| 0.0 : A warm welcome to Match 40 of the Indian T20 League between Rajasthan and Delhi at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. The hosts will look to continue their winning momentum in the last match against Mumbai. Under Steven Smith's captaincy, things changed a bit for Rajasthan and his form has been a bonus for them. On the bowling front, Jofra Archer is the key bowler for them and he has been consistent with his line and lengths. On the other hand, Delhi need their openers to fire consistently and Rish |
| PITCH REPORT - Graeme Smith doing the pitch report says it is a very big playing surface. Adds there is a little bit of dryness on this track and there will be carry for the seamers. Also says there is a bit of grass and the length is going to be the key for the bowlers. Smith ends by saying that the team which wins the toss should bowl first and chase under lights. |
| TOSS - Time for the spin of the coin. Heads is the call from Iyer and Heads it is. DELHI WILL CHASE. |
| Delhi skipper, Shreyas Iyer, says that the stats favour the team chasing, hence the reason. Is confident about his side doing well while batting second and hopes to do well tonight as well. Informs that Delhi have made one change, with Chris Morris coming in for Sandeep Lamichhane. |
| Steven Smith feels that this wicket looks better than some of the other wickets this season. Adds that he wanted to bowl first but now, smirks and says that they have to bat first now and hopes to put on a big total on board. Wants his team to take confidence from the previous win against Mumbai and build on that. Informs that there are no changes from their last game. |
| Rajasthan (Unchanged) Playing XI - Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson(wk), Steven Smith(c), Ben Stokes, Riyan Parag, Ashton Turner, Stuart Binny, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni. |
| Delhi (Playing XI) - Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(wk), Colin Ingram, Chris Morris (IN FOR SANDEEP LAMICHHANE), Sherfane Rutherford, Axar Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma. |
| We are all set to begin. The Delhi players are out in the middle. Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson will open the batting for Rajasthan. Rahane to face the first ball. Ishant Sharma will start the proceedings for Delhi. |
| 0.1 : I Sharma to A Rahane, Oohhh... little bit of movement straightaway and a poke from Rahane. Outside off, on a length, Jinx reaches out to play at that but the ball moves away and beats his tentative push. |
| 0.2 : I Sharma to A Rahane, FOUR! Nicely done. Just a gentle push. Not a bad ball to be honest. Outside off, on a length, Rahane comes forward, gets to the pitch of the ball and just eases it between cover and point. |
| 0.3 : I Sharma to A Rahane, Outside off, on a length again, chopped down to point. |
| 0.4 : I Sharma to A Rahane, Full and outside off, pushed towards mid off. |
| 0.5 : I Sharma to A Rahane, On a good length this time, outside off, Ajinkya waits for the ball to come to him and then looks to tap and run to the off side but Samson declines the offer. Too risky. The point fielder was charging in. |
| 0.6 : I Sharma to A Rahane, Slower ball to finish the over, fuller in length, the former skipper chips it towards deep mid-wicket for one more. Just that one boundary in the over, else a pretty decent one from Ishant. |
| Kagiso Rabada to bowl from the other end. |
| 1.1 : K Rabada to A Rahane, OUT! Confusion and Samson is gone! Run out! Oh dear... what a bonus for Delhi. A communication breakdown between Samson and Rahane. On a length, around off, Rahane works it to the leg side and initially sets off for a single. Samson responds but then Rahane stops as he sees Rabada charge to the ball to his right. However, Samson does not see Rahane stopping initially. He continues to charge and then looks up and by that time, he is halfway down. He has to apply the bra |
| Captain Steven Smith walks in at number 3, replacing Samson. |
| 1.2 : K Rabada to A Rahane, Outside off again, watchfully defended. |
| 1.3 : K Rabada to A Rahane, FOUR! BRILLIANT! Rahane is up and running. Full and outside off, Rahane leans and drives it past the mid off fielder for a boundary! |
| 1.4 : K Rabada to A Rahane, Outside off, pushed straight to point. |
| 1.5 : K Rabada to A Rahane, Defended off the back foot by the batsman. |
| 1.6 : K Rabada to A Rahane, Outside off, steered towards third man for one more. |
| Axar Patel into the attack. |
| 2.1 : A Patel to A Rahane, Full and around off, worked towards short mid-wicket. |
| 2.2 : A Patel to A Rahane, FOUR! Nicely done again. Third boundary for R and R. Meaning, Rajasthan and Rahane. Jinx steps down the track, gets to the pitch of the ball and just uses his wrists to flick it over mid-wicket for a boundary! |
| 2.3 : A Patel to A Rahane, Pushes this towards long on for a single. |
| 2.4 : A Patel to S Smith, Around off, the arm ball, pushed towards long on for a single. The skipper is off the mark. |
| 2.5 : A Patel to A Rahane, Comes down the track and has a wild swipe. Gets it towards deep mid-wicket for one. |
| 2.6 : A Patel to S Smith, Tossed up on middle, Smith comes down the track and flicks it through mid-wicket for a run. 8 runs have come from the over. |
| Change of ends for Ishant. 1-0-5-0 so far. |
| 3.1 : I Sharma to S Smith, On a good length on off, Smith taps it to point. |
| 3.2 : I Sharma to S Smith, On a good length on off, Smith blocks it off his front foot. |
| 3.3 : I Sharma to S Smith, On a good length on leg, Smith looks to flick but gets hit on the thigh pad. |
| 3.4 : I Sharma to S Smith, FOUR! He dives, he flies and ALMOST GETS THERE! Who is that? An alien? An earthling? In Alan Wilkins' words, he is 'Abra ca Dabra, Kagiso Rabada!' What an effort. Take a bow. A length ball, on middle, Smith looks to go over the top but the ball holds in the surface a little bit. Hence, it hits the splice of the bat and lobs in the air. Initially it seems like it will beat the mid on fielder but Rabada makes a spectacular dive to his left, full length and tries hard. But |
| 3.5 : I Sharma to S Smith, Not cleanly timed again but better than the previous one. Length delivery on middle, Smith lofts it over mid on once again. Rabada chases the ball and slides well to stop it before the ropes. He saves one run for the team. The batsmen get three runs. |
| 3.6 : I Sharma to A Rahane, On a good length on leg, Rahane makes room and looks to pull but misses it. |
| 4.1 : A Patel to S Smith, Floated on middle, Smith flicks it towards mid-wicket for a run. |
| 4.2 : A Patel to A Rahane, IN THE AIR... BUT DROPPED! Oh Ishant, Ishant, Ishant... what have you done? Full and around middle, Rahane gets down and looks to sweep. It goes off the top edge a bit and straight to Ishant Sharma at short fine leg. But the ball goes in and then out! Put down... |
| 4.3 : A Patel to A Rahane, SIX! Up, up and away! There comes the first six of the game. Full and around middle, Rahane comes down the track and sends it sailing over the sightscreen! |
