
However, Smith recovered from the blow, batted with a runner, and added 65 runs in quick time with his partner Swapnil Asnodkar to set the stage for Shane Watson and Yusuf Pathan, both of whom hurt Delhi bad in the last ten overs.
Rajasthan got off to a slow start --- 15 in three overs --- but it was important they saw off the opening spell by Glenn McGrath and Mohammad Asif. The wicket was hard and flat, and the aggressive openers cashed in.
Asnodkar led the way, hitting Asif over the covers to get going. Smith, on one leg, punched three fours on the trot in a McGrath over. But before the partnership bled Delhi to death, Ferveez Maharoof removed both in the seventh over.
Maharoof had dropped Asnodkar in the previous over at long leg, and he made amends. Smith fell to a catch at deep square leg and Asnodkar couldn't keep a cut shot down and hit it to point.
Watson, Yusuf carry on
Rajasthan's powerful allrounders have been in good form, and they made it count in a big game. Watson's 52 came in just 29 balls while Yusuf's 45 in 21. The two controlled the middle stages of the innings when Maharoof had taken three wickets in good time.
Watson was harsh on Yo Mahesh --- who has been quite miserly in the tournament --- and his third over went for 21 runs. Watson hit one six bang on the roof of the Sunil Gavaskar stand at midwicket in the over.
Yusuf was equally merciless on the bowlers. The highlight of the innings was the slower one he picked up from McGrath in the 19th over. The bat swung in a smooth motion, hitting the ball effortlessly into the crowd behind deep mid wicket.
Patchy performance from Delhi
Delhi had relied heavily on their seamers in the tournament but on Friday night, all didn't go to plan. No bowler was spared by Rajasthan and only Maharoof (3-34) had wickets to show. Besides there were three missed catches.
But the biggest disappointment for them was the collective failure of Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan. Delhi's three best batsmen in the IPL were consumed in one spell by Watson.
Sehwag top-edged a catch to fine leg, Gambhir fell to a stunning air-borne catch by Turuwar Kohli at cover, and Dhawan hit a short ball straight to square leg who didn't move an inch for the catch.
Manoj Tiwary miscued a pull off Munaf Patel, and Dinesh Karthik hit a full toss to Mohammad Kaif at midwicket, who tumbled to take a low catch on the boundary.
Maharoof slog-swept Warne to deep midwicket, while Tilakaratne Dilshan's slog sweep went to fine leg. The score read 76-7 but the game had been decided long before that.
Rajasthan will now face the winner of the Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab to be played on Saturday.
IPL, 1st SF: Watson dominates in Royals win
MUMBAI- Shane Watson was the star of the first Indian Premier League semi-final as he steered the Rajasthan Royals to a 105-run win over the Delhi Daredevils.
Captain Shane Warne had feared a neutral venue could hamper the Royals, who topped the regular league table with 11 wins from 14 matches, but those concerns were quickly laid to rest by Watson as the Royals came through unscathed in a disappointingly one-sided affair.
The Australian all-rounder, who top-scored for the Royals with 52 off 29 deliveries, also dominated with the ball, dismissing the dangerous Virender Sehwag (three) and Gautam Ghambir (11) in quick succession to leave the Daredevils reeling.
Sehwag mis-timed a pull and was caught at deep square-leg by Sohail Tanvir, while Ghambir was caught in the covers while attempting a drive.
Those wickets coupled with that of Shikhar Dhawan (five) - Watson's third wicket - brought the Daredevils' chase to a standstill.
And when Dinesh Karthik (10) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) departed cheaply, it was all over bar the shouting.
Earlier Watson built impressively on the platform provided by openers Graeme Smith (25) and Swapnil Asnodkar (39) as the Royals finished with a competitive 192 for nine in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.
Asnodkar had stifled nerves at the start in typically explosive style as he put on 65 runs for the opening wicket with Smith.
The South African had seemed in considerable pain due to a hamstring injury and called for a runner in only the second over. But his stroke-making skills seemed unaffected as he hit Glenn McGrath for three consecutive boundaries in the third over.
The Daredevils had started with Mohammed Asif, just back from an elbow injury, but when the Pakistani proved expensive Farveez Maharoof was pressed into service.
The Sri Lankan delivered immediately, dismissing both openers, but those blows hardly stemmed the flow of runs.
Watson bailed his team out of trouble and together with a cameo from Yusuf Pathan (45) ensured a winning total for the Royals.
Captain Shane Warne had feared a neutral venue could hamper the Royals, who topped the regular league table with 11 wins from 14 matches, but those concerns were quickly laid to rest by Watson as the Royals came through unscathed in a disappointingly one-sided affair.
The Australian all-rounder, who top-scored for the Royals with 52 off 29 deliveries, also dominated with the ball, dismissing the dangerous Virender Sehwag (three) and Gautam Ghambir (11) in quick succession to leave the Daredevils reeling.
Sehwag mis-timed a pull and was caught at deep square-leg by Sohail Tanvir, while Ghambir was caught in the covers while attempting a drive.
Those wickets coupled with that of Shikhar Dhawan (five) - Watson's third wicket - brought the Daredevils' chase to a standstill.
And when Dinesh Karthik (10) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) departed cheaply, it was all over bar the shouting.
Earlier Watson built impressively on the platform provided by openers Graeme Smith (25) and Swapnil Asnodkar (39) as the Royals finished with a competitive 192 for nine in 20 overs after being asked to bat first.
Asnodkar had stifled nerves at the start in typically explosive style as he put on 65 runs for the opening wicket with Smith.
The South African had seemed in considerable pain due to a hamstring injury and called for a runner in only the second over. But his stroke-making skills seemed unaffected as he hit Glenn McGrath for three consecutive boundaries in the third over.
The Daredevils had started with Mohammed Asif, just back from an elbow injury, but when the Pakistani proved expensive Farveez Maharoof was pressed into service.
The Sri Lankan delivered immediately, dismissing both openers, but those blows hardly stemmed the flow of runs.
Watson bailed his team out of trouble and together with a cameo from Yusuf Pathan (45) ensured a winning total for the Royals.
Watson pilots Rajasthan Royals into IPL final
Riding on a brilliant all-round display by Shane Watson, the ruthless Rajasthan Royals crushed Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in a lop-sided semifinal to storm into the final of the Indian Premier League in Mumbai last night.
Watson powered his way to a 29-ball 52 with three sixes and four fours in his team's challenging total of 192 for nine after league table toppers Rajasthan Royals were asked to take first strike by Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.
Later, Watson ripped out the top-order of Delhi with a triple strike to account for the top three Delhi batsmen Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply to reduce them to 24 for three.
Delhi never recovered from this early body blows and lost wickets at regular intervals while the asking rate kept climbing before they were shot out for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.
Rajasthan Royals now await the winners of the second semifinal, to be played at the same venue tomorrow between Punjab King's XI and Chennai Super Kings, in the final to be played at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on June 1.
If Watson stole the major honours of the day, teammate Yusuf Pathan also played a key role and celebrated his Team India inclusion with a whirlwind 45 in 21 balls with four sixes and three fours.
The hard-hitting Pathan, named in the Indian 15 for next month's tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan earlier in the day, creamed the hapless Delhi attack, which included Glenn McGrath, to hit four sixes and three fours in his 21-ball knock.
Both Watson and Pathan took ample advantage of the good half century start provided by pint-sized opener Swapnil Asnodkar (39 in 21 balls) and Graeme Smith, who made 25 in the same number of balls despite being hampered by a pulled leg muscle which required a runner.
The efforts of Watson and Pathan helped Rajasthan Royals add 109 runs in the last 10 overs after the sound beginning provided by Smith and Asnodkar who put on 65 runs in 40 balls.
Delhi began the run-chase on a poor note when Sehwag (3) pulled a ball wide of the stumps from Watson and skied to deep mid-wicket in the second over.
Gambhir (11) and left-handed Dhawan (5), both in good form in the tournament, perished in close succession after enabling Delhi to make a partial recovery.
Gambhir slashed Watson off back foot and was caught at cover point while Dhawan pulled the Aussie straight to short mid-wicket to leave Delhi gasping at 24 for three.
Watson's first three-over spell read a superb three for 10 and if Delhi had hopes of staging a fight-back they were thwarted by the dismissal of Manoj Tiwary (0), four runs later, off Munaf Patel.
It was a regular procession of batsmen thereafter and Rajasthan emerged victorious in comprehensive fashion.
Tillakratne Dilshan top-scored with 33 in 22 balls -- with a six and five fours -- before being seventh out at 76 in the 13th over.
Apart from Watson, Munaf (3 for 17), who was omitted from the ODI squads for Bangladesh and Pakistan, and skipper Warne (2 for 21) were the other leading wicket takers for Rajasthan Royals.
Watson was the obvious choice for the Man of the Match award.
Watson powered his way to a 29-ball 52 with three sixes and four fours in his team's challenging total of 192 for nine after league table toppers Rajasthan Royals were asked to take first strike by Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.
Later, Watson ripped out the top-order of Delhi with a triple strike to account for the top three Delhi batsmen Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply to reduce them to 24 for three.
Delhi never recovered from this early body blows and lost wickets at regular intervals while the asking rate kept climbing before they were shot out for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.
Rajasthan Royals now await the winners of the second semifinal, to be played at the same venue tomorrow between Punjab King's XI and Chennai Super Kings, in the final to be played at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on June 1.
If Watson stole the major honours of the day, teammate Yusuf Pathan also played a key role and celebrated his Team India inclusion with a whirlwind 45 in 21 balls with four sixes and three fours.
The hard-hitting Pathan, named in the Indian 15 for next month's tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan earlier in the day, creamed the hapless Delhi attack, which included Glenn McGrath, to hit four sixes and three fours in his 21-ball knock.
Both Watson and Pathan took ample advantage of the good half century start provided by pint-sized opener Swapnil Asnodkar (39 in 21 balls) and Graeme Smith, who made 25 in the same number of balls despite being hampered by a pulled leg muscle which required a runner.
