16 DECCAN HERALD
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Warriors lord over Super Kings
Finch slams quickfire 67, bowlers fire as a unit as Pune post 24-run win over Dhonis men
CHENNAI: Pune Warriors bowlers kept their cool during slog overs as they shocked title contenders Chennai Super Kings, beating them comprehensively by 24 runs in the Indian Premier League on Monday.
Dravid wary of Mumbai challenge
JAIPUR, PTI: Rajasthan Royals skipper Rahul Dravid is extremely pleased with the team effort in their six- wicket win over Kings XI Punjab, here. Chasing a modest 125 on a difficult wicket, Rajasthan won by six wickets. It was Sreesanth who got us early wickets and Chandila too did a fairly good job opening the attack. Our rest of the bowling and the fielding was also good and we could restrict them to 124, Dravid said at the post match press conference. Chasing 125 was not going to be easy on this surface because it was offering movement. Watson played beautifully to add quick runs and release some pressure. But we got stuck in the middle with fall of couple of wickets but Ajinkya Rahane stood there till the end to steer us home, he added. Sanju Samson also batted beautifully and has shown a lot of promise. All in all it was a fine team effort, said Dravid while acknowledging efforts made by his team-mates. Asked if the wicket was ideal for T20 cricket, the skipper it was important to have different tracks. All wickets should not be of 170180 runs. 140-150 run wickets can also have exciting games. We are happy with the wicket and dont interfere with the job of curator. We need to learn to bat better on such wickets, he said. The skipper did not read much into failure of Stuart Binny and Brad Hodge while batting up the order. Binny has done quite well in couple of matches and this failure is one of the things to forget. As far as the matter of Hodge batting up the order is concerned I feel he has been very good in accelerating at the end overs. If need arises he can be promoted up the order. The good is thing is that we now have enough cover and options for all positions and can shuffle in accord with demands of situations, the former Indian captain said. Rahul Dravid conceded that they have a tough opponent in Mumbai Indians in the next match.
Having managed 159 for five in 20 overs, courtesy Aaron Finchs 67 and Steven Smiths late surge, the Pune bowlers put up a commendable show keeping a tight leash on a formidable CSK batting line-up, restricting them to 135 for eight. This was Punes second win in five matches while CSK tasted their second defeat at home, having lost to Mumbai Indians in their lung opener. After Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck the early blows, Rahul Sharma (1/24) was brilliant for Pune in the middle overs while speedster Ashoke Dinda (2/34) bowled a superb 18th over in which he gave away only four runs while removing Mahendra Singh Dhoni out of the equation. Having given 63 in the last match, it was a good comeback from Dinda. Punes outcricket too was brilliant with Smith taking three catches and Finch also pulling off a stunner. Chennais slide started when Aniruddha Srikkanth couldnt tackle a sharp inswinger from Bhuvneshwar (2/12). The UP seamer was again splendid with the new ball. Suresh Raina (8) didnt fire on the day and as his mistimed swat was taken by Tiru Suman at mid-on. Vijay (24) was playing well but mistimed a lofted shot off Abhishek Nayars bowling to get out. Domestic run-machine Subramanium Badrinath (34,
26 balls, 4x4) added 46 with Ravindra Jadeja before he was caught in the deep off Mitchell Marshs bowling. With a little over 70 runs needed, the stage was perfect for skipper Dhoni to launch his signature assault at the death. But the skipper lost a set partner in Ravindra Jadeja (27), who was caught at short fine-leg to give Marsh his second wicket. From 98 for five, it soon became 104 for six as Dwayne Bravo was sent back by Sharma, caught in the deep. Dhoni never got going and once he was out for 10, the match was as good as over. Earlier, CSK bowlers made an impressive comeback despite Finchs swashbuckling innings as