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.