The efforts of Watson and Pathan helped Rajasthan Royals add 109 runs in the last 10 overs after the sound beginning provided by Smith and Asnodkar who put on 65 runs in 40 balls.
Delhi began the run-chase on a poor note when Sehwag (3) pulled a ball wide of the stumps from Watson and skied to deep mid-wicket in the second over.
Gambhir (11) and left-handed Dhawan (5), both in good form in the tournament, perished in close succession after enabling Delhi to make a partial recovery.
Gambhir slashed Watson off back foot and was caught at cover point while Dhawan pulled the Aussie straight to short mid-wicket to leave Delhi gasping at 24 for three.
Watson's first three-over spell read a superb three for 10 and if Delhi had hopes of staging a fight-back they were thwarted by the dismissal of Manoj Tiwary (0), four runs later, off Munaf Patel.
It was a regular procession of batsmen thereafter and Rajasthan emerged victorious in comprehensive fashion.
Tillakratne Dilshan top-scored with 33 in 22 balls -- with a six and five fours -- before being seventh out at 76 in the 13th over.
Apart from Watson, Munaf (3 for 17), who was omitted from the ODI squads for Bangladesh and Pakistan, and skipper Warne (2 for 21) were the other leading wicket takers for Rajasthan Royals.
Watson was the obvious choice for the Man of the Match award.
Rajasthan trounce Delhi to enter final
Shane Watson did the star turn as Rajasthan Royals stormed into the final of the Indian Premier League , beating Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in the first semi-final at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Friday night.
The Australia all-rounder first hit a breezy 52 as the Royals put up a challenging 192 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs and then destroyed the Delhi top order.
In a triple strike he had the top three Delhi batsmen -- Virender Sehwag , Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan -- dismissed cheaply.
Reduced to 24 for 3, Delhi never recovered and lost wickets at regular intervals. Watson finished with figures of 3 for 10 in three overs as Delhi Daredevils were dismissed for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.
Munaf Patel , who was omitted from the ODI squads for Bangladesh and Pakistan tours, claimed 3 for 16 and Shane Warne 2 for 21 to hasten Rajasthan's passage to the final.
Rajasthan Royals take on the winners of Saturday's second semi-final between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings .
Delhi began their run-chase on a poor note as Sehwag (3) pulled a ball wide of the stumps from Watson and was caught by Sohail Tanvir at deep mid-wicket in the second over.
Gambhir (11) and left-handed Dhawan (5), who both showed good form earlier in the tournament, perished in quick succession after enabling Delhi make a partial recovery.
Gambhir slashed Watson off backfoot and was caught at cover point while Dhawan pulled the Aussie straight to short mid-wicket to leave Delhi gasping at 24 for three.
Watson's first three-over spell read a superb three for 10 and if Delhi had hopes of staging a fight-back they were thwarted by the dismissal of Manoj Tiwary (0), four runs later, off Munaf Patel.
It was a regular procession of batsmen thereafter.
Tillakratne Dilshan top-scored with 33 in 22 balls -- inclusive of a six and five fours -- before being seventh out at 76 in the 13th over.
Earlier, Yusuf Pathan celebrated his Team India inclusion with a whirlwind 45. The hard-hitting Pathan, named in the Indian 15 for next month's tri-series in Bangladesh and Asia Cup in Pakistan earlier in the day, creamed the hapless Delhi attack, which included Glenn McGrath, hitting four sixes and three fours in his 21-ball knock.
The 25-year-old Baroda all-rounder took over the attacking reins from all-rounder Watson, who stroked his way to a fine half century in 29 balls, including four sixes and three fours, after openers Graeme Smith (25 in 21 balls) and Swapnil Asnodkar (39 in 21 balls) launched the innings on a sound note.
Watson and Pathan's efforts helped Rajasthan Royals add 109 runs in the last 10 overs after Smith and the pint-sized Asnodkar put on 65 runs in 40 balls at the start.
Watson was involved in a breezy 52 runs partnership off 29 balls with Mohd Kaif (12) after Rajasthan Royals suddenly slipped to 76 for 3 from 65 without loss.
The innings started slowly as Smith was hampered by a pulled muscle while going for a run. But Asnodkar, who often took the aerial route and hit a six and six fours, boosted the run-rate.
The right-hander, after edging McGrath for his first four in the third over, struck Mohd Asif for three fours in the fourth over -- a slash, a lofted off drive and a hook ? to give the innings the much-needed push.
Smith then took over and slammed McGrath for three consecutive fours as the score raced to 43 for no loss in five overs.
Asnodkar had a lucky escape off the first ball of V Yo Mahesh's spell when Farveez Maharoof dropped a sitter at long leg. He celebrated the escape by swinging the same bowler to the same area for a six to raise the 50 of the innings in only 33 balls.
Maharoof made amends by sending back both the Rajasthan openers with the last three balls of his first over.
Smith was caught flicking at deep square leg by a diving Shikhar Dhawan and then Asnodkar was dismissed at the same score of 65, caught at backward point off the Sri Lankan.
Maharoof also accounted for Sohail Tanvir, promoted up the order by his skipper, Shane Warne, as a pinch-hitter, when he miscued a swing to leg and the ball ballooned behind to stumper Dinesh Karthik .
From 65 for no loss, Rajasthan were reduced to 76 for three in the space of 14 balls. But the arrival of Watson brought about another run-spree as the Aussie slammed Yo Mahesh for a four and two sixes in his third over after change of ends to raise the 100 in 65 balls after the first ten overs had yielded 83 runs.
Watson then lofted leg spinner Amit Mishra for a six over long on to keep the scoring on a healthy note by adding 52 runs in 29 balls for the fourth wicket with Kaif to take the total past 125.
Kaif looked out of touch and was clean bowled when he tried a leg side heave off Mishra and missed the ball completely.
Pathan commenced his innings in whirlwind fashion by hoisting Mishra for successive sixes. Later he hit McGrath for a flat six over long on before being run out while going for the second run.
The track did not offer the pace bowlers the same sort of bounce and pace that was evident in previous matches held at the same stadium. Asif was carted around for 21 runs in his first two overs while McGrath gave away 22 in his first three.
Yo Mahesh proved very expensive and gave away 50 runs for two late wickets in his four overs.
Maharoof took three for 34 to emerge as the most successful bowler while Mishra claimed 2 for 37.
The Australia all-rounder first hit a breezy 52 as the Royals put up a challenging 192 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs and then destroyed the Delhi top order.
In a triple strike he had the top three Delhi batsmen -- Virender Sehwag , Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan -- dismissed cheaply.
Reduced to 24 for 3, Delhi never recovered and lost wickets at regular intervals. Watson finished with figures of 3 for 10 in three overs as Delhi Daredevils were dismissed for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.
Munaf Patel , who was omitted from the ODI squads for Bangladesh and Pakistan tours, claimed 3 for 16 and Shane Warne 2 for 21 to hasten Rajasthan's passage to the final.
Rajasthan Royals take on the winners of Saturday's second semi-final between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings .
Delhi began their run-chase on a poor note as Sehwag (3) pulled a ball wide of the stumps from Watson and was caught by Sohail Tanvir at deep mid-wicket in the second over.
Gambhir (11) and left-handed Dhawan (5), who both showed good form earlier in the tournament, perished in quick succession after enabling Delhi make a partial recovery.
Gambhir slashed Watson off backfoot and was caught at cover point while Dhawan pulled the Aussie straight to short mid-wicket to leave Delhi gasping at 24 for three.
Watson's first three-over spell read a superb three for 10 and if Delhi had hopes of staging a fight-back they were thwarted by the dismissal of Manoj Tiwary (0), four runs later, off Munaf Patel.
It was a regular procession of batsmen thereafter.
Tillakratne Dilshan top-scored with 33 in 22 balls -- inclusive of a six and five fours -- before being seventh out at 76 in the 13th over.
Earlier, Yusuf Pathan celebrated his Team India inclusion with a whirlwind 45. The hard-hitting Pathan, named in the Indian 15 for next month's tri-series in Bangladesh and Asia Cup in Pakistan earlier in the day, creamed the hapless Delhi attack, which included Glenn McGrath, hitting four sixes and three fours in his 21-ball knock.
The 25-year-old Baroda all-rounder took over the attacking reins from all-rounder Watson, who stroked his way to a fine half century in 29 balls, including four sixes and three fours, after openers Graeme Smith (25 in 21 balls) and Swapnil Asnodkar (39 in 21 balls) launched the innings on a sound note.
Watson and Pathan's efforts helped Rajasthan Royals add 109 runs in the last 10 overs after Smith and the pint-sized Asnodkar put on 65 runs in 40 balls at the start.
Watson was involved in a breezy 52 runs partnership off 29 balls with Mohd Kaif (12) after Rajasthan Royals suddenly slipped to 76 for 3 from 65 without loss.
The innings started slowly as Smith was hampered by a pulled muscle while going for a run. But Asnodkar, who often took the aerial route and hit a six and six fours, boosted the run-rate.
The right-hander, after edging McGrath for his first four in the third over, struck Mohd Asif for three fours in the fourth over -- a slash, a lofted off drive and a hook ? to give the innings the much-needed push.
Smith then took over and slammed McGrath for three consecutive fours as the score raced to 43 for no loss in five overs.
Asnodkar had a lucky escape off the first ball of V Yo Mahesh's spell when Farveez Maharoof dropped a sitter at long leg. He celebrated the escape by swinging the same bowler to the same area for a six to raise the 50 of the innings in only 33 balls.
Maharoof made amends by sending back both the Rajasthan openers with the last three balls of his first over.
Smith was caught flicking at deep square leg by a diving Shikhar Dhawan and then Asnodkar was dismissed at the same score of 65, caught at backward point off the Sri Lankan.
Maharoof also accounted for Sohail Tanvir, promoted up the order by his skipper, Shane Warne, as a pinch-hitter, when he miscued a swing to leg and the ball ballooned behind to stumper Dinesh Karthik .