| 4.4 : A Patel to A Rahane, FOUR! TOP EDGE again! Rahane is leading a charmed life. Full and around off, Rahane looks to sweep again and gets a top edge which flies over the keeper to the fence behind! |
| 4.5 : A Patel to A Rahane, Full and outside off, Rahane drives it to long off for a single. |
| 4.6 : A Patel to S Smith, Floated on middle, Smith drives it towards mid on for a run. |
| Kagiso Rabada to bowl the final over of the Powerplay. |
| 5.1 : K Rabada to S Smith, Length delivery on middle, Smith flicks it through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 5.2 : K Rabada to A Rahane, SIX! SLAP! No respect. A length ball outside off, Rahane comes down the track and smashes it over long off! |
| 5.3 : K Rabada to A Rahane, Full toss on middle, Rahane flicks it through mid-wicket. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 5.4 : K Rabada to A Rahane, FOUR! A 153.4 kph ball has been sent to the fence! Fired in on middle, Rahane gets across and just tickles it past short fine leg for a boundary! |
| 5.5 : K Rabada to A Rahane, Length delivery on middle, Rahane flicks it towards square leg for a run. |
| 5.6 : K Rabada to S Smith, On a good length on off, Smith plays it to point. 14 runs have come from the over. Rajasthan are 52/1 after 6 overs. A decent Powerplay for the visitors. |
| Amit Mishra time. |
| 6.1 : A Mishra to A Rahane, Full and outside off, pushed through the covers for a single. |
| 6.2 : A Mishra to S Smith, The batsman has punched the ball off the back foot. They pick up a single. |
| 6.3 : A Mishra to A Rahane, Outside off, Jinx looks to push it through the off side but misses. |
| 6.4 : A Mishra to A Rahane, Driven through the mid on region. The batsmen have picked up a couple of runs. 50-RUN STAND IS UP! |
| 6.5 : A Mishra to A Rahane, 50 partnership between Ajinkya Rahane and Steven Smith. Flighted delivery on middle, Rahane flicks it towards mid-wicket. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 6.6 : A Mishra to A Rahane, Full on middle, Rahane drives it towards mid on for a run. |
| Chris Morris into the attack. |
| 7.1 : C Morris to A Rahane, Length delivery on off, Rahane drives it towards covers for a single. |
| 7.2 : C Morris to S Smith, On a good length on middle, Smith looks to push but it goes of the inner half of the bat. It goes towards mid-wicket. |
| 7.3 : C Morris to S Smith, On a length on middle, Smith flicks it through square leg for a single. |
| 7.4 : C Morris to A Rahane, FOUR! SLAUGHTERED! What has Rahane had for a snack in the evening? A 32-ball 50 for the former skipper! Short and outside off, Rahane pounces onto the length and pulls it over mid-wicket, over the fielder, who for some reason, is standing 15 yards in. One bounce and into the ropes. Had he been back, Rahane would have been back as well - to the dugout. |
| 7.5 : C Morris to A Rahane, WIDE! Bowls a sharp bouncer, Rahane does well to duck under it. The umpire gives it a wide for height. |
| C Morris to A Rahane, On a length on middle, Rahane flicks it towards square leg for a run. |
| 7.6 : C Morris to S Smith, FOUR! Poor bowling. Full and down the leg side, on the pads, Smith says thank you very much and flicks it through mid-wicket. The ball races away to the fence. 12 from Morris' first. |
| Strategic Break! Delhi needed this break. one would have through that after Samson's wicket, the hosts would be pegged back but Ajinkya Rahane has come out all guns blazing. Both him and Smith are looking well set for a big score. Do Delhi have any answers? |
| 8.1 : A Mishra to A Rahane, Floated delivery on middle, Rahane flicks it towards mid-wicket for a run. |
| 8.2 : A Mishra to S Smith, Tossed up on middle, Smith goes on one knee and plays a sweep through mid-wicket. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 8.3 : A Mishra to S Smith, FOUR! STUPENDOUS! This is called toying with the bowling. One of the toughest shots to play. That is why, he is also called Precocious. The batsman here has to first come down the track and get to the pitch of the ball. Then with his wrists, maneuver the ball against the spin. Too difficult. But Smith makes it look too easy and whips it to the mid-wicket fence. 'Asian wrists' says Murali Kartik on air. |
| 8.4 : A Mishra to S Smith, Short and outside off, Smith guides it to short third man. |
| 8.5 : A Mishra to S Smith, Short and outside off, Smith slaps it through covers where the fielder dives but it goes through him. The batsmen get a single. |
| 8.6 : A Mishra to A Rahane, Floated on middle, Rahane flicks it towards wide mid on. The batsmen get two runs. |
| Axar Patel is back on. 2-0-21-1 so far. |
| 9.1 : A Patel to S Smith, Flighted delivery on middle, Smith drives it towards mid on for a single. |
| 9.2 : A Patel to A Rahane, FOUR! Classic batting! Full and outside off, Rahane comes down the track and lofts it over cover for a boundary! |
| 9.3 : A Patel to A Rahane, Floated outside off, Rahane chips it over covers. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 9.4 : A Patel to A Rahane, FOUR! Wonderful batting. Rahane continues to takes runs off Axar. Fractionally short, around middle, Jinx gets down on a knee and pull-paddles this, past short fine leg. |
| 9.5 : A Patel to A Rahane, Floated on middle, Rahane flicks it through mid-wicket. The batsmen get two runs. Good running between the wickets. |
| 9.6 : A Patel to A Rahane, Tossed up on middle, Rahane plays it towards mid on for a run. |
| 10.1 : A Mishra to A Rahane, Tossed up on middle, Rahane comes down the track and drives it towards mid on for a single. |
| 10.2 : A Mishra to S Smith, FOUR! SMASH! As a bowler, Mishra did nothing wrong. But as a batsman, Smith was 200 percent excellent. Unbelievable shot. Tossed up, around middle, Smith comes down the track and whips it against the spin, over mid-wicket for a boundary. |
| 10.3 : A Mishra to S Smith, FOUR! How does he play that? Another wonderful shot. Full and outside off, Smith leans and then at the last moment, opens the face of the bat. But it is controlled and the drive goes between cover and point! |
| 10.4 : A Mishra to S Smith, OOPS! What has happened there? Tossed up on middle, Smith comes down the track and plays it back towards Mishra. Now, here is the drama. Mishy collects the ball and throws it at the keeper's end but because Smith is in the way, the throw is wayward. Now, spare a thought for Rishabh Pant. He is blinded with Smith in the way but still tries to stop it with his left glove. It pings him hard and he immediately takes his glove off. Smith asks him whether he is fine and Pant |
| Pant is in pain and there is a slight holdup in play. |
| 10.5 : A Mishra to S Smith, 100-run stand between Steven Smith and Ajinkya Rahane! In just 58 balls. It has been a wonderful fightback after the early loss of Samson. Flighted delivery on middle, Smith flicks it towards mid-wicket for a run. |
| 10.6 : A Mishra to A Rahane, Short and outside off, Rahane cuts it through point for a single. 11 from the over, 47 off the last 4! |
