World Of T20 Cricket

A disciplined performance by the Delhi Daredevils bowlers and a blistering innings from Virender Sehwag inflicted on Rajasthan Royals their second defeat in as many games. A battling half-century from Abhishek Jhunjhunwala lent Rajasthan’s total some respectability but it was a woefully inadequate one to defend given Sehwag’s onslaught.

Rajasthan were made to regret their poor batting in the first over of the chase, as Sehwag blazed away, swinging Dimitri Mascarehnas over square leg and mid-on for two boundaries. The seamers bowled either too full or offered him the desired width to break free – Shaun Tait was cut fiercely through point, and Munaf Patel was dispatched over long-off for a six and past mid-on for a boundary in the third over.

There were a couple of moments of hope for Rajasthan. Mascarenhas returned in the fourth over to snare Gautam Gambhir, who mistimed a slower one to mid-on, and got one to move away to produce an outside edge from Tillakaratne Dilshan the next ball. The wickets made no difference to Sehwag’s approach – nor, ultimately, to Rajasthan’s fortunes – as he skied Mascarenhas when on 41 only to be dropped by Tait while running back from short fine leg – another low on what’s so far been a poor IPL for the Australian.

Having smote Mascarenhas for 10 runs off two deliveries, Sehwag proceeded to target Amit Uniyal’s medium-pacers, walloping him for six over long-off, upper-cutting him wide of third man to reach his half-century and striking through the line of a length delivery to dispatch it over long-on. The parting shot before being caught brilliantly by Graeme Smith at mid-on was a thunderous six over the bowler’s head; Delhi were 99 for 3 when he fell in the 10th over, and Dinesh Karthik, with the luxury of a set platform, saw his team through.

Match Meter RR An encouraging start: Naman Ojha targeted Delhi’s bowling, racing to 24. Amit Mishra was struck for two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries as Rajasthan began positively in the first five overs. DD The setbacks hurt: Mishra, Maharoof and Sangwan grab three crucial wickets in 21 balls to turn the tide. Ojha is bowled, Yusuf Pathan holes out to long-on and Graeme Smith is caught while trying to pull. DD Sehwag blazes away: Delhi show early signs of wanting to finish the game off quickly, as Sehwag smacks six fours and a six to take his team to 40 without loss in the first three overs . DD RR A ray of hope: Dimitri Mascarenhas removes Gautam Gambhir and Tillakaratne Dilshan in successive deliveries in the fourth over to bring Rajasthan back into the game. DD No stopping Sehwag: The wickets make no difference to Sehwag’s approach, as he stars with a blistering innings of 75 off 34 balls, falling only in the 10th over with the score on 99 and the win virtually sealed. Advantage Honours even

Rajasthan, who wore black arm-bands in memory of the victims of a bus accident in Sawai Madhopur district, had begun positively after Gambhir had put them in. But they were dented by a testing first spell from Dirk Nannes and the early introduction of Amit Mishra, leaving an inexperienced middle order to contend with a determined display from the rest of Delhi’s bowlers who gave little opportunity to open up.

The conditions in Ahmedabad were hardly favourable with the dust from the parking lots surrounding the stadium kicking in, and adding to the haze from the floodlights. The surge of moths, flying across the pitch as well as the outfield, proved another irritant.

Swapnil Asnodkar and Smith, cashing in on some overpitched bowling from Farveez Maharoof, smacked two boundaries off the first three balls of the match. Nannes, like against Kings XI Punjab, continued to trouble the batsmen with his ability to generate bounce, even from bowling on a good length. He got rid of Asnodkar with his second delivery, which was sliced towards Dilshan who took a good low catch, and followed up with two snorters to Naman Ojha, one striking him on the shoulder.