From 65 for no loss, Rajasthan were reduced to 76 for three in the space of 14 balls. But the arrival of Watson brought about another run-spree as the Aussie slammed Yo Mahesh for a four and two sixes in his third over after change of ends to raise the 100 in 65 balls after the first ten overs had yielded 83 runs.
Watson then lofted leg spinner Amit Mishra for a six over long on to keep the scoring on a healthy note by adding 52 runs in 29 balls for the fourth wicket with Kaif to take the total past 125.
Kaif looked out of touch and was clean bowled when he tried a leg side heave off Mishra and missed the ball completely.
Pathan commenced his innings in whirlwind fashion by hoisting Mishra for successive sixes. Later he hit McGrath for a flat six over long on before being run out while going for the second run.
The track did not offer the pace bowlers the same sort of bounce and pace that was evident in previous matches held at the same stadium. Asif was carted around for 21 runs in his first two overs while McGrath gave away 22 in his first three.
Yo Mahesh proved very expensive and gave away 50 runs for two late wickets in his four overs.
Maharoof took three for 34 to emerge as the most successful bowler while Mishra claimed 2 for 37.
Royals continue their ruthless march
MUMBAI, PTI: Riding on a brilliant all-round display by Shane Watson, the ruthless Rajasthan Royals crushed Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in a lop-sided semi-final to storm into the final of the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Watson powered his way to a 29-ball 52 with three sixes and four fours in his team's challenging total of 192 for nine after league table toppers Rajasthan Royals were asked to take first strike by Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.
Later, Watson ripped out the top-order of Delhi with a triple strike to account for the top three Delhi batsmen Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply to reduce them to 24 for three.
Delhi never recovered from this early body blows and lost wickets at regular intervals while the asking rate kept climbing before they were shot out for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.
Watson powered his way to a 29-ball 52 with three sixes and four fours in his team's challenging total of 192 for nine after league table toppers Rajasthan Royals were asked to take first strike by Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.
Later, Watson ripped out the top-order of Delhi with a triple strike to account for the top three Delhi batsmen Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply to reduce them to 24 for three.
Delhi never recovered from this early body blows and lost wickets at regular intervals while the asking rate kept climbing before they were shot out for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.
Delhi drubbed as Watson steers Jaipur into the finals
Mumbai: The much anticipated clash turned out to be a no-contest as Jaipur stormed into the finals of the Indian Premier league with a comprehensive 105-run win against Delhi on Friday.
Virender Sehwag after electing to field was pushed on to the back-foot early in the game and he was forced to stay there for the entire match as Jaipur walked all over Delhi, first with the bat and then with the ball. Shane Watson (52 and three for 10) was once again the hero of the show as he top-scored for Jaipur and then took three wickets to rip the heart out of Delhi’s batting.
After posting a mammoth 192-9 with some audacious strokeplay, Jaipur’s bowlers were on the money from the word go and it took all of 16 overs to knock-out Delhi for a paltry 87.
Delhi buckle under pressure
A stiff 193-run target was always going to be a mountain to climb for Delhi but once they had lost their top three for 24 runs, the task was too demanding for the middle-order. Watson broke Delhi's backbone when he sent back Sehwag (three), Gautam Gambhir (11) and Shikhar Dhawan (five) with just 24 runs on the board.
And it was always going to be downhill from there as Manoj Tiwary (zero), Farveez Maharoof (six) and Dinesh Karthik (10) failed to put on a fight. Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) stood his ground for a while but he too crumbled under pressure. Eventually, the game finished on humiliating lines for Delhi as they lost their last five wickets for just 12 runs.
Munaf Patel (three for 17) and Warne (two for 20) along with Watson proved too hot to handle as Jaipur booked a much deserved spot in the final two.
Jaipur willows flow and flourish
Though Delhi managed regular breakthroughs but they could not halt Jaipur’s surge, who never allowed the scoring-rate to sag. And it was once again Jaipur’s men-in-form who came good in the crunch game. Graeme Smith (26), Swapnil Asnodkar (39), Watson (52) and Pathan (45), all came to the party at a belter in Wankhede to give Delhi a mountain to climb.
The Jaipur batsmen pulled out everything from the drawer as audacious strokeplay along with chancy shots kept the score moving at a neck-break speed. And if it was not for a superb last over by Mohammad Asif, the target for Delhi could have been well over 200.
Blazing beginning
Smith pulled a hamstring while taking a quick run and was almost run out. But the injury turned to be a boon for Jaipur as the southpaw opened his shoulders to smash the Delhi attack. Even the ever-reliable Glenn McGrath was taken to the cleaners as Smith bludgeoned three consecutive boundaries in the Aussie’s third over.
Asnodkar from the other end was his blazing self, manufacturing some of the most astounding shots. After being dropped by Farveez Maharoof off Yo Mahesh’s first ball, Asnodkar smacked the first six of the game two deliveries later.
And just when it seemed the Jaipur openers will run away with the game, Maharoof redeemed himself for the dropped catch.
Maharoof turns it around
With bowlers getting flayed all over, it took brilliance in the field for Delhi to bounce back in the game. Smith’s cameo came to an end when Shikhar Dhawan took a blinder in the deep and one ball later Asnodkar’s fierce square-cut sent the ball right down Manoj Tiwarys' throat.
Jaipur’s surprise move to send Sohail Tanvir (five) failed as the Pakistan player could manage only one lusty blow before he became Maharoof’s third victim.
Watson whacks, Pathan pounds
But Delhi lost the momentum as quickly as they had gained it. Watson came to the middle with all guns blazing. The all-rounder in a space of two overs pounded three towering sixes as the Delhi bowlers ran for cover. Yo Mahesh, who gave away 50 runs in his full quota, was taken for 21 in the 11th over.
After Kaif was bowled by Amit Mishra for 12, Pathan joined Watson and from there began a tremendous surge by Jaipur. The duo went for everything with not the slightest of inhibition in their batting.
Pathan was at his powerful best, striking the ball as cleanly as ever and clearing the boundary ropes with far too much ease for Virender Sehwag’s comfort.
With Jaipur piling on the runs, Watson went on the all-attack mode and after a 28-ball 52, Mishra finally cleaned up the Aussie. But Pathan was in no mood to relent as the audacious Pathan took McGrath for 16 in the pacer's last over. The hard-hitting player hit three boundaries and four sixes in his 21-ball knock till he was run out in the last over of the innings.
Virender Sehwag after electing to field was pushed on to the back-foot early in the game and he was forced to stay there for the entire match as Jaipur walked all over Delhi, first with the bat and then with the ball. Shane Watson (52 and three for 10) was once again the hero of the show as he top-scored for Jaipur and then took three wickets to rip the heart out of Delhi’s batting.
After posting a mammoth 192-9 with some audacious strokeplay, Jaipur’s bowlers were on the money from the word go and it took all of 16 overs to knock-out Delhi for a paltry 87.
Delhi buckle under pressure
A stiff 193-run target was always going to be a mountain to climb for Delhi but once they had lost their top three for 24 runs, the task was too demanding for the middle-order. Watson broke Delhi's backbone when he sent back Sehwag (three), Gautam Gambhir (11) and Shikhar Dhawan (five) with just 24 runs on the board.
And it was always going to be downhill from there as Manoj Tiwary (zero), Farveez Maharoof (six) and Dinesh Karthik (10) failed to put on a fight. Tillakaratne Dilshan (33) stood his ground for a while but he too crumbled under pressure. Eventually, the game finished on humiliating lines for Delhi as they lost their last five wickets for just 12 runs.
Munaf Patel (three for 17) and Warne (two for 20) along with Watson proved too hot to handle as Jaipur booked a much deserved spot in the final two.
Jaipur willows flow and flourish
Though Delhi managed regular breakthroughs but they could not halt Jaipur’s surge, who never allowed the scoring-rate to sag. And it was once again Jaipur’s men-in-form who came good in the crunch game. Graeme Smith (26), Swapnil Asnodkar (39), Watson (52) and Pathan (45), all came to the party at a belter in Wankhede to give Delhi a mountain to climb.
The Jaipur batsmen pulled out everything from the drawer as audacious strokeplay along with chancy shots kept the score moving at a neck-break speed. And if it was not for a superb last over by Mohammad Asif, the target for Delhi could have been well over 200.
Blazing beginning
Smith pulled a hamstring while taking a quick run and was almost run out. But the injury turned to be a boon for Jaipur as the southpaw opened his shoulders to smash the Delhi attack. Even the ever-reliable Glenn McGrath was taken to the cleaners as Smith bludgeoned three consecutive boundaries in the Aussie’s third over.
Asnodkar from the other end was his blazing self, manufacturing some of the most astounding shots. After being dropped by Farveez Maharoof off Yo Mahesh’s first ball, Asnodkar smacked the first six of the game two deliveries later.
And just when it seemed the Jaipur openers will run away with the game, Maharoof redeemed himself for the dropped catch.
Maharoof turns it around
With bowlers getting flayed all over, it took brilliance in the field for Delhi to bounce back in the game. Smith’s cameo came to an end when Shikhar Dhawan took a blinder in the deep and one ball later Asnodkar’s fierce square-cut sent the ball right down Manoj Tiwarys' throat.
Jaipur’s surprise move to send Sohail Tanvir (five) failed as the Pakistan player could manage only one lusty blow before he became Maharoof’s third victim.
Watson whacks, Pathan pounds
But Delhi lost the momentum as quickly as they had gained it. Watson came to the middle with all guns blazing. The all-rounder in a space of two overs pounded three towering sixes as the Delhi bowlers ran for cover. Yo Mahesh, who gave away 50 runs in his full quota, was taken for 21 in the 11th over.
After Kaif was bowled by Amit Mishra for 12, Pathan joined Watson and from there began a tremendous surge by Jaipur. The duo went for everything with not the slightest of inhibition in their batting.
Pathan was at his powerful best, striking the ball as cleanly as ever and clearing the boundary ropes with far too much ease for Virender Sehwag’s comfort.