| Sherfane Rutherford to bowl now. |
| 11.1 : S Rutherford to A Rahane, WIDE. Full and way down the leg side, Rahane misses his flick and Pant collects. |
| S Rutherford to A Rahane, On a length on middle, Rahane pulls it past the bowler through mid on for a run. |
| 11.2 : S Rutherford to S Smith, FOUR! Poor ball. Down the leg side, tickled past the keeper to the fine leg fence. |
| 11.3 : S Rutherford to S Smith, FOUR! Another off cutter and punished! A slower short ball, around off, Smith pulls it wide of mid on and gets a boundary! |
| 11.4 : S Rutherford to S Smith, FOUR! Hat-trick of boundaries! Full and wide outside off, Smith leans, opens the face of the bat and guides it between point and backward point! |
| 11.5 : S Rutherford to S Smith, WIDE! Bowls it wide and outside off, Smith shoulders his arms to this one. |
| S Rutherford to S Smith, Bowls an off cutter on middle, Smith pulls it through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 11.6 : S Rutherford to A Rahane, Length delivery outside off, Rahane guides it to short third man. 63 runs have come from the last 5. |
| Chris Morris returns. 1-0-12-0 so far. |
| 12.1 : C Morris to S Smith, Length delivery on middle, Smith nudges it towards square leg for a run. |
| 12.2 : C Morris to A Rahane, SIX! Improvisation! Unbelievable batting continues from both these batsmen. Full and outside off, Rahane gets down and across and then scoops it over short fine leg. It goes all the way! |
| 12.3 : C Morris to A Rahane, FOUR! Impeccable timing! Full and outside off, Rahane comes down the track, with the intention of going over mid off. But halfway through, he checks his shot. It looks like he will hit it straight to mid off but nay, it clears Ishant Sharma comfortably! |
| 12.4 : C Morris to A Rahane, Length delivery outside off, Rahane helps it towards third man for a run. |
| 12.5 : C Morris to S Smith, A rare dot ball from Delhi. Full on off, Smith plays it to covers. |
| 12.6 : C Morris to S Smith, Back-to-back 50s for Steven Smith. Excellent innings from him. Full on off, Smith drives it towards mid off for a run. |
| 13.1 : A Patel to S Smith, OUT! Smith holes out! 'You could have hit two more runs, sir!' yells my colleague selfy from here. Because those two runs would have meant 2000 Indian T20 League runs for him. Coming to the ball, it was fired up flat outside off, Smith came down the track and looked to go over the top. Unfortunately for him though, the ball hit the toe end of the bat. Still, it looked to clear the man stationed there. Thankfully for Delhi, it was a tall man. Chris Morris judged the catc |
| 0.0 : Ben Stokes walks in at number 4, replacing his skipper. |
| 13.2 : A Patel to Ben Stokes, Tossed up on middle, Stokes plays it straight towards the bowler. |
| 13.3 : A Patel to Ben Stokes, Flighted delivery on middle, Stokes flicks it towards square leg and gets off the mark with a single. |
| 13.4 : A Patel to A Rahane, Floated on off, Rahane drives it towards covers for a run. |
| 13.5 : A Patel to Ben Stokes, Short and outside off, Stokes slaps it to covers. |
| 13.6 : A Patel to Ben Stokes, Tossed up on middle, Stokes flicks it through mid-wicket. The batsmen get two runs. Productive over for Delhi. 4 runs and a big wicket of Steven Smith. |
| Ishant Sharma is back on. 2-0-12-0 so far. |
| 14.1 : I Sharma to A Rahane, A short ball, outside off, slower in pace, Rahane looks to pull but is foxed by the lack of pace. He is hit on the ribs and the ball deflects towards point. A leg bye taken. |
| 14.2 : I Sharma to Ben Stokes, FOUR! SMASH! That is important for Rajasthan - momentum cannot afford to dip. Full and outside off, Stokes comes down the track and powers it past mid off for a boundary! |
| 14.3 : I Sharma to Ben Stokes, Short delivery on leg, Stokes pulls it to short mid-wicket. |
| 14.4 : I Sharma to Ben Stokes, Full on leg, Stokes comes forward and drives it to long on for a run. |
| 14.5 : I Sharma to A Rahane, FOUR! Rahane moves to 87. Full and outside off, Rahane leans and carves it over cover for a boundary! |
| 14.6 : I Sharma to A Rahane, 150 up for Rajasthan. Full on middle, Rahane flicks it through mid-wicket for a single. |
| STRATEGIC BREAK for the second time in this innings. 98 runs in the last 9 overs. Clearly Rajasthan have not backed off at all. They have made good use of this great pitch but the problem is, with the dew setting in, even 200 may not be enough. However, they at least need to get to that landmark and back themselves to defend the same. Rahane is looking in terrific touch tonight and it all depends on how he bats and how long he bats. CHRIS MORRIS returns. 2-0-25-0 so far. |
| 15.1 : C Morris to A Rahane, Length delivery outside off, Rahane chips it over covers. The batsmen pick up a couple. |
| 15.2 : C Morris to A Rahane, FOUR! Soft delivery from Morris but what timing from Rahane. Square leg was up in the ring and Morris offers a hit-me ball, bowling it on a length on the pads. All Rahane has to do is use his wrists and guide it over square leg. Still, the timing was excellent. |
| 15.3 : C Morris to A Rahane, Bowls a yorker on middle, Rahane does well to dig it out and plays it back towards Morris. |
| 15.4 : C Morris to A Rahane, Short and outside off, Rahane cuts it through point for a run. |
| 15.5 : C Morris to Ben Stokes, OUT! Caught! Stokes has holed out to a full toss. And he cannot believe it. It is a bit of a high full toss and hence perhaps Ben mistimed it. The ball barely carried towards long on where Shreyas Iyer took it comfortably, almost 15 yards inside the boundary line. |
| Ashton Turner comes in at number 5, replacing Stokes. He is on the back of 4 consecutive ducks, in the T20 format. |
| 15.6 : C Morris to A Rahane, Length delivery on off, Rahane plays it towards third man for a run. |
| Out? Has Turner bagged another duck? There is a run out appeal been made. Referred upstairs... |
| 16.1 : I Sharma to A Rahane, SAFE. Turner can bat on for some more time. Full and outside off, Rahane drives this wide of long off and calls for two straightaway. Shreyas Iyer attacks the ball and returns a good throw to the bowler and Ishant Sharma takes the bails off and appeals. However, replays show that the Aussie is in. |
| 16.2 : I Sharma to A Rahane, There it is! CENTURY FOR RAHANE! His second in the Indian T20 League. Just a few days ago, there were some people who were questioning Rahane's position in the team. Tonight, their questions might have been answered. A century in just 58 balls. So no time wasting. 11 fours, 3 sixes. Gets there with a gentle flick through mid-wicket and charges back for the second. |
| 16.3 : I Sharma to A Rahane, Length delivery on middle, Rahane flicks it towards square leg for a run. |
| 16.4 : I Sharma to A Turner, OUT! Caught! 5TH CONSECUTIVE DUCK FOR TURNER IN THE T20 FORMAT! Full and outside off, Turner comes forward and chips it away, but straight to Sherfane Rutherford at short extra cover! He cannot buy a run, this Aussie. |
| Stuart Binny walks in at number 6, replacing Turner. |
