Virender Sehwag's heavyweight display fashioned Delhi Daredevils' triumphant march against a completely out of sorts Rajasthan Royals in the DLF-IPL III league match here on Monday. Set a target of 142 at a fraction higher than seven an over, the Daredevils bulldozed its way to victory with ample to spare.
Dimitri Mascarenhas's double strike that ejected Gautam Gambhir and T. Dilshan off successive balls did not deter the rampaging Sehwag from scoring 75 of the 99 runs that Delhi Daredevils tallied by the last ball of the 10th over.
Sehwag struck 13 big blows (eight 4s and five 6s); sufficient to guide his team to its second successive win of the tournament.
Pathan's failure
Sehwag's pyrotechnical display proved to be adequate compensation for Yusuf Pathan's failure with the bat. The game of cricket in any form can be at times very cruel. Though not every seat at the Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium was occupied, Motera was ready to witness another explosive knock from Pathan.
The rage of the competition because of his 37-ball century against Mumbai Indians at the Brabourne Stadium, the Baroda dynamite did not open his account. He faced five balls — one from leg-spinner Amit Mishra and four from Farveez Maharoof — and departed slogging Maharoof to A.B. de Villiers wide of long-on.
Pathan's dismissal in the last over of the power play altogether choked the supply of runs for Rajasthan Royals.
Eventually Royals was bailed out by Abhishek Jhunjhunwala's conventional approach. His last-ball boundary took him to 53 off 45 balls with five fours and one six. Himachal Pradesh's Paras Dogra promised much but fell at 29.
Aggressive intent
Openers Swapnil Asnodkar and Graeme Smith showed aggressive intent whipping up the big shots against Maharoof. Once Asnodkar and Naman Ojha fell, the Royals needed a big undertaking from either Smith or Pathan.
Daredevils leg-spinner Sarabjeet Ladda making a fine first impression in his quota of four overs.
The scores: Rajasthan Royals: S. Asnodkar c Dilshan b Nannes 5 ( 4b, 1x4), G. Smith c Sehwag b Sangwan 18 ( 17b, 4x4), N. Ojha b Mishra 24 ( 14b, 4x4, 1x6), Y. Pathan c de Villiers b Maharoof 0 ( 5b), A. Jhunjhunwala (not out) 53 ( 45b, 5x4, 1x6), P. Dogra (run out) 29 ( 26b, 1x4, 2x6), D. Mascarenhas (run out) 3 ( 3b), A. Uniyal (not out) 4 ( 6b); Extras (w-5): 5. Total (for 6 wkts in 20 overs): 141.
Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-45, 3-46, 4-50, 5-110, 6-115.
Delhi Daredevils bowling: Maharoof 4-0-32-1, Nannes 4-0-27-1, Mishra 4-0-34-1, Sangwan 4-0-20-1, Ladda 4-0-28-0.
Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir c Smith b Mascarenhas 9 ( 8b, 1x4), V. Sehwag c Smith b Patel 75 ( 34b, 8x4, 5x6), T. Dilshan c Ojha b Mascarenhas 0 ( 1b), A.B. de Villiers c sub b Warne 15 ( 24b), D. Karthik (not out) 24 ( 26b, 2x4), M. Manhas 11 ( 10b, 1x4); Extras (b-1, lb-2, w-5): 8. Total (for 4 wkts in 17.1 overs): 142.
Fall of wickets: 1-42, 2-42, 3-99, 4-114.
Rajasthan Royals bowling: Mascarenhas 4-0-31-2, Tait 4-0-27-0, Patel 3-0-32-1, Uniyal 2-0-25-0, Warne 4-0-22-1, Jhunjhunwala 0.1-0-2-0 .