With Jaipur piling on the runs, Watson went on the all-attack mode and after a 28-ball 52, Mishra finally cleaned up the Aussie. But Pathan was in no mood to relent as the audacious Pathan took McGrath for 16 in the pacer's last over. The hard-hitting player hit three boundaries and four sixes in his 21-ball knock till he was run out in the last over of the innings.
Royals drub Daredevils, enter IPL final
Mumbai: Riding on a brilliant all-round display by Shane Watson, the ruthless Rajasthan Royals drubbed Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in a lop-sided semi-final to storm into the final of the Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday night.
Watson powered his way to a 29-ball 52 with three sixes and four fours in his team's challenging total of 192-9 after league table toppers Rajasthan Royals were asked to take first strike by Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.
Later, Watson ripped out the top-order of Delhi with a triple strike to account for the top three Delhi batsmen Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply to reduce them to 24-3.
Delhi never recovered from this early body blows and lost wickets at regular intervals while the asking rate kept climbing before they were shot out for a paltry 87 in 16.1 overs.
Rajasthan Royals now await the winners of the second semi-final, to be played at the same venue on Saturday between King's XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings, in the final to be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on June 1.
Watson powered his way to a 29-ball 52 with three sixes and four fours in his team's challenging total of 192-9 after league table toppers Rajasthan Royals were asked to take first strike by Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.
Later, Watson ripped out the top-order of Delhi with a triple strike to account for the top three Delhi batsmen Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply to reduce them to 24-3.
Delhi never recovered from this early body blows and lost wickets at regular intervals while the asking rate kept climbing before they were shot out for a paltry 87 in 16.1 overs.
Rajasthan Royals now await the winners of the second semi-final, to be played at the same venue on Saturday between King's XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings, in the final to be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on June 1.
Daredevils demolised by Royals
MUMBAI: Rajasthan Royals are worth $67 million — the cheapest franchisee in the Indian Premier League. They don’t have a coach. Their captain, an international cricket retiree, doubles up as both skipper and coach.
Graeme Smith, Sohail Tanvir and Shane Watson are the other big names in the team. The rest are little-known players.
It’s weird then that success has come in such measure to a team that was considered a ‘no-hoper’ before the start of the tournament a month ago. But then, in life as in cricket, winners aren’t always the strongest but the smartest.
On Friday, Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs to reach the final. Batting first after losing the toss, Royals posted a gargantuan score of 192 for 9. A fight was expected given that Delhi have Gautam Gambhir and captain Virender Sehwag opening the innings. But the Devils hardly dared and went out of the tournament with a whimper, getting all out for 87 off 16.1 overs. Shane Watson’s outstanding all-rounder performance had Delhi on the mat. The burly Aussie scored a powerful 52 and then topped it up by picking 3 wickets, giving away only 10 runs from his four overs.
While chasing, only three players from the Delhi team managed to get into double figures - Gambhir (11), Dinesh Karthik (10) and Tilakratne Dilshan (33). The Sri Lankan put up a bit of a fight in the middle overs. But it was just too little, too late.
For Royals, Munaf Patel was the other outstanding bowler, picking up 3 wickets while giving away only 17 runs. Captain Shane Warne was, as usual, inspirational both in his bowling and captaincy. He also had two wickets to show, though he got out first ball while batting.
Earlier, the Royals’ batting charge was led by two of their electric performers in the tournament, Watson and Yusuf Pathan. There has been very little on offer for the bowlers from the flat wickets during the IPL.
Delhi captain Sehwag, wanting to provide whatever little advantage he could to his bowlers, decided to bowl first after winning the toss. The Wankhede wicket has assisted the bowlers early on before easing out for the second half. But Viru’s plan didn’t work as the Royals seemed on a mission.
The effective opening pair of Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar put on 65 runs in 40 balls for the first wicket. Smith, who missed out the Royals’ last two games with a hamstring injury, was in visible pain and had to call for a runner as early as the second
over of the innings. He followed that up with some lusty blows to the fence.
But it was the diminutive Asnodkar who stole the show early on. The Goan’s uninhibited batting has been one of the highlights of the tournament. His 39 off 21 balls provided the Royals the momentum early on. He hit the great Glenn McGrath to the boundary for his first four of the innings, and then was particularly severe on Sri Lankan bowler Farveez Maharoof and Tamil Nadu speedster Yo Mahesh.
But three quick wickets checked the run-flow for the Royals before big-hitting Watson was joined by Pathan, two of the most effective and valuable players of the tournament. Both the sturdy all-rounders seem to be made for this form of cricket and took the Daredevils bowling to the cleaners.
Watson scored yet another half-century, his 52 coming off 29 balls which included three huge hits to the fence. Pathan deserved a fifty though he fell five runs short.
Graeme Smith, Sohail Tanvir and Shane Watson are the other big names in the team. The rest are little-known players.
It’s weird then that success has come in such measure to a team that was considered a ‘no-hoper’ before the start of the tournament a month ago. But then, in life as in cricket, winners aren’t always the strongest but the smartest.
On Friday, Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs to reach the final. Batting first after losing the toss, Royals posted a gargantuan score of 192 for 9. A fight was expected given that Delhi have Gautam Gambhir and captain Virender Sehwag opening the innings. But the Devils hardly dared and went out of the tournament with a whimper, getting all out for 87 off 16.1 overs. Shane Watson’s outstanding all-rounder performance had Delhi on the mat. The burly Aussie scored a powerful 52 and then topped it up by picking 3 wickets, giving away only 10 runs from his four overs.
While chasing, only three players from the Delhi team managed to get into double figures - Gambhir (11), Dinesh Karthik (10) and Tilakratne Dilshan (33). The Sri Lankan put up a bit of a fight in the middle overs. But it was just too little, too late.
For Royals, Munaf Patel was the other outstanding bowler, picking up 3 wickets while giving away only 17 runs. Captain Shane Warne was, as usual, inspirational both in his bowling and captaincy. He also had two wickets to show, though he got out first ball while batting.
Earlier, the Royals’ batting charge was led by two of their electric performers in the tournament, Watson and Yusuf Pathan. There has been very little on offer for the bowlers from the flat wickets during the IPL.
Delhi captain Sehwag, wanting to provide whatever little advantage he could to his bowlers, decided to bowl first after winning the toss. The Wankhede wicket has assisted the bowlers early on before easing out for the second half. But Viru’s plan didn’t work as the Royals seemed on a mission.
The effective opening pair of Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar put on 65 runs in 40 balls for the first wicket. Smith, who missed out the Royals’ last two games with a hamstring injury, was in visible pain and had to call for a runner as early as the second
over of the innings. He followed that up with some lusty blows to the fence.
But it was the diminutive Asnodkar who stole the show early on. The Goan’s uninhibited batting has been one of the highlights of the tournament. His 39 off 21 balls provided the Royals the momentum early on. He hit the great Glenn McGrath to the boundary for his first four of the innings, and then was particularly severe on Sri Lankan bowler Farveez Maharoof and Tamil Nadu speedster Yo Mahesh.
But three quick wickets checked the run-flow for the Royals before big-hitting Watson was joined by Pathan, two of the most effective and valuable players of the tournament. Both the sturdy all-rounders seem to be made for this form of cricket and took the Daredevils bowling to the cleaners.
Watson scored yet another half-century, his 52 coming off 29 balls which included three huge hits to the fence. Pathan deserved a fifty though he fell five runs short.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
IPL Match 41: Kolkata v Chennai (Chennai Super Kings win via D/L method)
A floodlight disruption and a norwester curtailed a promising match, as Chennai Super Kings inched closer to a semi-final berth with a three-run victory against Kolkata Knight Riders via Duckworth-Lewis method in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday.
Replying to the Knight Riders' modest total of 149 for 5, that saw Super Kings pacer Makhaya Ntini get a hat-trick, the Chennai team were 55 without loss after eight overs, when a sudden burst of wind resulted in some of the bulbs in each of the four light towers conking off at the Eden Gardens.
The play was immediately halted and the situation turned worse as a norwester with high wind velocity raged accompanied by rains, tossing into the air the tarpaulin sheets, which had been brought in to cover the wicket and the outfield.
IPL - 41st Match - Kolkata KN v Chennai SK - Kolkata Batting (Chennai win by 3 runs, D/L method)
Not much is going right for Kolkata Knight Riders, and Sunday night was no different, as the heavens over Eden favoured the visitors.
Chennai Super Kings were 55 for no loss at the end of eight overs, chasing Kolkata's 149-5, and according to the D/L calculations, they needed 53 to win.
This gives Chennai two more points, which they looked like picking up anyway, had the match gone the full duration.
Stephen Fleming and Parthiv Patel negated the only weapon Kolkata had, making sure that the pace battery of Shoaib Akhtar and Ishant Sharma did not make any headway, and kept scoring at the pretty decent clip, which is what in the end culminated in another win for Chennai.
Fleming remained unbeaten on 32, and Patel on 19. Makhaya Ntini did his bit when Chennai fielded, as he returned figures of 4-21, including a hat-trick.
Shoaib didn't look half the bowler he normally does, and Sharma seems to be losing his edge, possibly because of overuse, and that showed.
Kolkata have lost their way and their frontline batsmen never really seemed to get things going, after the initial stages. Against Chennai Super Kings too, the wheels threatened to fall off the Kolkata wagon before Salman Butt and Debabrata Das combined well to give the bowlers at least something to bowl at.
In fact, Kolkata were looking good to score a pretty imposing total as Butt and Das got after the bowling, especially Muttiah Muralitharan, to put up 86 runs.
That was before Ntini returned, to remove Das and David Hussey off consecutive deliveries. The South African fast had also claimed Mohd Hafeez and Sourav Ganguly earlier, and returned figures of 4-21, which may well make a difference.
Earlier, Ganguly won the toss and decided to bat.
In this must-win match, Kolkata have left out Aakash Chopra, bringing in Debabrata Das. Chennai made two changes, replacing Chamara Kapugedera and Joginder Sharma with Parthiv Patel and Makhaya Ntini.
