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Delhi Daredevils get a Royal thrashing

Nandakumar Marar

Shane Warne’s team canters into the IPL final with an emphatic victory

— Photo: K. Pichumani

JOB WELL DONE: Rajasthan Royals breezed into the final with Yusuf Pathan, Shane Warne and Man of the Match Shane Watson playing important roles.

MUMBAI: The purple cap on Sohail Tanvir’s head is a beacon for batsmen to recognize and respect the IPL’s highest wicket-taker. Captain Shane Warne’s gambit to use him as a pinch-hitter did not work. The Pakistani repaid his captain with a stunning catch on the fence to send back dangerman Virender Sehwag in over number two.

That signalled the beginning of the end for Delhi Daredevils in the first semifinal of the DLF-Indian Premier League at the Wankhede stadium here on Friday night. Sehwag and mates crumbled in 16.1 overs for 87 runs, chasing down 192 for nine in 20 overs.

Substitute Taruvar Kohli and Mohd Kaif displayed their reflexes to send back Gautam Gambhir and Dinesh Karthik respectively.

Rising to the occasion

Shane Watson (three for 10) rose to the occasion by preying on the batsmen’s anxiety and led the way towards a 105-run victory. Delhi’s batting heavyweights buckled under the weight of runs after Sehwag, Gambhir and Dhawan were back in the dugout within six overs, all victims of Watson.

Warne stressed on the work ethic in the side. “We played a perfect match today and need to play just one more perfect match,” said the Rajasthan skipper about the final coming up ahead.

Watson picked up his fourth man of the match award of the competition, Munaf Patel chipped in with a three-wicket haul.

Sehwag had given Delhi a headstart by winning the toss. Sri Lankan medium-pacer Farveez Maharoof (three for 34) and Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra (two for 37) managed to apply the brakes, but not before Rajasthan posted 192 in 20 overs on the strength of power-packed batting from Watson (52 off 25 balls), Pathan (45 off 21) and opener Swapnil Asnodkar (39 off 21).

McGrath’s homing instinct was on the spot as expected, forcing opener Graeme Smith to play him out and focus on runs against Mohd Asif.

Delicate flick

The South African opener warned up for action with a delicate flick off the hips to the fence, and then Asnodkar got into his audacious act, softening up Asif with slashes over point and mid-off. Both batsmen went after McGrath next, three boundaries in one over left the Aussie ace shaking his head in dismay.

IPL’s bowling icon till the semifinals, McGrath made no impression in a three-over spell, conceding 22 runs. Maharoof put the misery of a dropped catch behind him to swing Delhi back into the game by dismissing the openers.

Attack mode

Rajasthan’s hopes of a huge score lay in Watson’s hands. The Australian all-rounder moved into attack mode, swinging the bat at Yomahesh for two sixes, clearing the roof at square leg the first time.

Leg spinner Amit Mishra deceived Mohd Kaif to bring the curtain down on a 52-run fourth wicket stand, and then kept his nerve in the face of a furious onslaught from the imposing Yusuf Pathan and Watson.

The scores: Rajasthan Royals: G. Smith c Dhawan b Maharoof 25, S. Asnodkar c Tiwary b Maharoof 39, S. Tanvir c Karthik b Maharoof 5, S. Watson st Karthik b Mishra 52, M. Kaif b Mishra 12, Yusuf (run out) 45, R. Jadeja c Maharoof b Yomahesh 7, S. Warne c Sehwag b Yomahesh 0, M. Rawat c & b Asif 2, M. Patel (not out) 0, S. Trivedi (not out) 1; Extras: (lb-1, w-3) 4; Total: (for nine wkts. in 20 overs) 192.

Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-65, 3-76, 4-128, 5-155, 6-171, 7-172, 8-190, 9-191.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: McGrath 4-0-38-0, Asif 4-0-32-1, Yomahesh 4-0-50-2, Maharoof 4-0-34-3, Mishra 4-0-37-2.

Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir c sub (Kohli) b Watson 11, V. Sehwag c Tanvir b Watson 3, S. Dhawan c Jadeja b Watson 5, M. Tiwary c Asnodkar b Patel 0, T. Dilshan c Tanvir b Warne 33, D. Karthik c Kaif b Trivedi 10, F. Mahroof c Yusuf b Warne 6, A. Mishra b Patel 2, Yomahesh c Rawat b Patel 3, M. Asif (run out) 3, G. McGrath (not out) 4; Extras: (lb-3, w-4) 7; Total: (in 16.1 overs) 87.

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-23, 3-24, 4-28, 5-56, 6-75, 7-76, 8-77, 9-82.

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Tanvir 2-0-16-0, Watson 3-0-10-3, Munaf 4-0-17-3, Trivedi 3-0-20-1, Warne 4-0-21-2, Jadeja 0.1-0-0-0.

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