Warriors frittered away a good start to reach 159 for five. The burly Victorian clobbered 67 off 45 balls with 10 fours and two sixes but the momentum provided by him was gone with his dismissal after adding 96 for the opening stand with Robin Uthappa (26). However Smith tried his bit with a brilliant cameo, smashing 39 off only 16 balls (3x4, 3x6) with a breathtaking reverse swept six off Dwayne Bravos bowling. But lack of support from other batsmen meant that Warriors scored only 81 runs from the last 10 overs having scored 78 of the first 10. Chris Morris was the pick of the CSK bowlers with 2 for 25 from four overs. Finch, who was the chief architect of Punes victory against Rajasthan, was in red-hot form as he got 13 runs from Dirk Nannes opening over which included three boundaries. When left-arm spinner Jade-
PULLING THROUGH: Pune Warriors Aaron Finch hammers one to the fence during his 67 against Chennai Super Kings in the IPL game in Chennai on Monday. PTI
ja bowled short and wide outside off-stump, he was in position to play the cut shot as well as backfoot cover drive. Similary when Nannes or Morris bowled short-pitched stuff, Finch was quickly in a position to play the pull-shot. The first of his two sixes was over long-off from Ravichandran Ashwins bowling. He com-
pleted his 50 off 32 balls with a top-edged pull-shot off Morris that went to the fine leg boundary. His 45-ball mayhem finally ended when he gave Jadeja the charge having hit the previous delivery for his second six. The ball skidded through him and Mahendra Singh Dhoni completed an easy stumping.
PTI
SCOREBOARD
PUNE WARRIORS: Robin Uthappa c Jadeja b Morris 26, Aaron Finch st Dhoni b Jadeja 67, Ross Taylor c Jadeja b Morris 8, Steven Smith (not out) 39, Mitchell Marsh c Morkel b Bravo 2, Manish Pandey b Bravo 9, Abhishek Nayar (not out) 0. Extras (LB-6, W-2) 8. Total (for 5 wkts, 20 overs) 159. Fall of wickets: 1-96, 2101, 3-118, 4-128, 5-159. Bowling: Dirk Nannes 4-0-42-0, Ravindra Jadeja 4-0-27-1, Ravichandran Ashwin 4-0-24-0, Chris Morris 4-0-25-2, Dwayne Bravo 4-0-35-2. CHENNAI SUPER KINGS: Anirudha Srikkanth lbw Kumar 0; M Vijay c Taylor b Nayar 24; Suresh Raina c Suman b Kumar 8; S Badrinath c Smith b Marsh 34; Ravindra Jadeja c Dinda b Marsh 27; MS Dhoni c Smith b Dinda 10; Dwyane Bravo c Smith b Sharma 1; Albie Morkel c Finch b Dinda 13; Chris Morris (not out) 5; R Ashwin (not out) 11; Extras (W-2) 2; Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 135. Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-23, 3-40, 486, 5-98, 6-104, 7-115, 8-124. Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-112-2, Ashok Dinda 4-0-34-2, Mitchell Marsh 4-0-35-2, Abhishek Nayar 3-0-21-1, Aaron Finch 1-0-90, Rahul Sharma 4-0-24-1.
RCB look to get campaign on track
Following heart-breaking loss to Chennai, Kohlis men face off-colour Delhi Daredevils
BANGALORE: It just took a reckless final over more precisely a reckless final ball by Rudra Pratap Singh to spoil what could have been a memorable night for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
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We need to regroup quickly: Rampaul
BANGALORE, DHNS: Royal Challengers Bangalore pacer Ravi Rampaul said the team would have to regroup quickly from the last-ball defeat against Chennai Super Kings a few days back. We have to regroup as quickly as possible because the games are coming fast. Its tough that two of our matches went to the last over and one turned out to be a Super Over. Thats how cricket goes. We have to go back to the drawing board and decide what we have to do, Rampaul said on Monday. Rampaul was quite happy that he made an impressive debut for RCB against Chennai, but rued the fact that his performance ultimately didnt help. Very happy getting to play my first IPL game. I just made use of the opportunity to get three wickets but we didnt win the match. So it really doesnt matter how well I did. We have to continue playing as a team and keep our heads held high, said the West Indian. Eric Simons, the head coach of Delhi Daredevils, said the team morale was high despite losing four games at a stretch.