Both Kolkata and Chennai came into the game after humiliating defeats at the hands of Mumbai.
Teams:
Kolkata: Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez, Sourav Ganguly , David Hussey, Debabrata Das, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Wriddhiman Saha, Ajit Agarkar, Ishant Sharma, Ashoke Dinda, Shoaib Akhtar.
Chennai: S Vidyut, Stephen Fleming, Parthiv Patel, Suresh Raina, Subramaniam Badrinath, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Albie Morkel, Manpreet Gony, Laxmipathy Balaji, Muttiah Muralitharan, Makhaya Ntini.
IPL - 40th Match - Delhi DD v KXI Punjab - Delhi Batting (Kings XI beat Daredevils by 6 runs)
Invaluable unbeaten cameos from Mahela Jayawardene (36) and Luke Pomersbach (25) helped Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi Daredevils by six runs via Duckworth-Lewis system in a weather-truncated Indian Premier League tie here on Saturday.
Chasing a revised target of 123 in 11 overs, the Punjab side batted braving light drizzle early in their innings and eventually finished at 94 for three in eight overs when play was suspended with the visitors six runs ahead of the hosts.
Jayawardene's 17-ball 36 included three sixes and two fours, while Pomersbach's 25 came off 12 balls.
Earlier, Sehwag slammed an unbeaten half century as Delhi Daredevils finished on 118 for four in 11 overs. Sehwag's brief violent knock included two fours and five sixes, while Gautam Gambhir chipped in with a 28-ball 40.
IPL - 40th Match - Delhi DD v KXI Punjab - Punjab Batting (Mohali edge out Delhi by D/L method)
It was almost like the weather gods had conspired against Delhi as rain ensured Mohali their semi-final berth with Yuvraj Singh's men beating the home team by six runs on the Duckworth Lewis method at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground here on Saturday.
First, the Delhi innings was going great guns when rain broke down their momentum and a last ball six followed by abrupt rain during Mohali's run-chase ended matters on a somber note for Virender Sehwag's team, whose bid for a semi-final has now been severely jolted.
Chasing 119 in 11 overs, Mohali were 94-3 in eight overs when rain forced play to end, giving them their seventh win in the tournament. The win makes Mohali's place in the last four almost certain.
The heroes for Mohali were Mahela Jayawardene (36 off 17 balls) and Luke Pomersbach (25 off 12 balls) who put on an unbroken 63-run stand in just 27 balls. From a precarious, position the duo launched a brilliant counter-attack that toppled Delhi, who at one stage had the game in their grasp.
With Mohali requiring 29 runs in three overs, Jayawardene's six off Rajat Bhatia on the ball before it started pouring ended up as the decisive factor as it made sure that Mohali were ahead on the Duckworth Lewis method by as many runs.
After their skipper and Gautam Gambhir piled up the runs, Delhi started out well with the ball as they did with the bat. Glenn McGrath was at his accurate best, giving away only 18 runs in his two overs. After the dangerous Shaun Marsh (two) perished, Yuvraj Singh smashed a few lusty blows in his eight-ball 23 to give the much needed impetus to the run-chase.
And just when the Mohali skipper was all set to take the game away from Delhi, Farveez Maharoof took a brilliant catch in the deep to send back Yuvraj.
Delhi at that point of time were looking comfortably placed with Mohali needing more than 11 runs per over. But then Sehwag brought himself into the attack and that changed the entire complexion of the game. Jayawardene and Pomersbach took the off-spinner for 22 runs and swung back the match in their favour. A few more lusty blows from their willows followed and Mohali were ahead.
Delhi's innings was interrupted by rain and what began as a brilliant attack by the openers lost momentum. Sehwag led from the front and after two consecutive ducks in the tournament he was at his destructive best. Gautam Gambhir was in his element once again as the leading run scorer of the IPL bludgeoned 40 runs off just 28 balls.
Rain interrupted play when Delhi were galloping along at 94-1 in 8.1 overs. After a long delay, the game resumed ultimately and Delhi ended at 118-4 in the 11-overs-a-side affair, with Sehwag contributing a blazing 51 not out.
IPL Match 39th: Rajasthan v Bangalore - Rajasthan Batting (Rajasthan Royals maul Bangalore Royal by 65 runs)
JAIPUR: Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their pathetic show in the IPL as they plunged to a humiliating 65 run defeat against Rajasthan Royals at Sawai Mansingh stadium here on Saturday.
Chasing a challenging 198 to win, the visitors could manage just 132, largely built around skipper Rahul Dravid's brilliant unbeaten 75-run knock.
Dravid waged a losing battle as he smashed Yousuf Pathan for three sixes in the 17th over but it was too late by then as Bangalore batsmen let their team down once again.
The former Indian captain hit six fours and as many sixes in his innings.
The run chase of the Bangalore team began on a disastrous note as opener Jagdeesh Arunkumar was dismissed for a nought on the third ball of the first over by Sohail Tanvir.
Pakistani Misbah-ul-Haq then got a first ball duck on the second ball of the next over reducing the visitors to two for two.
It was important to get a partnership from here but Tanvir struck again to pile up the agony of the Bangalore team when he castled Virat Kohli (3).
The scorecard read five for three bringing skipper Cameron White to the crease.
Munaf Patel (2/21) picked up his second wicket on the last bowl of his spell when he sent back White (10) and Siddharth Trivedi plotted the fall of Jacques Kallis (20).
Skipper Shane Warne (3/23) joined the party when he took wickets of consecutive balls in his second over and then dismissed Zaheer Khan (1) off a stunning caught and bowled in the third.
IPL Match 39th : Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore Batting (Jaipur crush Bangalore by 65 runs)
The story of Bangalore's dismal run in the Indian Premier League continued as Jaipur came up with another impressive show at the Sawai Man Singh stadium to register a 65-run win on Saturday. With this game in the bag Jaipur have eight wins in 10 games and have now qualified for the semi-finals. After posting 197-1, Jaipur restricted Bangalore to 132-9 with Rahul Dravid's heroic knock going in vain.
After asked to take first strike by Dravid, it was an almost perfect outing for Jaipur as their top-order clicked, taking them to the imposing total without breaking into a sweat. A century stand by the openers and a blazing knock by the in-form Shane Watson ensured Bangalore had to play out of their skins for their elusive third win.
Chasing the daunting target, Bangalore were out of contention within minutes of their run-chase. Sohail Tanvir (three for 10) and Munaf Patel (two for 21) removed the brittle top-order in no time and it was always going to be a no-contest after the visitors had lost three wickets and lingered at a run-rate less than four. But Dravid scored a fighting 75 that comprised six boundaries and as many sixes in his gritty 36-ball knock but it was never going to be enough to challenge Jaipur's royal total.
An overambitious shot by Arun Kumar (zero) saw him perish on the second ball of the innings. Misbah-ul-Haq (zero) miscued a pull off his first ball to give an easy catch at mid-on. Virat Kohli (two) was cleaned up by Tanvir, Bangalore tottering at 5-3. Cameron White (10) hung on for a while till he smashed one straight down long-on's throat. The visitors hardly came up with any successful attacking shots to slump to 38-4 in 10 overs, the asking-rate climbing to 16.
Skipper Shane Warne (three for 23) then got into his act. The spin wizard removed Devraj Patil (nine) and Praveen Kumar (zero) off successive deliveries and then took a stunning return catch to send back Zaheer Khan (one). The Bangalore skipper from the other end, clobbering Yousuf Pathan for three sixes in one over to score his second IPL half-century in 25 balls. His sparkling innings ensured his team went down with guns blazing as he bludgeoned the last ball of the game over the ropes.
After Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar put up 109 for the first wicket, Watson pounded an unbeaten 46 off 28 balls that included six fours. Smith anchored the innings brilliantly structuring a classy 49-ball 75 not out that had eight fours and two sixes.
Bangalore's decision to field was perhaps influenced by the Jaipur's 100 per cent chasing record. The two times Jaipur have been on the losing side in the tournament, against Delhi and Mumbai respectively, were both when they batted first. But unfortunately for the visitors, things went out of hand right from the onset.
Asnodkar and Smith flayed the Indian duo of Zaheer and Praveen and introduction of spin after the power-play didn't help either. Bangladesh left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, replacing spearhead Dale Steyn, was taken for 17 in his first over. The openers brought up the hundred in the 11th over.
Asnodkar (50) after smashing seven fours and one six in his second fifty of the tournament fell to Kumble, giving India's Test skipper his first wicket in the competition in his sixth game.
Friday, May 16, 2008
IPL 38th Match : Mumbai Indians Vs Kolkata Knight Riders
MUMBAI: Led by the redoubtable Shaun Pollock, the Mumbai Indians routed Kolkata Knight Riders for the lowest ever total in the Indian Premier League before racing to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory, their fifth in a row, at the Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.
Pollock snapped up 3 for 12 in four devastating overs to virtually flatten the visiting team before the other pace bowlers in the home team's attack provided the great South African all-rounder, retired from international cricket, some splendid support to skittle out the Sourav Ganguly-led Knight Riders for a pathetic-reading 67 in 15.2 overs.
Sanath Jayasuriya, who lashed Chennai Super Kings' attack while making a splendid 114 not out with eleven sixes and nine fours, continued in the same vein after being dropped off the first ball to make 48 not out (17 balls with six fours and three sixes) to help the hosts surge to a thumping win in only 5.2 overs.
Sachin Tendulkar (0) failed for the second match running, but Jayasuriya, who struck three sixes in one over off danger man Shoaib Akhtar, killed off any slender hopes of the visitors.
The comprehensive win brought the resurgent Mumbai Indians level on points (12 each) with the Kolkata team.
The hero of the day for Mumbai Indians was their pace attack spearheaded so well by Pollock who came up with a deadly spell on a helpful Wankhede Stadium track to rip the heart out of the Kolkata team.