| 16.5 : I Sharma to S Binny, Full on leg, Binny flicks it through mid-wicket. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 16.6 : I Sharma to S Binny, Yorker outside off, Binny looks to drive but misses it. 7 runs and a wicket from the over, Ishant has excellent figures for the evening - 4-0-29-1, on a day when everyone else has been taken to the cleaners. |
| Kagiso Rabada is back on. 2-0-19-0 so far. |
| 17.1 : K Rabada to A Rahane, On a length on middle, Rahane flicks it towards mid-wicket for a single. |
| 17.2 : K Rabada to S Binny, Full on middle, Binny flicks it through mid-wicket. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 17.3 : K Rabada to S Binny, FOUR! Off the top edge, but Rajasthan will take it. A short ball, outside off, Binny looks to pull but the ball comes on too quickly for him. Takes the top edge and goes over the keeper. Pant and short third man hare after it, but in vain. |
| 17.4 : K Rabada to S Binny, Full toss on leg, Binny hits it to long on for a single. |
| 17.5 : K Rabada to A Rahane, IN THE AIR BUT SAFE! Rabada bowls a short of a length delivery, Rahane looks to pull but gets a top edge. It goes towards mid-wicket where it falls in no man's land. Rabada runs to his right but does not get there. The batsmen take a run in the process. |
| 17.6 : K Rabada to S Binny, Short delivery, Binny pulls it towards mid-wicket for a single. |
| 18.1 : C Morris to S Binny, Full and down the leg side, worked behind square leg for a single. |
| 18.2 : C Morris to A Rahane, Full on off, Rahane drives it to long off for a single. |
| 18.3 : C Morris to S Binny, Full toss on middle, Binny pulls it over mid-wicket. The batsmen get two runs. |
| 18.4 : C Morris to S Binny, Play and a miss! On the shorter side outside off, Binny looks to pull but misses it. |
| 18.5 : C Morris to S Binny, Bowls a yorker outside off, Binny looks to drive but misses it. This is good bowling from Chris Morris. |
| 18.6 : C Morris to S Binny, FOUR! Clean hitting. Morris goes length and that too, at the death. Punished. Binny whips it from middle and leg over mid-wicket and gets a boundary. A fine last over from Morris, apart from that final ball but take a look at his figures - 4-0-41-1. He has taken a beating. |
| 19.1 : K Rabada to A Rahane, TOP EDGE, BUT SAFE! Could that have been taken though? A length ball outside off, Rahane initially looks for the paddle but the ball comes on very slowly. So he tries to play the reverse paddle but is cramped for room. All he manages is a top edge which does not carry to Prithvi Shaw running to his right from fine leg. However, another look at that and one feels that had Shaw charged in a bit more, he might have got that catch. Rabada gives Rahane a good old-fashioned |
| 19.2 : K Rabada to S Binny, Full and around middle, whipped over mid-wicket for a couple. |
| 19.3 : K Rabada to S Binny, WIDE. Full and well outside off, Binny looks to reach out and hit but misses. |
| K Rabada to S Binny, OUT! BOWLED! That is perfect from Rabada. A corker of a yorker. Fired in on middle, Binny is too late in getting his bat down and khadoosh! The ball goes under and uproots the stumps. That was delivered with a scrambled seam. |
| Riyan Parag walks in at number 7, replacing Binny. |
| 19.4 : K Rabada to R Parag, The batsman was beaten and missed the line of the delivery. |
| 19.5 : K Rabada to R Parag, FOUR! Nice timing. This young kid is coming off a good game against Mumbai. A length ball, around middle and leg, Parag just turns it behind square leg and finds the boundary. |
| 19.6 : K Rabada to R Parag, OUT! BOWLED! A wicket of a yorker earlier and now a wicket off a full toss. Rabada just continues to take wickets. Not the best of balls but it is too quick for Parag who was trying to back away and smash it over cover. But he was done in by the 151.7 kph full toss, lost it completely and the leg stump was sent for a walk. RAJASTHAN FINISH ON 191/6! |
| A good score from Rajasthan but Delhi will not mind this too much. The hosts were 150/2 at the end of 15 overs, which means, the last 5 overs have yielded just 41. Rabada and Morris were excellent at the death and the home side simply could not find enough boundaries. Just 4 of them in that period. |
| A score which was built on the basis of one partnership - A 130 between Ajinkya Rahane and Steven Smith for the second wicket. The skipper was dismissed soon after reaching his 50 but the former skipper had a point to prove. He batted for 100 minutes and made 105, in just 63 balls. Studded with 11 fours and 3 sixes, he kept Delhi at bay, though, he will agree that his team might be 10-15 runs short. |
| A mixed bag of bowling from Delhi. Ishant was the pick of the lot, with 1/29 in 4 overs but the rest struggled, including Rabada, before he bounced back in the last 4 overs. Interestingly, Delhi, who went in with 2 spinners, had joint figures of 7-0-67-1. Rajasthan have two in Gopal and Parag. |
| The pitch is excellent and there might be dew on offer. Can Delhi chase this total down? Are Rajasthan a few runs short indeed? The run chase is up next... |
| 0.0 : We are back for the chase! Shikhar Dhawan and Pritvi Shaw are the openers for Delhi. The right-hander will take the strike. Stuart Binny will start the proceedings for Rajasthan. Here we go.... |
| 0.1 : S Binny to P Shaw, Excellent drive by Shaw to begin with! Slightly fuller in length and on off, it shapes away a little. PS leans into it and hits it nicely but to the man at covers. |
| 0.2 : S Binny to P Shaw, Shaw and Delhi are underway! Binny pulls his length back this time but the line is once again around off, Shaw waits for it and then guides it towards short third man for a single. |
| 0.3 : S Binny to S Dhawan, Dhawan straightaway goes after Binny. Such is the confidence of the man. He dances down the ground and then looks to flick. It goes off the inner half towards short fine leg. Kulkarni there makes a good stop. A little to his left or to his right, it would have been a boundary. |
| 0.4 : S Binny to S Dhawan, Goes short this time does Binny and on the body of Dhawan. The batter pulls it through backward square leg and takes one. He too is off the mark. |
| 0.5 : S Binny to P Shaw, Another good looking drive but finds the fielder! Length and on off, Shaw strokes it on the up but to covers. He has played two good shots in that region but has failed to find the gap. The good thing though is, he is middling it nicely. |
| 0.6 : S Binny to P Shaw, Just a single to begin a decent first by Binny. Shaw though would feel he had a chance to score a boundary. This is on the pads, Shaw works it close to short fine leg and takes another single. |
| Dhawal Kulkarni to bowl from the other end. |
| 1.1 : D Kulkarni to P Shaw, Kulkarni starts with a short delivery outside off, Shaw smashes it from his back foot to mid off for a single. Smith at that position slides to his right to save any further runs. |
| 1.2 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, A fuller length delivery outside off, Dhawan was looking to cut it without much foot movement. Fails to connect. |