Star watch
ROYAL CHALLENGERS DELHI DAREDEVILS
It not only robbed them of a chance to register a rare win at Chepauk but it has also made the jostling for the top four slot a bit tighter for the Bangalore outfit. A victory that night would have helped Royal Challengers remain on top of the table, and now they need an immediate reversal of result against Delhi Daredevils at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. RCB will appear in their sixth match of the sixth edition of the IPL on Tuesday, and another slip up may not cripple them but it will certainly make the space at the top a lot more cramped for them. One positive to come out of the match against the CSK was they were able to post a good total without any significant contribution from Chris Gayle. Two excellent half-centuries by skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers powered their innings, but Bangalore management will be keen to see more serious contributions from the likes of Mayank Agarwal and KB Arun Karthik. Apart from that fatal final over by RP Singh, Royal Challengers bowlers were spot on for a large part of the match against MS Dhoni and his band, though the absence of Muttiah Muralitharan was conspicuous. The legend from Sri Lanka had to be benched due to IPL Governing Councils decision to withdraw Lankan
AB DE VILLIERS: The South African is a master of innovations. His reverse scoops over wicketkeeper or scoops to square leg region can leave bowlers a dismayed lot. But hes not just an innovator. De Villiers can play orthodox shots to great effect with a wicked bat speed, forcing the ball to the ropes in a jiffy. His battle with Delhi bowlers on Tuesday is a must-see.
MAHELA JAYAWARDENE: Theoretically, the graceful Sri Lankan right-hander doesnt have a game that suits T20. Hes wristy and loves to maneuver the ball along the ground. But Jayawardene has transformed all those perceived vices into his strengths, and he occasionally can send the ball to the gallery. Hes also an inspirational and involving skipper.
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players from the matches at Chennai because of the political unrest in Tamil Nadu. Muralitharan has not bagged heaps of wickets in the four matches he has played, but neither he has given away too many runs. The tidy effort by Muralitharan and left-arm spinner Murali Kartik in the middle overs has played a massive role in RCBs wins in this tournament thus far. Now, the off-spin wizard is certain to make a comeback on the morrow for the Delhi game, and the Daredevils batsmen who are struggling for big runs would grimace at the possibility of tackling the master. The unexpected setback against Chennai notwithstanding, Royal Challengers are firm favourites at their backyard, and it has a lot to do with the
collective malfunction of Daredevils. On paper, they are a strong squad with players like David Warner, Virender Sehwag, skipper Mahela Jayawardene, Morne Morkel, Irfan Pathan and Jeevan Mendis filling their ranks. But they have lost all the four matches so far, failing to click as a unit. There were isolated sparks like Warners blistering fifty against Rajasthan Royals, but have struggled to cross the finishing line. They would certainly want to score their first points here on the morrow. RCB will be equally desperate to make amends for their silly defeat to Chennai, and it would make for an interesting spectacle when two teams with intent battle it out.
DH News Service
You can't get lower than the bottom, can you!? Were disappointed with where we are. But Im happy with our attitude towards the position were in. The guys have stayed positive. Its just a matter of getting that first win under your belt. Mushtaq Ahmed, the spin bowling coach of Daredevils, attributed the poor run of the team so far to the injuries to key players. Unfortunately, we had lots of injuries like KP and Ryder. Then there are people coming back from injuries like Irfan, Umesh and Nehra. The players who are coming back from injuries are getting into their peak fitness. Hopefully, they will attain peak fitness soon, said Ahmed. Simons also said Daredevils needed to win almost every game from now on. Every game we go into now is going to be a must-win in some shape or form; we accept that. Weve got RCB, CSK and MI those are three tough games and we need to come away from them with two wins at least. We understand were under pressure but if you dont enjoy pressure, you shouldnt be here.