Put in to bat, the Knight Riders were in dire straits, by losing half their side with only 29 on the board as the top-order was undone by some exceptional seam bowling on a bouncy and pacy track by Pollock, to a large extent, and his West Indian comrade-in-arms Dwayne Bravo.
MUMBAI: Led by the redoubtable Shaun Pollock, the Mumbai Indians routed Kolkata Knight Riders for the lowest ever total in the Indian Premier League before racing to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory, their fifth in a row, at the Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.
Pollock snapped up 3 for 12 in four devastating overs to virtually flatten the visiting team before the other pace bowlers in the home team's attack provided the great South African all-rounder, retired from international cricket, some splendid support to skittle out the Sourav Ganguly-led Knight Riders for a pathetic-reading 67 in 15.2 overs.
Sanath Jayasuriya, who lashed Chennai Super Kings' attack while making a splendid 114 not out with eleven sixes and nine fours, continued in the same vein after being dropped off the first ball to make 48 not out (17 balls with six fours and three sixes) to help the hosts surge to a thumping win in only 5.2 overs.
Sachin Tendulkar (0) failed for the second match running, but Jayasuriya, who struck three sixes in one over off danger man Shoaib Akhtar, killed off any slender hopes of the visitors.
The comprehensive win brought the resurgent Mumbai Indians level on points (12 each) with the Kolkata team.
The hero of the day for Mumbai Indians was their pace attack spearheaded so well by Pollock who came up with a deadly spell on a helpful Wankhede Stadium track to rip the heart out of the Kolkata team.
Put in to bat, the Knight Riders were in dire straits, by losing half their side with only 29 on the board as the top-order was undone by some exceptional seam bowling on a bouncy and pacy track by Pollock, to a large extent, and his West Indian comrade-in-arms Dwayne Bravo.
IPL Match 38 : Jaysuriya vs Shoaib (22 runs from 5 Balls)
Led by the redoubtable Shaun Pollock, the Mumbai Indians routed Kolkata Knight Riders for the lowest ever total in the Indian Premier League before racing to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory, their fifth in a row, at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday night.
Pollock snapped up 3 for 12 in four devastating overs to virtually flatten the visiting team before the other pace bowlers in the home team's attack provided the great South African all-rounder, retired from international cricket, some splendid support to skittle out the Sourav Ganguly-led Knight Riders for a pathetic-reading 67 in 15.2 overs.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
IPL Match 37th: Daredevils tame Chargers to snap losing streak (Afiridi getting slammed)
New Delhi: Amit Mishra registered the second hat-trick of the Indian Premier League as Delhi Daredevils staved off Deccan Chargers' audacious design for an upset win and eked out a nervy 12-run victory to snap their losing spree here on Thursday night.
Chasing 195, the lowly Deccans did not have a single match-winning knock but they put together a string of cameos to reach near the target before eventually folding up for 182 for nine.
Mishra removed Ravi Teja, Pragyan Ojha and RP SIngh off three successive balls in a dramatic last over to record the second hat-trick of the tournament. His figures read 4-0-17-5.
Earlier, twin half centuries from Gautam Gambhir (79) and Shikhar Dhawan (68 not out) powered Delhi Daredevils to an impressive 194 for 4.
Adam Gilchrist (14) and Shahid Afridi (33) walked in to spearhead the Deccan riposte and the swashbuckling duo looked in tremendous hurry to wrap up things. To make it worse for the hosts, Dinesh Karthik spilled an edge from Gilchrist off Mohammad Asif before Glenn McGrath cut short his compatriot's stay in the third over.
There, however, was no dearth of firepower as Herschelle Gibbs (22) seemed keen to make amends for his string of poor shows and smote McGrath for two sixes as he decided to match Afridi shot for shot.
Things looked quite ominous for the hosts before Mishra did the trick. He struck with his first ball as Afridi perished at point and, in his next over, the leggie sent down a googly which got the better of Gibbs' defence, ending the Protea's run-a-ball knock. Afridi's 14-ball sizzler included three four and two sixes.
Rohit Sharma (35) continued his rich vein of form, milking 19 runs off a Rajat Bhatia over but a moment of madness and a fluffed paddle sweep brought his peril as a Ferveez Maharoof delivery rattled his timbers. His 18-ball cameo was studded with three fours and two sixes. Scott Styris (29) and Y Venugopal Rao (34 off 18 balls) almost accomplished the mission before falling in quick succession and with their dismissal, Deccan's hopes for their third win in the tournament went up in smoke as the visitors lost wickets in a heap towards the end with Mishra emerging as the wrecker-in-chief.
Earlier put in to bat, the hosts lost skipper Virender Sehwag (0) in the first over but Gambhir and Dhawan shared 133 runs in just over 14 overs to steady the boat even though the hosts eventually fell shy of the 200-mark.
Gambhir's 48-ball pyrotechnics included seven hits to the fence besides three sixes. Dhawan's sedate unbeaten knock was a product of his 52-ball stay during which he hit eight boundaries.
Deccan Chargers' two wins so far in the tournament came chasing and almost predictably, skipper Adam Gilchrist inserted the hosts after winning the toss.
And by the time P Vijaykumar had finished the first over, Delhi had their skipper back in the hut after a two-ball misadventure yielding naught.
If the fierce slash over the third man has fetched Sehwag truckloads of run, it has often been his Achilles' heel as well. Vijaykumar offered the width and Sehwag went by his instinct only to find RP Singh as a hushed silence descended on the Ferozeshah Kotla.
Gambhir did not look quite convincing either. Twice he was almost caught and once he escaped a run out, making ground just in time to hang around.
The southpaw finally broke the shackles in the fourth over, milking 20 runs off it. RP Singh banged one short and Gambhir sent it over deep square leg ropes. He walked out to swat the next delivery over mid-wicket and followed it up with a full-blooded cut that zoomed past the point fielder for a four. Dhawan was content playing the second fiddle all along and the left-hander hit Afridi for back-to-back boundaries to reach his half-century.
The duo laid the perfect foundation for a late burst but Gambhir's dismissal, stumped off a wide ball from Pragyan Ojha, came as anti-climax.
IPL Match 37th : Gambhir 79 of 48 Balls, Delhi ruins Dekhans
Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag must have had sweaty palms when he handed the ball over to Amit Mishra for the last over, but the leg-spinner came up tops to ensure that Hyderabad Deccan Chargers were kept behind by 12 runs.
In the match against Chennai Super Kings, Sehwag had handed the ball to Shoaib Malik with exactly the same number of runs - 15 - to get, and Delhi lost the match.
But on Thursday, Mishra was not to be denied, as he removed Ravi Teja, Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh off successive deliveries to ensure that Delhi claimed two vital points.
Mishra ended with figures of five for 17 off four overs, including the hat-trick, the second of the tournament after Lakshmipathy Balaji. Mishra's victims included Shahid Afridi and Herschelle Gibbs.
With this win, Delhi have added to the points table after three unimpressive games, and now have 10 points from 10 matches, while Hyderabad continue to languish in seventh spot, with just four.
For Hyderabad, it was a story of so near, yet so far, yet again as several batsmen got starts but did not finish things off. Afridi, Gibbs, Rohit Sharma, Scott Styris and Venugopal Rao all got off the ground but didn't stay around long enough.
Things were beginning to look grim for Delhi when Venugopal Rao hit two sixes and a four off Faraveez Maharoof, but the Andhra batsman had no answer for veteran Glenn McGrath's experience. With Venugopal Rao's departure, things tilted in Delhi's favour, and the first three balls of the last over ended the challenge.
Earlier, Gautam Gambhir scored the fifth half-century of the Indian Premier League while Shikhar Dhawan scored his fourth as Delhi Daredevils reached 194-4 against Hyderabad Deccan Chargers.
Gambhir scored a sensational 79 off 48 deliveries but some tight bowling from Vijaykumar along with some smart fielding ensured that Delhi did not cross the 200-mark.
IPL | Match 37th | Delhi Dare Devils Innings
-5 is the second best of this league and it proved to be the mainstay of the Delhi attack to dismantle the Hyderabad team. Mishra scalped Ravi Teja, Pragya Ojha and RP Singh in quick succession to give his team the crucial win it needed to assert a stronger claim for being in the final four.
The discerning feature of this razzmatazz league has been the window of opportunity for the next rung to make an assertive leap to embrace the colour Blue. Gautam Gambhir is taking the chances that this format of the game imposes on those with lofty ambitions, but fortune has been favouring his impetuousness. More importantly, he has been consistently showing the maturity to anchor the Delhi Daredevils after early departures of his captain Virender Sehwag in the last four encounters.
His 79 was a crucial component of the Delhi ask of 198 for four against the Deccan Chargers. Then Mishra came up with his dream spell to showcase his own talent. Thursday evening in Delhi dawned pleasant in the wake of late night showers. While security concerns saw the first two rows of two main stands vacant, the crowds flocked in to pack Feroz Shah Kotla. Facing his second ball out there, Sehwag slashed at a rising P Vijaykumar delivery wide off but failed to put enough meat into the shot. RP Singh at third man palmed the gift with glee. Delhi was reduced to seven for one.
From thereon Gambhir began to build the innings with his brand of firebrand smacking. He amassed 79 from 48 deliveries. By the time he was careless enough to be stumped, the score had reached a high of 140 in 15.1 overs. Along the way he ensured there was another player whom he could swagger in the face of within the Indian dressing room. He hit RP Singh for two consecutive sixes followed by an assertive four to be one up in the unsaid pecking order that rules each team.
IPL 37th Match: Delhi Daredevils Vs Deccan Chargers (Amit Mishra gets a Hattrick)
Amit Mishra registered the second hat-trick of the Indian Premier League as Delhi Daredevils staved off Deccan Chargers' audacious design for an upset win and eked out a nervy 12-run victory to snap their losing spree on Thursday.
Chasing 195, the lowly Deccans did not have a single match-winning knock but they put together a string of cameos to reach near the target before eventually folding up for 182 for nine.
Mishra removed Ravi Teja, Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh off three successive balls in a dramatic last over to record the second hat-trick of the tournament. His figure read 4-0-17-5.