| 1.3 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, SIX! Terrific from Dhawan. First of the innings! He shuffles across once again and Kulkarni bowls it where the batter wanted him to, on the pads. Shikhar picks it over the mid-wicket fence for a biggie. |
| 1.4 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, A little width offered outside off, Dhawan cuts it straight to point. Shikhar would be disappointed as he missed a nice opportunity to score some runs. |
| 1.5 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, FOUR! First boundary too comes from Dhawan's bat. Kulkarni bowls it short and it has been put away. Shikhar stands tall and pulls it. It is not off the middle but still has enough to get to the mid-wicket fence. |
| 1.6 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, A back of a length ball around off, Dhawan pushes it towards the cover region for a single. 12 runs from the over, an expensive first from Kulkarni. |
| Jaydev Unadkat is on now! |
| 2.1 : J Unadkat to S Dhawan, FOUR! Welcome into the attack! Dhawan going straightaway after a man who is low on confidence to dent it further. Dhawan steps down the track and it is a length ball. He smashes it past mid on and a boundary results. |
| 2.2 : J Unadkat to S Dhawan, A back of length delivery on off, Dhawan waits for it and guides it towards short third man. Single taken. |
| 2.3 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, Unadkat pulls his length little bit, bowls this on leg. Shaw flicks it to mid-wicket. |
| 2.4 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, A length delivery on leg, Prithvi Shaw punches it to mid on. |
| 2.5 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, Fuller on leg, Shaw flicks it to mid-wicket for a single. |
| 2.6 : J Unadkat to S Dhawan, Unadkat bowls this back of a length delivery on leg. Dhawan flicks it to square leg and shouts for two straightaway but settles for a single. |
| Shreyas Gopal is on! |
| 3.1 : S Gopal to S Dhawan, SIX! All the way! A boundary to begin the over. Pressure on the bowler now. Dhawan brings out his favorite sweep shot. The ball though takes the top edge but it flies over the fine leg fence. It was the quicker one from Gopal and hence, it went all the way. |
| 3.2 : S Gopal to S Dhawan, FOUR! Up and over the bowler's head! 10 from the first two balls. Dhawan dances down the track and gets to the pitch of the ball. He lofts it over the bowler and bags another boundary. |
| 3.3 : S Gopal to S Dhawan, The googly and it is on middle, Dhawan pushes it back to the bowler. Some aggression from Gopal as he fires it towards the keeper who does well to dive to his left and stop it. |
| 3.4 : S Gopal to S Dhawan, FOUR! Another sweep, another boundary. Dealing in boundaries is Dhawan. He goes down on one knee again and sweeps it through backward square leg. No fielder in the deep. |
| 3.5 : S Gopal to S Dhawan, A tossed up delivery on off, Dhawan drives it with a straight bat to mid off. |
| 3.6 : S Gopal to S Dhawan, A back of a length delivery on leg, Shikhar flicks it towards the mid-wicket region for a single. 15 runs from the over. Another expensive one and Delhi have the kind of start they would have wanted. |
| Jofra Archer is on now! |
| 4.1 : J Archer to S Dhawan, FOUR! Third over in a row which has started with a boundary! Too easy this for Dhawan, it is on his pads and he flicks it through mid-wicket. The ball races away. Dhawan now has 37 from the 41 scored. |
| 4.2 : J Archer to S Dhawan, A good comeback delivery of Archer. Bowls this a little short of a good length on off. Dhawan guides it to third man for a single. |
| 4.3 : J Archer to P Shaw, Short delivery by Jofra, Shaw rocks back and cuts it to point. |
| 4.4 : J Archer to P Shaw, A length delivery on leg, Shaw flicks it towards the square leg region for a single. Shaw seems happy rotating strike. |
| 4.5 : J Archer to S Dhawan, Good change of length by Archer. Bowls this short on off, Dhawan guides it to third man for a run. |
| 4.6 : J Archer to P Shaw, Another short delivery picked up well by Shaw, pulls it towards the mid-wicket a single. Despite the boundary just 8 from the over. |
| Dhawal Kulkarni is back into the attack! |
| 5.1 : D Kulkarni to P Shaw, FOUR! Make that 4 overs in a row that has begun with a boundary. Shaw finally gets hold of one. It is on the shorter side, Shaw stands tall and pulls it over mid-wicket. |
| 5.2 : D Kulkarni to P Shaw, DROPPED! Ashton Turner is the culprit. He is having an edition to forget. First a duck on the very first ball and now a dropped catch when Rajasthan needed a wicket. Yes, it was a skier but it should have been taken. Kulkarni bangs it short, this one is quicker than the last ball. Shaw goes for the pull again but does not get on top of the bounce. A top edge is produced and it goes high up in the air towards mid-wicket. Ashton there runs back and looks to take it with |
| 5.3 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, A length delivery around off, Dhawan drives it towards the cover region. Turner at covers dives to his right and saves runs. |
| 5.4 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, FOUR! Innovation and it comes off. Shuffles right across the off pole. Kulkarni bowls a low full toss outside off. Dhawan still manages to scoop it in the fine leg region for a boundary. |
| 5.5 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, FOUR! Consecutive boundaries and third in the over. Slightly short on middle and Kulkarni picks the length early. He pulls it hard through mid-wicket and you need not run for those. |
| 5.6 : D Kulkarni to S Dhawan, Sensible batting from Dhawan. Already 13 from the over. Kulkarni bowls this short. Shikhar just taps it towards short fine leg and takes a single. That makes it 14 from the over. End of the Powerplay and Delhi are 59/0. They are in control at the moment. |
| Strategic break has been signaled! A much-needed break for the hosts to be honest. They have been battered in the Powerplay, the crowd here has gone quiet and the dropped catch in this over has not helped. It seems like their body language has also dropped. They need someone to step up for them here and first break this partnership and then try and pull things back. Delhi on the other hand, would hope the two to continue. However, they would like Shaw to help Dhawan a little more. Will we see De |
| Riyan Parag is on now! |
| 6.1 : R Parag to S Dhawan, Parag starts with a short of a length on off, Dhawan plays it towards the cover region for a run. |
| 6.2 : R Parag to P Shaw, Parag bowls this short of a length delivery on leg, Shaw flicks it mid-wicket for a single. |
| 6.3 : R Parag to S Dhawan, A back of a length delivery on off, Dhawan punches it towards the cover region for a single. This brings 50 for Dhawan. A well paced inning by Shikar Dhawan, now he will look to convert this start. |
| 6.4 : R Parag to P Shaw, FOUR! Poor ball and put away! Short and on middle, Shaw goes back and pulls it through square leg. It is in the gap and they get the boundary they need every over. |