Dhawan hoping to return soon
NEW DELHI, PTI: Having missed the first two weeks of the Indian Premier League due to a fractured hand, Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Shikhar Dhawan is hoping to return to action very soon and is awaiting a clearance from the NCA. The 27-year-old left-handed batsman is back in India after spending time with his family in Melbourne. Sunrisers coach, Tom Moody, tweeted, we are hopeful its within the next 10 days. Dhawan suffered the injury during the Mohali Test against Australia last month. That was his debut game and he shot to prominence with a record-breaking 187 -- the fastest by a debutant in Test history. Dhawan was ruled out for six weeks after sustaining the injury. Hopefully, I will be able to take the field soon. I just have to get the clearance from NCA. It will be soon, very soon, he had said before leaving for Australia.
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Points table
TEAMS M W L N/R PTS NET RR
WALK IN THE PARK RCB skipper Virat Kohli during his teams practice session in Bangalore. DH PHOTO/ KISHOR KUMAR BOLAR
Mumbai Indians 4 3 1 0 6 +1.150 Royal Challengers 5 3 2 0 6 +0.439 Rajasthan Royals 4 3 1 0 6 +0.230 Sunrisers 5 3 2 0 6 -0.380 Knight Riders 4 2 2 0 4 +0.223 Super Kings 4 2 2 0 4 -0.122 Pune Warriors 5 2 3 0 4 -0.854 Kings XI Punjab 3 1 2 0 2 +0.494 Delhi Daredevils 4 0 4 0 0 -0.836 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Star watch
KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS KINGS XI PUNJAB
Lacklustre Kings XI run into sturdy Knight Riders
MOHALI, PTI: Having slumped to two successive defeats, Kings XI Punjab will be hoping to revive their fortunes when they take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL-6 match here on Tuesday. Lacklustre KXIP would be looking to exploit the home conditions against a strong Kolkata outfit, who got back to winning ways after outplaying Sunrisers Hyderabad by 48 runs on Sunday at their home ground.
SUNIL NARINE: The 24year-old has scalped seven wickets from four matches and while his four-wicket effort in KKRs opening game is still his best, he can be expected to use the wicket at Mohali to his advantge and put on a stellar show.
PRAVEEN KUMAR: Barring his impressive show that powered Kings XI Punjab past Rajasthan Royals, the Uttar Pradesh medium pacer has not really delivered for Adam Gilchrists men. Its still early days and one can expect him to come good.
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Kings XI began their campaign on a winning note against Pune Warriors but had failed to sustain the momentum against Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. In fact, in their match against Rajasthan on Sunday night, they were handed a severe thrashing with the opposition running away with a comfortable six-wicket victory. The biggest problem for the Adam Gilchrist-led side is that
it has failed to utilise its full 20 overs in the last two games. The team folded in the 20th over against CSK, whereas it lost the plot in the 19th over against the formidable Rajasthan Royals. For Kings XI to make a contest against KKR, who start as clear favourites at the PCA Stadium, they would need the likes of Gilchrist, David Hussey, Mandeep Singh, Gurkeerat Singh, R Sathish to fire in unison. Hussey has been the lone
bright spot in KXIPs batting line up and they would expect him to continue his good show. As far as their bowling is concerned, Praveen Kumar will spearhead the attack with Ryan Harris, Azhar Mahmood and Parvinder Awana in the ranks. Even spinner Piyush Chawla is yet to play to his potential. The hosts need all their bowlers to play like a unit to make an impact against KKR. On the other hand, the Knight Riders are well aware
that against a weak opposition they stand a good chance to improve their tally at the league stage and hence, they would do everything to go for that kill. KKR would look to repeat their power-packed batting performance of Sunday night against Hyderabad. Significant contributions from skipper Gautam Gambhir (53), Eoin Morgan (47) and Jacques Kallis (41) enabled KKR to reach a commanding 180 for four on a slow track.
But the Sunrisers didnt have the firepower to make a match of it and they managed only 132 for seven, even as the bowlers tightened the nooze. It was a team effort and nothing less than that would satisfy the Knight Riders on Tuesday as well. The likes of Brett Lee and Laxmipathy Balaji on the fast and bouncy Mohali wicket would be a treat to watch. Besides, mystery spinner Sunil Narine is a dangerous turner of the ball.