Ojha, who had some success while opening the batting for Rajasthan in the previous IPL, resumed the attack after a momentary lull, thrashing Maharoof over mid-on and edging him over the slips. He reserved special treatment for Mishra, brought on in the fourth over, cutting and sweeping him for two boundaries and launching him into the stands over long-on. But Mishra undid him with his first variation of the over, slipping in the googly to bowl him through the gate as he tried to loft him over the covers.

With Yusuf Pathan lasting just five deliveries, failing to pick a slower delivery and holing out to long-on, and the experienced Smith following soon after to make it 50 for 4, Rajasthan were starting at a bleak prospect.

Paras Dogra, who had partnered Yusuf during his ruthless ton against Mumbai, and Jhunjhunwala, returning from the ICL, saw off a quiet phase during a nagging couple of overs from Pradeep Sangwan and Sarabjit Ladda; Rajasthan, at one stage, had played out 38 deliveries without a boundary. Replacing Yo Mahesh, Ladda varied his pace well, often surprising the batsmen with the quicker delivery but had his figures disturbed when the pair had stepped up, both hammering him for two sixes in a 17-run over.

Delhi saw to it they didn’t give too much away, with the run-outs of Dogra and Mascarenhas in successive overs. Jhunjhunwala, though, struck two boundaries off Nannes in the final over, reaching his fifty, to give his bowler’s more than an outside chance. Sehwag, however, ensured it was washed away.

	Rajasthan Royals innings (20 overs maximum)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
	SA Asnodkar	c Dilshan b Nannes	5	4	1	0	125.00
	1.2 Swallowed by Dilshan at backward point. It was a length delivery moving away from him and Swapnil hit it on the up, pretty powerfully, but Dilshan lunged forward to take a neat catch. 14/1
	GC Smith	c Sehwag b Sangwan	18	17	3	0	105.88
	8.1 Sangwan has bowled well at Smith so far and takes him out now. Smith charged out for the big hit but the youngster banged it shorter and Smith mistimes the pull shot towards deep midwicket. Sehwag runs in and almost clangs it! The ball pops out of his palm … once .. twice and he takes it on the third attempt! 50/4
	NV Ojha†	b Mishra	24	14	4	1	171.42
	4.5 Oh boy! what a comeback from Mishy! Done in by the googly! It broke back in from just outside off stump, Ojha went for the big cover drive. Mistake. He went outside the line of the ball and lost his stumps. Mishra is almost angry as he celebrates! 45/2
	YK Pathan	c de Villiers b Maharoof	0	5	0	0	0.00
	5.5 Done in by the slower one. It was almost predictable that Yusuf, who was dead-batting so far, would go after this ball. He picked the wrong ball, though. He didn’t pick the slower one all that well and ended up dragging it straight up and AB moved to his right at mid-on to collect it. 46/3
	AA Jhunjhunwala	not out	53	45	5	1	117.77
	P Dogra	run out (Gambhir/Mishra)	29	26	1	2	111.53
	16.2 Mishra to Jhunjhunwala, Dogra is run out It was cut to point. Dogra did all the running there. first he ran nearly all the way to the other end and came back. Too late. Gone! 110/5
	AD Mascarenhas	run out (Mishra/†Karthik)	3	3	0	0	100.00
	17.1 from Nannes, Mascarenhas is run out. It was pushed to third man and he came back for the second run but he is not even in the frame when DK breaks the stumps. 115/6
	A Uniyal	not out	4	6	0	0	66.66
	Extras	(w 5)	5
	Total	(6 wickets; 20 overs)	141	(7.05 runs per over)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	MF Maharoof	4	0	32	1	8.00	(1w)
	5.5 to Pathan, Done in by the slower one. It was almost predictable that Yusuf, who was dead-batting so far, would go after this ball. He picked the wrong ball, though. He didn’t pick the slower one all that well and ended up dragging it straight up and AB moved to his right at mid-on to collect it. 46/3
	DP Nannes	4	0	27	1	6.75	(1w)
	1.2 to Asnodkar, Swallowed by Dilshan at backward point. It was a length delivery moving away from him and Swapnil hit it on the up, pretty powerfully, but Dilshan lunged forward to take a neat catch. 14/1
	A Mishra	4	0	34	1	8.50
	4.5 to Ojha, Oh boy! what a comeback from Mishy! Done in by the googly! It broke back in from just outside off stump, Ojha went for the big cover drive. Mistake. He went outside the line of the ball and lost his stumps. Mishra is almost angry as he celebrates! 45/2
	PJ Sangwan	4	0	20	1	5.00	(2w)
	8.1 to Smith, Sangwan has bowled well at Smith so far and takes him out now. Smith charged out for the big hit but the youngster banged it shorter and Smith mistimes the pull shot towards deep midwicket. Sehwag runs in and almost clangs it! The ball pops out of his palm … once .. twice and he takes it on the third attempt! 50/4
	S Ladda	4	0	28	0	7.00	(1w)