| 6.5 : R Parag to P Shaw, Gives it a lot of air this time and bowls it on off, Shaw strokes it to covers. |
| 6.6 : R Parag to P Shaw, Top edge but safe! This is fired down the leg side. Shaw goes for the sweep but gets a top edge. It lands safe in the fine leg region and a run is taken. Another productive over for the visitors. |
| Shreyas Gopal is back on! |
| 7.1 : S Gopal to P Shaw, A short delivery by Gopal, Shaw pulls it to mid-wicket. Single taken. |
| 7.2 : S Gopal to S Dhawan, FOUR! Hammered! Poor length again, it is short and on middle, Dhawan goes back and pulls it hard through mid-wicket for another boundary. |
| 7.3 : S Gopal to S Dhawan, OUT! STUMPED! Gopal is the man who provides Rajasthan the breakthrough. How many times have we seen him delivering for his captain this season? Clever stuff from him. He sees Dhawan come down the track so he fires it at 92.5 KPH and wide outside off. Dhawan fails to put bat on ball as he is a touch late in the shot. Samson behind, collects the ball and whips the bails off. Gopal waves him off. An excellent innings though from Dhawan, he has got Delhi off to a very good |
| Shreyas Iyer comes out to bat! |
| 7.4 : S Gopal to S Iyer, A tossed up delivery, Iyer drives it to long off and gets off the mark straightaway. |
| 7.5 : S Gopal to P Shaw, A length delivery on off, Shaw plants his front foot firmly and drives it straight to covers. |
| 7.6 : S Gopal to P Shaw, Gopal sprays this on leg, Shaw flicks it to short fine leg. 119 runs needed of 72 balls. |
| 8.1 : R Parag to S Iyer, A misfield and a run! Shortish and outside off, Iyer cuts it nicely but towards point. The fielder there misfields and a run is taken. |
| 8.2 : R Parag to P Shaw, Shaw eases this down to long on and takes one. |
| 8.3 : R Parag to S Iyer, This is fired on the stumps, Iyer goes back and works it to mid-wicket. |
| 8.4 : R Parag to S Iyer, A couple now! Slightly short and on off, Iyer goes for the hoick but mistimes it towards wide long on. They go for the second and Shaw in the end makes it. |
| 8.5 : R Parag to S Iyer, OUT! Straight to the man! Two wickets in quick succession for the hosts and they are back on top now. The in-form Delhi skipper is walking back without making much of an impact. A nothing delivery to be honest this. It is short and on off, Iyer once again looks to pull but does not get the desired connection. He hits it flat and straight down the throat of Ben Stokes at the mid-wicket boundary. He takes a dolly. Suddenly the crowd here has come alive. |
| Rishabh Pant is the new man in! |
| 8.6 : R Parag to R Pant, A single to end another excellent over for the hosts. Just the 5 runs and a wicket from it. This is short and on middle, Pant goes back and pulls it flat but on the bounce to deep mid-wicket. A single taken. |
| Jofra Archer is back! |
| 9.1 : J Archer to R Pant, Archer fires this yorker on middle, Pant digs it out to mid-wicket. |
| 9.2 : J Archer to R Pant, A great delivery by Archer. A back of a length delivery on off, coming in for Pant. Pant was in double mind in this. At first he looks to cut it but then decides to guide it towards the third man but is very late to decide. He fails to connect and is beaten. |
| 9.3 : J Archer to R Pant, Full on leg, Pant flicks it to mid-wicket for a run. |
| 9.4 : J Archer to P Shaw, Back of a length and skidding off the surface. Shaw guides it down to third man and gets to the other end. |
| 9.5 : J Archer to R Pant, That was quick! Short and well-directed. Pant at the very end ducks under the ball. |
| 9.6 : J Archer to R Pant, Another excellent full delivery on middle, Pant jams it down to long on and takes one. 14 from the last 3 overs, Delhi finding it difficult to score runs now. |
| 10.1 : R Parag to R Pant, Short and angling into the body, Pant pulls it hard but straight towards mid-wicket for a single. |
| 10.2 : R Parag to P Shaw, What happened there? The bowler is just not happy. Shaw is way too early in his slog sweep. It goes off the bottom edge towards the right of the bowler. He goes for it but collides with the batsman who does nothing wrong though as he is standing his ground. He fails to stop it and a run is taken. |
| 10.3 : R Parag to R Pant, FOUR! This time he pays the price for bowling short. Pant is down on one knee and he pulls it through backward square leg for a much-needed boundary. Delhi would hope, this gets Pant going. |
| 10.4 : R Parag to R Pant, A length delivery on off, Pant comes down the track and plays it towards the mid-wicket region. Gets a double. |
| 10.5 : R Parag to R Pant, FOUR! Not learning is Parag here. He bangs it short again, Pant rocks back and hammers it through mid-wicket. It is in the gap and it is the second boundary of the over. |
| 10.6 : R Parag to R Pant, Parag bowls this outside off, Pant looks to cut but ends up chopping it to covers. A dot to end but an excellent over for Delhi, 12 from it. Also, this was probably Parag's last over for tonight. |
| Shreyas Gopal is back into the attack! |
| 11.1 : S Gopal to P Shaw, FOUR! Lovely shot! The placement here is the key. Shaw uses his feet but does not get to the pitch of the ball. He though still manages to stroke it past cover and away from long off for a boundary. Ideal start to the over. |
| 11.2 : S Gopal to P Shaw, Now brings out the sweep shot but it is straight to the man at deep square leg for a run. |
| 11.3 : S Gopal to R Pant, Gopal bowls this on off, Pant makes some room and cuts it one his one leg towards the cover-point region. Two runs added to the total. |
| 11.4 : S Gopal to R Pant, Full on leg, Pant sweeps it towards the square leg region for a single. |
| 11.5 : S Gopal to P Shaw, Now then, did Binny not go for the catch? Gopal fires this very full on the pads, Shaw whips it towards deep mid-wicket. Binny there is seen running backwards and he collects the ball on the bounce. Not sure though but judging by Gopal's reaction, Binny could have gone for it. A single taken by the batsmen. |
| 11.6 : S Gopal to R Pant, SIX! BANG! Another big over! 15 from it and 27 from the last two. This is right in the slot for Pant. Full and on middle, he tonks it over the long on fence. 84 needed in 48. The game is excellently poised at the moment. |
| Jaydev Unadkat is back on! |
| 12.1 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, A back of a length delivery around middle and leg, Shaw plays it to mid-wicket for a single. |
| 12.2 : J Unadkat to R Pant, Unadkat bowls this on off, shorter in length. Pant flicks it towards the mid-wicket region for a single. |
| 12.3 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, FOUR! In the gap and welcome boundary for Delhi. It is short and on the body of Shaw. He pulls it towards the mid-wicket fence. The fielder there runs to his right and dives but fails to stop it. |
| 12.4 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, A short delivery on off, slower in pace. Shaw looks to pull it but gets a bottom edge onto the ground towards the wicket keeper. |