Earlier, twin half centuries from Gautam Gambhir (79) and Shikhar Dhawan (68 not out) powered Delhi Daredevils to an impressive 194 for 4
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
IPL 36th Match: Presentation Ceremony - Mumbai vs Chennai
Sanath Jayasuriya is one of those batsmen who have destroyed many a bowling attack, and his pride must have been hurt with his pretty sedate show in the Indian Premier League so far.
He repaired all that tellingly against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, as he blasted 114 not out off just 48 balls to guide Mumbai Indians to a sensational nine-wicket win.
The Sri Lankan veteran hammered 11 sixes and nine fours, and scored at an astounding strike rate of 237.5.
Sachin Tendulkar's debut in the IPL was sedate, as the Mumbai skipper was dismissed for just 12 runs.
Earlier, S. Badrinath and Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought Chennai back from the edge of almost certain defeat to pose a teaser for Mumbai, as they reached 156-6.
Dhoni and Badrinath were involved in 95-run partnership which carried Chennai to a pretty decent total, which looked impossible at one stage. Badrinath scored a fine 53, while Dhoni scored 43 not out.
Shaun Pollock bowled four overs for just nine runs.
Sachin Tendulkar returned to serious cricket, and won the toss against Chennai Super Kings, deciding to field first.
Teams: Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Robin Uthappa, Dominic Thornley, Dwayne Bravo, Shaun Pollock, Abhishek Nayar, Yogesh Takawale, Dhawal Kulkarni, Rohan Raje, Ashish Nehra.
Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Stephen Fleming, S Vidyut, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, Albie Morkel, Chamara Kapugedera, Muttiah Muralitharan, Manpreet Gony, Joginder Sharma, Lakshmipathy Balaji.
IPL Match 36th: Sizzling Jayasuriya Pounds Chennai @ Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai thrash Chennai)
Riding on Sanath Jayasuriya's swashbuckling, unbeaten knock of 114 that contained an amazing eleven sixes and nine fours, Mumbai Indians outclassed Chennai Super Kings by nine wickets in the Indian Premier League on Wednesday.
The Sri Lankan veteran flicked, slashed and pulled the short-pitched balls served to him on a platter by the visiting team's bowlers as the home team, chasing Chennai's total of 156 for six, surged to a comprehensive win in only the 14th over.
Jayasuriya finished the match with a flourish by slamming Lankan compatriot Chamara Kapugedara for 26 runs in five balls, with three sixes to boot.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
IPL 35th Match: Rawalpindi knight too strong for Daredevils
Shoaib Akhtar takes four wickets in his first three overs to lead Sourav Ganguly’s team to an unlikely 23-run win over Virender Sehwag’s Delhi Daredevils at Eden Gardens
KOLKATA: Shoaib Akhtar returned to the limelight with a fiery spell of genuine fast bowling that ripped apart the formidable Delhi Daredevils’ top-order and set the Eden Gardens alive as Sourav Ganguly’s Kolkata Knight Riders fought back on the field to win by 23 runs.
In the end, with the match going into the home stretch, Ashok Dinda, bowling the 16th over ran to the striker’s end and threw down the stumps at the non-striker’s end to run out Farveez Maharoof, the last batsman who was capable of turning the match on its head.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla then took three wickets in the 18th over to finish off the game. Akhtar, the showman fast bowler, made the trip across the border after the five-year ban slapped on him for various offences was lifted for one month to allow him to play in the Indian Premier League.
Tickets were selling like hot cakes at the Eden as news spread that the maverick Pakistan fast bowler would play against the Daredevils. Akhtar did not disappoint and brought the crowd to their feet after the home team were restricted to a disappointing 133 for six.
Gautam Gambhir took a single off Akhtar’s first ball and the second was a wide but the third got rid of Sehwag as the Pakistan paceman started off in an erratic but exciting manner. The ball to Sehwag was a beauty. It swung away late from the opener and Sehwag, not a believer in moving his feet offered a thick edge that was snapped up by the wicket-keeper.
In his second over, Akhtar tempted the in-form Gambhir with a ball outside off-stump arriving at good pace. David Hussey at backward point jumped acrobatically to pull off the catch and Akhtar and the Knight Riders were up and away in celebration.
With both Sehwag and Gambhir back in the hut, the pressure was now back on the Daredevils. Akhtar though wanted to have a ball. He struck in the first and second ball of his third over. AB DeViller’s was undone by the pace and ballooned the ball while attempting a pull, while Manoj Tiwary mis-read the length as the ball thudded into his back leg.
Earlier, electing to bat, the hosts set the Delhi side an asking rate of 6.7 before a crowd of 50,000 at the Eden Gardens. Salman Butt was the principal scorer for the home team with the in-form David Hussey getting moderate success in the slog overs. Superb bowling performances from Glenn McGrath, Yo Mahesh and Maharoof ensured the Delhi batsmen got an easily attainable asking rate.
The Knight Riders could never get the momentum going and only 10 fours came in their innings. Sourav (7) walked in to loud cheers and raised hopes of another magical knock as he hit Yo Mahesh for a six.
IPL 35th Match: (Shoaib's stupendous IPL debut) Knight Riders win by 23 runs against Daredevils
Brushing aside controversies, Shoaib Akhtar made a sensational Indian Premier League debut by polishing off the Delhi Daredevils top-order in a hurricane opening spell to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to a 23-run victory here on Tuesday.
Battered by the Rawalpindi Express, who picked up four wickets in his first three overs, the visitors were skittled out for 110 of 17.5 overs, in reply to the Kolkata Knight Riders' modest total of 133 for 6 at the Eden Gardens.
Akhtar, adjudged fit for the match only a few hours ago, matched up to the high expectations, claiming wickets in each of his first three overs, with his victims including the dreaded Delhi opening combination of skipper Virender Sehwag (0) and Gautam Gambhir (10).
Akhtar, playing at his favourite ground where he made his debut in 1999 during the Asian Test championship, finished with brilliant figures of 3-0-11-4 to walk away with the Man of the Match award.
Later, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, brought on to bowl the 18th over, finished off the Delhi innings by taking the last three wickets to finish with an analysis of 0.5-0-6-3.
IPL Match 35th: Kolkata pull off a sensational win
Kolkata Knight Riders rode on a sensational opening spell from Shoaib Akhtar to pull off a fine 23-run win over Delhi Daredevils.
Shoaib, much in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, showed why he is rated so highly, and shattered the much-vaunted Delhi top-order, removing skipper Virender Sehwag, tournament top-scorer Gautam Gambhir, AB de Villiers and Manoj Tiwary in a span of three overs.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla also did his bit, claiming the last three Delhi wickets in just five balls to end the proceedings.
For Delhi, Tillekeratne Dilshan and Amit Mishra showed some fight but nothing else worked as they slid to their fourth straight defeat.
Earlier, Kolkata never got off the ground against a sustained Delhi bowling and finished with a very moderate 133-6 in their 20 overs.
No Kolkata batsman apart from Salman Butt and to some extent David Hussey, managed to get any measure of the Delhi bowling and struggled for runs throughout.
Butt scored a polished 48 and Hussey contributed 31. Faraveez Maharoof and V. Yomahesh claimed two wickets each.
Earlier, Sourav Ganguly welcomed Shoaib Akhtar to his playing XI, and then decided to give him a breather, as the hosts batted first.
With the table beginning to get pretty tight up top, both teams, strung together in the middle of the points tally, need to win this one.
In an effort towards that, Ganguly called up Shoaib to bolster his bowling, while young left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdullah also comes in, in place of Murali Kartik.
For Delhi, skipper Virender Sehwag kept out Dinesh Karthik and called in Manoj Tiwary.
Teams:
Kolkata: Sourav Ganguly, Aakash Chopra, Ashoke Dinda, David Hussey, Iqbal Abdulla, Wridhiman Saha, Salman Butt, Ishant Sharma, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Tatenda Taibu, Shoaib Akhtar.
Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag, AB de Villiers, Shikhar Dhawan, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Glenn McGrath, Faraveez Maharoof, V Yomahesh, Amit Mishra, Pradeep Sangwan, Manoj Tiwary.
IPL Match 35th: Shoaib scripts memorable comeback
No prima donna could have scripted a better comeback to the big stage. After endless weeks of controversies, Shoaib Akhtar's IPL debut would have given goosebumps to his hardest critics.
The Kolkata bowler's unadulterated pace and steamy aggression left Delhi in shambles, handing them an unlikely loss in a low-scoring game. Delhi fell 23 short chasing Kolkata's 133 in this battle for the fourth spot in the points table.
Shoaib blew Delhi's top order away, taking Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, AB de Villiers and Manoj Tiwary in one breathless spell that read 3-0-11-4. This time, there would be no confused loyalties for Eden Garden's 100,000 spectators. They were firmly behind the home side, meeting each bit of the Knight Riders' success with frenzied cheering, while receiving Delhi's boundaries and wickets with stoned silence.
Sehwag edged his first ball behind. Next over, Shoaib had Gambhir slap one straight to point. In the next over, de Villiers mistimed a pull and the next ball and Tiwary was plumb in front of a shrill in cutter. Shoaib was hitting the 150-kmph mark, and the damage had been inflicted on Delhi.
Kolkata's next worry was to remove the two dangerous Lankans - Ferveez Maharoof and Tillakaratne Dilshan. Both fell to spectacular run outs. Dilshan couldn't beat throw from Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Maharoof was caught napping by a direct hit from Ashok Dinda in his follow through.
With the match teetering at 30 runs needed from the last 18, Kolkata captain Sourav Ganguly handed the ball to Shukla, who hadn't bowled in the innings. The risk paid off. Shukla cleaned up the Delhi tail in that over, taking 3-6 in five balls.
Earlier in the day, Ganguly had elected to bat on a wicket that looked good for batting. But only Salman Butt (48) and David Hussey (31) had the runs to show.