	Delhi Daredevils innings (target: 142 runs from 20 overs)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
	G Gambhir*	c Smith b Mascarenhas	9	8	1	0	112.50
	3.3 length delivery around off stump line, Gambhir wants to heave that one over mid-on but fails. He cleared the front foot, opened-up his stance but couldn’t get much power behind the pull.. the ball lobs up to mid-on 42/1
	V Sehwag	c Smith b Patel	75	34	8	5	220.58
	9.6 Smith takes a very good catch to remove the big fish. Sehwag got too much under the ball as he went for another big swing towards long-on and skied it to midwicket. Smith was running in circles as the ball swerved down but he lunged out at the last minute to take a neat catch under pressure. The fun is over folks. Sehwag is back in the hut. 99/3
	TM Dilshan	c †Ojha b Mascarenhas	0	1	0	0	0.00
	3.4 Dilshan gone for a first-ball duck. It was a length delivery that straightened outside off, Dilshan pushed inside the line and got a thin nick. Hmmm… And here we go ..twist twist 42/2
	AB de Villiers	c sub (FY Fazal) b Warne	15	24	0	0	62.50
	12.3 Warney removes AB! Loopy delivery outside off stump, AB, who has been playing quietly, nudging and pushing his way around, suddenly decides to go for the expansive inside-out cover drive. Caught at short cover! 114/4
	KD Karthik†	not out	23	26	2	0	88.46
	M Manhas	not out	11	10	1	0	110.00
	Extras	(b 1, lb 3, w 5)	9
	Total	(4 wickets; 17.1 overs)	142	(8.27 runs per over)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	AD Mascarenhas	4	0	31	2	7.75
	3.3 to Gambhir, length delivery around off stump line, Gambhir wants to heave that one over mid-on but fails. He cleared the front foot, opened-up his stance but couldn’t get much power behind the pull.. the ball lobs up to mid-on 42/1 3.4 to Dilshan, Dilshan gone for a first-ball duck. It was a length delivery that straightened outside off, Dilshan pushed inside the line and got a thin nick. Hmmm… And here we go ..twist twist 42/2
	SW Tait	4	0	26	0	6.50	(4w)
	MM Patel	3	0	32	1	10.66
	9.6 to Sehwag, Smith takes a very good catch to remove the big fish. Sehwag got too much under the ball as he went for another big swing towards long-on and skied it to midwicket. Smith was running in circles as the ball swerved down but he lunged out at the last minute to take a neat catch under pressure. The fun is over folks. Sehwag is back in the hut. 99/3
	A Uniyal	2	0	25	0	12.50
	SK Warne	4	0	22	1	5.50
	12.3 to de Villiers, Warney removes AB! Loopy delivery outside off stump, AB, who has been playing quietly, nudging and pushing his way around, suddenly decides to go for the expansive inside-out cover drive. Caught at short cover! 114/4
	AA Jhunjhunwala	0.1	0	2	0	12.00

written by Swapnil \\ tags: Delhi Daredevils, IPL, Rajasthan Royals