| 12.5 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, SIX! He has got plenty on that one! Shaw has nailed that. Full and on middle, Shaw whips it and it sails into the wide long on stand. This is turning out to be another expensive over here. 12 from it with a ball to go. |
| 12.6 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, A dot to end but Delhi have got the amount of runs they need in each over from this one. Good delivery to end. Unadkat bowls the slower one on off, Shaw does not pick it and hence, happily keeps it out. |
| Dhawal Kulkarni is brought back on! |
| A direct hit and it has been referred upstairs! Pant seems relaxed! |
| 13.1 : D Kulkarni to R Pant, NOT OUT! And that is why he was relaxed. He was well in. Pant works this through mid-wicket and calls for two straight away. He goes for it. The substitute, Prashant Chopra runs in, picks the ball up and scores a direct hit. An appeal follows and the umpire takes it upstairs. Replays show that Pant is fine. |
| 13.2 : D Kulkarni to R Pant, Another couple! Once again it is played with soft hands towards long on. Big round so the twos are on. |
| 13.3 : D Kulkarni to R Pant, This time it is only a single! Pant once again works it towards mid-wicket. He calls for two initially but has to settle for one. |
| 13.4 : D Kulkarni to P Shaw, Another slower one, this one does not bounce a lot. Shaw looks to drive but it goes off the toe-end towards cover for a run. |
| 13.5 : D Kulkarni to R Pant, FOUR! Seam up delivery and Kulkarni pays the price. Pant goes down on one knee and lofts it over the short fine leg fielder. The 50-run stand is also up. A very important one as the two joined association when they lost two quick wickets. They need to carry on though, the job is still not done. |
| 13.6 : D Kulkarni to R Pant, A couple to end! So three couples, a boundary and two singles from this over which means it accounts for 12 runs. 60 needed from the last 6 overs. This is outside off, Pant manages to drive it square on the off side and take two. |
| STRATEGIC BREAK. 60 needed in 36 balls for Delhi to go on top of the table. With 8 wickets in hand, you would expect them to do that. Shaw is playing a composed knock after struggling early on while Pant is playing a blinder. Rajasthan do not need one - they need a flurry of wickets. |
| 14.1 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, Another slower one and it is just a single as this is pushed down to long on. |
| 14.2 : J Unadkat to R Pant, FOUR! Pace on the delivery and once again Pant hits it for a boundary. Smith is not happy as this is not what he wants his bowlers to bowl. It is also short and on the body, Pant manages to pull it over short fine leg and a boundary results. |
| 14.3 : J Unadkat to R Pant, A couple now! Goes back to bowling slower ones on off, Pant works it through square leg. It is in the gap so a couple results. |
| 14.4 : J Unadkat to R Pant, The fine leg this time is on the ropes and hence, Unadkat bowls it short. Pant looks to pull but mistimes it towards that fielder and a run. |
| 14.5 : J Unadkat to P Shaw, Another length ball and outside off, Shaw slaps it to long off for a single. |
| 14.6 : J Unadkat to R Pant, Cleverly works this one to the man at fine leg and takes one. Good batting, having matched the runs needed in an over, Pant need not take any risk and he does not. 50 needed now in 5. |
| Jofra Archer is back! |
| 15.1 : J Archer to R Pant, Goes very full and on middle, too difficult for Pant to get under it. He works it through mid-wicket and takes one. |
| 15.2 : J Archer to P Shaw, A dot now! Shaw there makes a lot of room and Archer cleverly bowls it outside off. Shaw tries to reach out for it but only manages a bottom edge to covers. |
| 15.3 : J Archer to P Shaw, A full toss but it is very quick. Shaw hits it through cover-point and takes one. |
| 15.4 : J Archer to R Pant, SIX! What a shot! Brings up his 50 in style. A very good innings this, he has played with responsibility and with a lot of determination. Needs to be there till the end though. He plants his front foot across and then with the angle, flicks it over the square leg fence. |
| 15.5 : J Archer to R Pant, Sensible! Having got a biggie on the last ball. Pant need not take anymore risks against Rajasthan's best bowler. He keeps this yorker out towards the off side for a single. |
| 15.6 : J Archer to P Shaw, BOWLED 'EM! No wait, the bails have just not come off. Unbelievable! This was a very fast delivery and it hit the bails on the full but it still does not drop. However, we have seen this so many times in the League this year. Shaw once again makes room and Archer spears a full toss on the stumps. Shaw looks to slap it but misses. The ball hits the bails, the LED lights light up but it does not come off. Archer can't believe it. Luck may just not be on their side tonight |
| 16.1 : S Gopal to R Pant, NO BALL, FOUR! Oh dear... that has slipped out of the hands. A massive high full toss, outside leg, Pant swings hard, with his left hand coming off the bat. The timing is excellent and the ball almost makes it to the backward square leg ropes, beating a desperate dive from the fielder running to his left. |
| FREE HIT TIME! |
| S Gopal to R Pant, FOUR! Raw power! Full on middle, Pant just chips this down to long on but so powerfully is it chipped that it bullets to the fence! |
| 16.2 : S Gopal to R Pant, Comes down the track and swings hard but is nowhere near the pitch of the ball. Somehow ekes out an inside edge past the leg stump towards short fine leg. A single taken. |
| 16.3 : S Gopal to P Shaw, Full and outside off, Shaw gets down to sweep but misses. |
| 16.4 : S Gopal to P Shaw, OUT! Caught! Shaw holes out. One might feel it was unnecessary but with Pant going on so well at the other end, it must have been difficult for Shaw to hold himself back. This was tossed up outside off and Prithvi could not resist from playing the slog sweep. But all he managed was a top edge with the ball spinning away. Simple catch for Riyan Parag at wide long on. A calculated knock from Shaw. 31 more needed from 20 balls. |
| Sherfane Rutherford is the new man in. |
| 16.5 : S Gopal to R Pant, Outside off, pulled to deep mid-wicket for a run. |
| 16.6 : S Gopal to S Rutherford, Full and around middle, Rutherford looks to flick but the ball goes off the leading edge to point. 11 from the over but a wicket as well. |
| Dhawal Kulkarni to bowl his last. |
| 17.1 : D Kulkarni to R Pant, Starts off with a low full toss on the pads, Pant whips it through mid-wicket and takes a single. |
| 17.2 : D Kulkarni to S Rutherford, SIX! Just over the ropes! Excellent effort though from the substitute Chopra. A slower ball and it is shorter in length. Rutherford pulls it hard towards the mid-wicket fence. Chopra there runs to his right and then dives with a hand stretched out but the ball evades him and goes for a maximum. 23 in 16. |
