Not even eight days rest, their best efforts with the bat and Amit Mishra’s three wickets were enough to earn Deccan Chargers a first win in IPL 2012. After Kumar Sangakkara and Shikhar Dawan put on the highest first-wicket partnership of the season, and JP Duminy and Daniel Christian blasted 77 off the last five overs, Chargers piled on a hefty score for Rajasthan Royals to chase, but they were unable to defend it on a flat pitch with small boundaries.
Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane did the groundwork and Brad Hodge finished off fiercely. Almost everything Chargers did, Royals did better. Although Dravid and Rahane shared a stand of only 62, compared to Sangakkara and Dhawan’s 94 , the Royals pair scored at a faster rate. They went at 10.62 runs to the over compared to Sangakkara and Dhawan’s 8.81. Chargers had amassed 119 for 2 after 15 overs, Royals had the same score after 13. Duminy’s 58 came at a strike rate of 223.07, Brad Hodge’s 48 came at a strike rate of 228.57, and that was perhaps the difference between the two sides.
After a break of eight days Deccan Chargers batsmen returned refreshed to pile on a massive total against Rajasthan Royals. Kumar Sangakkara and Shikhar Dhawan did the groundwork, with an opening partnership of 94, before aggression from JP Duminy and Dan Christian overcame a mid-innings blip. Their third-wicket stand of 88 off 41 balls against inconsistent bowling boosted Chargers to 196.
Chargers reworked their batting line-up and moved Sangakkara to open with Dhawan, making room for Tanmay Mishra and JP Duminy in the XI. Mishra did not get a chance to bat as Sangakkara and Dhawan owned the crease upfront. They put on the highest first-wicket stand in this IPL, taking on an attack that looked pedestrian on a batting-friendly pitch. Rahul Dravid used three bowlers in the Powerplay – Pankaj Singh, Amit Singh and Johan Botha – and all three were punished. They bowled untidy lines, offering plenty of balls on leg stump, and generous lengths, particularly Botha who was too short.
Sangakkara and Dhawan were able to hit boundaries in every over until the 10th, when Brad Hogg put the brakes on their charge. They relied on timing and placement rather than force to collect their runs and pulled, drove, pushed and flicked well. Dhawan matched Sangakkara run for run and eventually eclipsed his captain, who was dismissed off the only mistake he made. After greeting Hodge with a four straight down the ground and a six over his head, Sangakkara played across the line, attempting to heave over the on-side but was caught behind off the top-edge.
Scores: Rajasthan Royals 197 for 5 (Hodge 48*, Mishra 3-32) beat Deccan Chargers 196 for 2 (Duminy 58*, Dhawan 52) by five wickets.
Dominant Delhi thrash Mumbai
The battle of the heavyweights in this IPL degenerated into a one-sided contest at the Wankhede Stadium, as the Mumbai Indians’ top and middle orders imploded against some attacking bowling from Delhi Daredevils. The implosion was partly forced, partly self-inflicted, and left the visitors chasing the lowest target this IPL season, one they achieved with ease. The Daredevils are on top of the table now with three wins from four games, Mumbai Indians have slipped to fourth place. Shahbaz Nadeem, the left-arm spinner, has proved effective this season with economical figures and he continued the good work against the Mumbai openers, bowling flat and sticking to a tight line. There was a good amount of bounce available on the track and the new ball helped him get some bite. Nadeem owed some of his success today to Irfan Pathan, who tied down Davy Jacobs at one end, bowling a maiden and it was a matter of time before the opener tried to break through. He swung hard but was bowled by Nadeem to be dismissed for a 10-ball duck, and Richard Levi followed in almost identical fashion against Nadeem eight balls later. The Daredevils shuffled their bowlers around, and each contributed in a collective effort. Morne Morkel bowled quick and got excellent carry, Ajit Agarkar too generated good pace and Umesh Yadav even more so while being accurate. As the bowlers kept the pressure on throughout, Mumbai didn’t help their own case either. Ambati Rayudu was run out thanks to complete confusion partly due to the noise around the stadium, Kieron Pollard holed out attempting a big shot when the need of the hour was some caution and Dinesh Karthik’s mistimed pull offered a simple catch to mid-on.
Scores: Delhi Daredevils 93 for 3 (Sehwag 32) beat Mumbai Indians 92 (Harbhajan 33, Umesh 2-10, Nadeem 2-16) by seven wickets. Cricinfo