Delhi Daredevils tame Rajasthan Royals
New Delhi: Virender Sehwag fell cheaply but twin unbeaten half centuries from Gautam Gambhir (58) and Shikhar Dhawan (52) powered Delhi Daredevils to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory against Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League opener here tonight.
After their bowlers had restricted the visitors to 129 for eight in their allotted 20 overs, Delhi lost Sehwag before cruising to the target with 29 balls top spare.Ferveez Mahroof’s impressive figure of 4-0-11-2 earned him the Man of the Match award.
Chasing 130 for a win at the Ferozehsh Kotla, the hosts got off to a rousing start with Virender Sehwag hitting the first three balls he faced from Shane Watson for boundary. The Australian, however, avenged it with the next delivery that uprooted the stumps to cut short Sehwag’s pyrotechnics.
That brought in Dhawan, who joined hands with Gambhir and shared 112 runs for the unbeaten second wicket in 81 balls.Gambhir hit seven fours and one six in his whirlwind 46-ball innings and while Dhawan had eight boundaries in his strokeful 41-ball 52.Gambhir was particularly severe on Munaf Patel hitting him for five fours and a six over mid-off.
Dhawan smote Yusuf Pathan for a four to overhaul the target to trigger off wild celebration among the home crowd. That also brought Dhawan’s fifty.Watson was the only successful bowler claiming Sehwag’s wicket and conceding 31 from his quota of four overs.Sehwag and Gambhir began like they wanted to finish the match early. Gambhir struck two boundaries in Munaf’s first over and even Sehwag’s departure could not dampen his spirit.
In the seventh over, there was a minor face-off following a Watson gesture after Gambhir had played a bouncer with one hand after taking his eyes off. Gambhir almost went towards his Australian rival but retracted after the umpire apparently said something to Watson.Shane Warne, who was introduced himself in the ninth over, did not have much impact though the crowd anticipated something special from him. The retired spin great was wicketless from his 2.1 overs conceding 16 runs.
Gambhir and Dhawan played sensibly and did not take risks against Warne.Earlier, a fine bowling display by Delhi Daredevils restricted Rajasthan Royals to a modest 129 for eight.Electing to bat after winning the toss, the Royals failed to raise a big partnership with Daredevils bowlers sticking to a tight line and length.
The visitors were never in a position to post a big score with the highest partnership being 22 for the seventh wicket.For them, Ravindra Jadeja topscored with 29 off 23 balls. Shane Watson (21) got the start but he could not convert it, running himself out in search of a second run.
If the Royals first five overs yielded a meagre 37, it was even slower after that and they were 57 for four after 10 overs. Mohammad Kaif (9) too could not make a mark.Jadeja had the more than 30000-strong crowd something to cheer about when he hit a huge six over long on boundary off Daniel Vettori and a fine four in the next ball. The left hander hit another six over long on off the same bowler before the spinner had the last laugh clean bowling his nemesis.
Dinesh Salunkhe remained not out on 26, while captain Shane Warne produced a run-a-ball 14 before being out to a Mahroof delivery.
Source:http://sports.in.msn.com