| 17.3 : D Kulkarni to S Rutherford, Rutherford could have left that one! This is full and way too wide outside off. SR hangs his bat out. It hits the bottom and goes towards point for a single. |
| 17.4 : D Kulkarni to R Pant, Another single! Slower and shorter in length outside off, Pant waits for it and then slaps it but to the man at sweeper cover. |
| 17.5 : D Kulkarni to S Rutherford, FOUR! Rutherford shows what he is made of here! Excellent shot. Kulkarni bowls it full and wide outside off, this time SR holds his shape and then clobbers it through covers. Runs needed below 20 now. |
| 17.6 : D Kulkarni to S Rutherford, OUT! This time Rutherford holes out! He throws it away. Not sure though if this was needed by him. A good delivery by Kulkarni. It was the slower one and outside off, also, the length was shorter. Rutherford looks to flat-bat it over long off. That is never easy on such deliveries as all the power needs to be generated by the batsman. He fails to do so and Parag there, makes no mistake. 13 runs from the over but a wicket. Rajasthan still hanging in there. |
| Colin Ingram walks in for the finishing duties. Jofra Archer returns as well. 3-0-20-0 so far. |
| 18.1 : J Archer to C Ingram, Bangs it short and outside off, Ingram looks to cut but misses. A dot to begin. Gold dust. |
| 18.2 : J Archer to C Ingram, Two dots in a row now and nearly a run out. Archer goes full this time, Ingram ends up playing outside the line as he looks to smash it through covers. It goes off the inner half towards the bowler who makes a half stop. Ingram is off for a run but Pant sees Smith at mid off getting to the ball quickly so he refuses the single. Colin though makes it back in time. |
| 18.3 : J Archer to C Ingram, Just a single now! Another yorker on off, Ingram jams it out towards point for a run. |
| 18.4 : J Archer to R Pant, Comey of errors there! Very costly, very costly at this stage of the game. Rajasthan can't afford this. Archer bangs this short and it is the slower one. Pant looks to pull but only manages a top edge which goes high up in the air but lands in no man's land in the mid-wicket region. They take one but then Binny who runs in from mid-wicket, slips as he tries to pick the ball up. The batsmen take two. Then however, the ball slips out of Stokes' hands who does the mopping |
| 18.5 : J Archer to C Ingram, Excellent stuff from Archer. He bowls it full on middle, Ingram pushes it towards mid off for another single. 12 needed in 7 balls. An important last ball coming up. |
| 18.6 : J Archer to R Pant, SIX! BANG! Pant has probably delivered the final blow! Brilliant shot this. It is full and on middle, Pant powers it over the long on fence for a biggie. 6 needed in the last over. Delhi's game to lose now. |
| 19.1 : J Unadkat to C Ingram, Outside off, Ingram backs away and looks to cut but gets a thick outside edge to third man. A single taken. 5 needed from 5 now. |
| Is the game over? Well, Stokes did signal it has hit the ropes on the full but the umpires have taken it upstairs to check. |
| 19.2 : J Unadkat to R Pant, SIX! Yes, that is a maximum. That has hit the ropes on the full! Pant is pumped up as he is the one who finishes it off in style. A short ball and it is once again on the slower side. Pant pulls it high towards the mid-wicket fence. It seems to have hit the ropes on the full. The umpires take it upstairs and replays confirm that. DELHI WIN BY 6 WICKETS AND WITH 4 BALLS TO SPARE! |
| Pant roars. The Delhi dugout claps. Ganguly is smiling. Ponting is happy. Smith is not. Is that the end of the road for Rajasthan? Is this the beginning of the dominance for Delhi? |
| An extremely well-planned run chase. The 72-run opening stand between Dhawan and Shaw set things up and though Rajasthan did come back with 2 quick wickets in the span of 8 balls, the 84-run partnership between Pant and Shaw almost sealed the deal then. Shaw was just beginning to get frustrated but the cameo of 78 from just 36 balls from Rishabh Pant took the pressure completely off Prithvi. Slowly, he eased into his own but the stage belonged to the wicket-keeper dasher. |
| Dew. It was always due. And that is why we felt that the home side were 10-15 runs light. They should have got to 200 having been 150 in 15 but lost their way. With the ball, their bowlers struggled big time and no one really looked to put pressure on Delhi, though Archer and Parag were economically okay. |
| Earlier in the evening, a century by Ajinkya Rahane took Rajasthan to 191, which would have proved enough on many days but not tonight. Steven Smith gave him good company in a 130-run stand but the hosts lost the plot towards the end, where they managed just 41 in the last 5 overs. |
| Rajasthan skipper, Steven Smith, says they did not finish as well as they could have with the bat. Credits the way Rabada, Morris and Ishant bowled. Says the wicket they played on is probably the best one they have played on here. Appreciates the way Delhi began their chase and acknowledges the effort from Pant. Steven also states that the dew made him change tactics as he had to bowl Gopal in the Powerplay. Mentions it is not easy to bowl in the dew, the wicket did not change a lot but it was d |
| Shikhar Dhawan is now up for a chat. Says he is enjoying his game and is quite relaxed after the win. Mentions he has changed his eating style, becoming vegetarian and it is going good for him. States his approach changed from the game against Bangalore as he knows he needs to be a lot more aggressive. Tells earlier on they were losing wickets early and hence, he needed to be there. Now, he has decided to go after the bowlers straightaway and is enjoying doing that. |
| Victorious Delhi captain, Shreyas Iyer, marvels at the way Delhi have performed away from home. Says that they seem to get better wickets on the road. Admits that it is not good to be giving reasons for not understanding one's own home surface but stresses that is the way the team is playing at the moment and there is plenty of positivity within. On Rajasthan's score, Iyer says that he was expecting around 200 seeing Rahane bat and praises his bowlers for restricting them under 200. On Delhi's p |
| RISHABH PANT HAS BEEN NAMED THE MAN OF THE MATCH FOR HIS UNBEATEN 78 FROM 36. Pant says that he is feeling lovely, having been able to take his team to victory. Admits that he is disappointed that he was not picked in India's World Cup squad but eventually turned to focus on doing the basics. Stresses that everyone in the team knows their role and credits the support staff for their work. |
| That ends a fantastic run chase. Delhi go on top of the table courtesy this victory. Yet another team wins going after the runs. Yes, yes, yes... there was a team which lost on Sunday night trying to chase but the mantra in this edition has been basically batting second. That is primarily because of the dew factor. Having said that, Tuesday's match is an interesting one - Chennai hosting Hyderabad at Chepauk. Dew will be on offer but the surface is tricky to bat. What will the captain winning th |
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