Unlike their match against Chennai when Delhi's spinners were taken for plenty, their leg spinner Amit Mishra had figures of 3-0-13-0 to ensure the fifth bowler did not bleed runs and waste the seamers' hard work.
Maharoof (4-0-25-2), Pradeep Sangwan (4-0-29-1) and Yo Mahesh (4-0-33-2) did a terrific job to back up Glenn McGrath (4-0-22-0), who was his miserly best.
IPL Match 34: Misbah Ul Haq smashes 21 runs off 8 balls vs Punjab XI
Shaun Marsh notched up his second successive half-century to lead Kings XI Punjab to a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Bangalore Royal Challengers in their IPL Twenty20 match here tonight.
Chasing 144 to win, hosts easily overhauled the target with 4.2 overs to spare.
Earlier, electing to bat, the Bangalore team could manage just 143 for eight as their batsmen struggled to negotiate a disciplined bowling by opponent pacers.
The opening pair of James Hopes (27) and Shaun Marsh (74 not out) laid a strong foundation for a comfortable victory as they put on 42-runs and provided a good start to their team.
Marsh, who had hit 58 in his last innings, was dropped on individual score of 12 but did not give any chance afterwards and hit Dale Steyn for 19 runs in the 11th over of the innings to reach his fifty in just 35-balls.
The left-handed Australian consumed just 51 balls for his furious knock, which was adorned with nine boundaries and two sixes.
Marsh along with compatriot Luke Pomersbach produced an unbeaten 102-run partnership for the second wicket.
After a cautious start, Hopes opened his arms and struck three huge sixes in his short innings.
R Vinaykumar drew the first and only blood on just second delivery of his first over when he had Hopes, going for a big shot, caught by Steyn near the boundary ropes.
However, nothing worked for the visitors after that as Marsh and Pomersbach scored at will and punished bowlers all around the park.
For the Royal Challengers, Pakistani Misbah-ul-Haq (21) eased off the pressure by hitting some thunderous shots but did not last long as he once again perished in a strange manner.
Misbah trod on to his stumps while negotiating a Sreesanth delivery which came in, forcing him to begin a long trudge back to pavilion.
Kohli (21) followed his Pakistani teammate when he was castled by Chawla though not before hitting the young spinner for a couple of boundaries.
Skipper Rahul Dravid then joined Cameron White (10) but once again a strong partnership eluded the visitors.
White was undone by a stunning caught and bowled by Chawla, who ran about 15 yard towards mid-wicket to latch on to a mistimed shot.
IPL Match 34: Bangalore lose again as Shaun Marsh hits an unbeaten 74
Punjab Kings XI registered a thumping nine-wicket win over depleted Bangalore Royal Challengers with 26 balls to spare in the DLF Indian Premier League match in Mohali on Monday.
In reply to losers’ 143 for eight, the winners reached the target losing only James Hopes’ wicket. Shaun Marsh hit a brilliant unbeaten 74 off 51 balls laced with nine fours and a couple of sixes while LA Pomersbach remained not out on 34.
The Bangalore bowlers - Dale Steyn, Praveen Kumar, Anil Kumble and others - failed to curb the flowing runs.
Earlier, some disciplined bowling performances by S Sreesanth, VRV Singh and Irfan Pathan made it difficult for the depleted Bangalore Royal Challengers. Thanks to Mark Boucher, who hit 39 off 31 balls, the visitors reached 143 for eight in the allotted 20 overs.
Opting to bat, Bangalore were in trouble losing J. Arunkumar in the third over. But things started getting better with the advent of Pakistani T20 specialist Misbah-ul Haq. But he also perished in an uncanny fashion after smashing 21 off just 8 balls. While taking a shot off his backfoot, Misbah’s right foot dislodged the bails and he was adjudged hit-wicket.
With that wicket the Bangalore side’s morale seemed to have dipped further and they kept on losing wickets at regular intervals and ultimately managed to get to none-too-strong total 143 on the board in 20 overs.
In the death overs, the Punjab side managed to keep their cool and did the job almost perfectly. The yorkers - the most effective weapon - from the Punjab pacemen were difficult to get away.
IPL Match 34: Marsh takes Kings to 9-wicket win (74* Of 51 Balls)
A jittery Rahul Dravid arrived at the toss, with lots on his mind. His opposite number, Kings XI captain Yuvraj Singh offered him a memento for good luck. The Bangalore captain won the toss. That was all that Bangalore Royal Challengers won on the night.
Bangalore elected to bat and produced a thoroughly average performance, making 143 at the PCA Stadium here. Kings XI Punjab chased that down with consummate ease in 15.4 overs, with Shaun Marsh again leading the chase with his 74 not out (51 balls, 9x4, 2x6).
Kings XI never gave Bangalore a chance with the bat. Once James Hopes and Marsh had added 42 for the first wicket, Bangalore's last hopes of a comeback faded away. Luke Pomersbach built on that start, while the in-form Marsh impressed again with his variety of shots and high strike rate.
Their 102-run stand kept Bangalore languishing at the bottom of the points table, while Kings XI are now joint-second along with Chennai Super Kings, at 12 points.
The Challengers threatened to get going for the briefest of periods. Misbah-ul Haq, whose name has been thrown around in Bangalore's much publicised recent problems, looked like he would turn their team's fortunes around. Having clobbered his way to 21 from 7 balls, Misbah unluckily walked back on his stumps and was out hit wicket.
Mark Boucher, like he has done throughout his career, provided some rearguard action with his 39 (31 balls, 4x4, 1x6), hanging in there till the penultimate ball of the innings. Their top order had been rocked by another polished performance from Sreesanth (3-29), who picked up J Arunkumar, Misbah and Praveen Kumar.
Dravid's innings itself lacked purpose. His mind clouded with their team's various off-field problems to go with the on-field ones, he scored 29 from 27 balls, once nearly running Boucher out. Dravid's wicket left Bangalore at 102-5 in 16 overs. The innings had had no momentum to begin with, but with their captain's wicket, their hopes of a decent score departed.
At the other end, Piyush Chawla and Irfan Pathan continued being among the wickets --- a big reason why Kings XI have done so well. Chawla, hit for 13 off his first two legit deliveries, got Virat Kohli bowled and Craig White caught and bowled. He finished with 4-0-33-2 while Pathan was economical, his figures reading 4-0-23-1.
Irfan and Sreesanth now lead the wicket takers list in the IPL, with 13 each, along with Zaheer Khan, while Chawla is No. 3 on the list of top strikers with 11.
Monday, May 12, 2008
IPL Match 33rd: Shane Watson stars in Royals' win
Shane Watson made full use of two dropped chances to score a blazing half-century which sealed a thrilling three-wicket win for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Daredevils in their IPL Twenty20 match here on Sunday.
Chasing, 157 to win, the hosts overcame early jolts to post a convincing victory with five balls to spare.
The Delhi team, invited to bat, could put just 156 runs on the board, largely with the help of Farveej Maharoof's blistering knock of 39 down the order.
Watson's strokeful 74-run-knock came off just 40-balls with the help of five boundaries and five sixes.
His eventful innings came to an end when he was run out in the penultimate over.
Square leg umpire did not refer the decision to the third umpire but rival skipper Virender Sehwag pushed for it and eventually got rid of Watson as TV replays clearly showed he was short of his ground.
This opened the match again for the Delhi team but Mahesh Rawat (5) and Niraj Patel (4) did not lose their nerve and won the match on the first ball of the last over.
The visitors have to blame themselves for the defeat as first their star batsmen let them down and then they dropped catches, earned by their bowlers.
Graeme Smith (24) and Watson made the most of the dropped chances to bring back their team in the hunt as they put on a crucial 71-run partnership for the third wicket.
Smith was dropped on zero by Amit Mishra and Watson by skipper Virender Sehwag when the Australian was on individual score of 26 and the team was struggling at 59 for two.
The hosts were stuttering at 15 for two after five overs and just when it seemed the Delhi team was on course of pulling a improbable win, Smith-Watson combo lifted their team from the pits.
The partnership laid a strong foundation for the victory though the battle swung again in the favour of visitors with leg-spinner Amit Mishra (2/27) scalping two wickets in successive overs.
Mishra first dismissed Smith and then bowled Ravindra Jadeja (6) to give his team a good chance to come back in the match.
Earlier, a brilliant bowling supported by charged up fielding helped Rajasthan Royals restrict Delhi Daredevils to a modest total of 156 for seven.
The visitors failed to build partnerships and paid the price as they could not put enough runs on the board and handed a tough job to their bowlers to defend a modest total.
Host skipper Shane Warne used all his bowlers effectively and made life difficult for visiting batsmen until Farveej Maharoof hit a blistering 39-run knock towards the end.
Maharoof top scored for the Delhi team with the help of two boundaries and four sixes, all coming in Shane Warne's overs.
The Sri Lankan also shared a crucial 54-run partnership with compatriot Tilakratne Dilshan (18) to help his team past the 150-run mark.
Mahroof hit Warne for 26 runs in the penultimate over with the help of four sixes, lifting the spirits of a dejected Delhi team.
Shane Watson (2/21) and Siddharth Trivedi (2/28) were the most successful bowlers for the hosts.
Mascarenhas, who made his debut in the tournament, bowled well and used slow balls to good effects as it did help in containing dangerous Virender Sehwag.
Watson too on the other end, bowled in tandem as the pair gave away just 29 runs in the first four overs with fielders complimenting their bowlers well.
As the pressure mounted to score quick runs, Sehwag (17) perished to Watson when he drove him uppishly only to find Mohammad Kaif at backward point.
On down Shikhar Dhawan (3) did not last long as he started his walk back to pavilion seven balls later after a terrible mix up with Gautam Gambhir (31) resulted in his run out.
Gambhir then survived a run out chance when Munaf Patel failed to hit stumps when the Delhi opener tried to steal a run in rival skipper's over.
The left-handed batsman however could not use the chance and was dismissed by Siddharth Trivedi when he tried to loft the ball over the covers but only managed an inside edge on his stumps.
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