Rajasthan Royals’ batting fired collectively to break a run of four consecutive losses and consign Kings XI Punjab to their fourth defeat in five home games this season. Royals blazed away at the start after Rahul Dravid chose to bat on a greenish pitch, slowed down in the middle and picked up the pace at the death to post the highest total at Mohali this season.
Their bowlers kept the home batsmen under pressure from the outset, and at no stage did Kings XI threaten to chase successfully, something which had been achieved in the four previous games at Mohali.
Royals’ batsmen had been guilty recently of easing off after strong starts to post inadequate scores. Just when it looked today that the flurry of boundaries upfront from Dravid and Shane Watson would dissipate into another middling total, Brad Hodge and Johan Botha cracked 27 off the last two overs to ensure Royals finished close to the 180-mark which they were aiming for. When Dravid and Watson were pounding the Kings XI attack in their contrasting styles, Royals would have eyed 200. The duo took control after the in-form Ajinkya Rahane fell early to Ryan Harris. Dravid, enjoying the pace and bounce on the true pitch, launched an array of orthodox strokes, clipping and cover-driving Harris for three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over. Watson did it his way, powering Parvinder Awana down the ground for two fours and a six in consecutive balls in the sixth.
Scores: Rajasthan Royals 177 for 6 (Dravid 46, Harris 4-34) beat Kings XI Punjab 134 for 8 (Tait 2-18, Botha 2-21, Watson 2-22) by 43 runs.
Dwayne Smith stuns Chennai in last-over heist: In perhaps the most thrilling last-ball finish in this season, Dwayne Smith, playing his first game for Mumbai Indians this year, smashed three boundaries off the last three balls of the chase to avert what seemed a certain choke from the hosts at Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai Indians held control for a sizeable chunk of the chase, courtesy a century stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma, before the middle order imploded, but the last-minute scramble was handled in brutal fashion by Smith. Mumbai needed 16 off the last over with three wickets in hand. Ben Hilfenhaus conceded a single off the first ball, yorked Lasith Malinga off the second, and a single off the third by RP Singh left Mumbai needing 14 off the last three.
Scores: Mumbai Indians 174 for 8 (Tendulkar 74, Rohit 60, Smith 24*) beat Chennai Super Kings 173 for 8 (Vijay 41, Bravo 40, Malinga 3-25) by two wickets.
