Publications
Partners
Nagpur - The Rajasthan Royals edged the Deccan Chargers by just two runs as the home side lost three wickets in the final over of the match in a nailbiting IPL clash at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur on Monday.
Chasing the Royals’ total of 159 all out the hosts began the final over on 154 for seven, needing six runs to win.
Seamer Siddharth Trivedi conceded a single and a wide off the first two balls of the over before he had RP Singh (three) caught at long-on by Morne Morkel.
The Chargers needed four runs off three balls but they picked up just a single before Harmeet Singh (nought) was run out attempting a second run.
Rohit Sharma, who had blasted his way to 73 off 44 balls, tried to end the match quickly but he sliced the penultimate ball to deep cover as the Royals clinched the most unlikely of victories with the Chargers bowled out for 157.
Royals’ captain Shane Warne had bowled his team into the match as he recorded figures of four for 21 off four overs of top quality leg-spin after Adam Gilchrist had given the Chargers a quick start with a knock of 34 off 17 balls.
However, the home side lost their way as only two other batsmen, Sharma and Andrew Symonds (15) reached double figures.
Trivedi ended the match with three for 16 off 2.5 overs.
Earlier, the Royals had looked to thrown the match away as they suffered a collapse to lose their last eight wickets for the addition of just 65 runs as they were bowled out with one ball of their innings remaining.
A half-century from Shane Watson provided the bulk of Rajasthan’s runs.
Seamer RP Singh starred with the ball for the home side as he finished with figures of three for three for 17 off four overs.
RP received admirable support from medium-pacer Harmeet who collected two for 25 off four overs after he had conceded 12 runs off his first over.
The Royals had looked reasonably comfortable on 94 for two thanks to a third-wicket stand of 77 runs off 51 balls between Faiz Fazal (36) and Watson.
But the left-handed Fazal slapped a delivery from left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha down deep midwicket's throat to leave the Royals on 94 for three after 11 overs to start Rajasthan’s slide.
Harmeet then entered the fray as he removed Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (11), caught at gully, and Abhishek Raut (nought), lbw, in one over to leave the Royals stuttering on 130 for six.
Watson, who was playing in only his second IPL match of the season after completing his international duties with Australia, was the mainstay of his team’s innings as he reached his half-century off 29 balls.
But seven balls later he pulled a short ball from RP Singh to deep square leg to depart for 58 with his knock including three fours and three sixes with the visitors on 136 for seven.
Rajasthan’s situation could have been a lot worse if Ryan Harris, at deep midwicket, had managed to hold onto a catch off the bat of Watson when his countryman had scored just eight.
The win lifts Rajasthan to fourth on the points table while the Chargers, after five consecutive losses, have just six points from nine matches to leave their semifinal hopes hanging by a thread.
Teams:
Deccan Chargers: AC Gilchrist (capt & wk), VVS Laxman, A Symonds, RG Sharma, AA Bilakhia, DR Smith, Anirudh Singh, RP Singh, PP Ojha, RJ Harris, Harmeet Singh.
Rajasthan Royals: MJ Lumb, SR Watson, YK Pathan, NV Ojha (wk), FY Fazal, AA Jhunjhunwala, AS Raut, SK Warne (capt), SK Trivedi, AP Dole, M Morkel.
Chasing the Royals’ total of 159 all out the hosts began the final over on 154 for seven, needing six runs to win.
Seamer Siddharth Trivedi conceded a single and a wide off the first two balls of the over before he had RP Singh (three) caught at long-on by Morne Morkel.
The Chargers needed four runs off three balls but they picked up just a single before Harmeet Singh (nought) was run out attempting a second run.
Rohit Sharma, who had blasted his way to 73 off 44 balls, tried to end the match quickly but he sliced the penultimate ball to deep cover as the Royals clinched the most unlikely of victories with the Chargers bowled out for 157.
Royals’ captain Shane Warne had bowled his team into the match as he recorded figures of four for 21 off four overs of top quality leg-spin after Adam Gilchrist had given the Chargers a quick start with a knock of 34 off 17 balls.
However, the home side lost their way as only two other batsmen, Sharma and Andrew Symonds (15) reached double figures.
Trivedi ended the match with three for 16 off 2.5 overs.
Earlier, the Royals had looked to thrown the match away as they suffered a collapse to lose their last eight wickets for the addition of just 65 runs as they were bowled out with one ball of their innings remaining.
A half-century from Shane Watson provided the bulk of Rajasthan’s runs.
Seamer RP Singh starred with the ball for the home side as he finished with figures of three for three for 17 off four overs.
RP received admirable support from medium-pacer Harmeet who collected two for 25 off four overs after he had conceded 12 runs off his first over.
The Royals had looked reasonably comfortable on 94 for two thanks to a third-wicket stand of 77 runs off 51 balls between Faiz Fazal (36) and Watson.
But the left-handed Fazal slapped a delivery from left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha down deep midwicket's throat to leave the Royals on 94 for three after 11 overs to start Rajasthan’s slide.
Harmeet then entered the fray as he removed Abhishek Jhunjhunwala (11), caught at gully, and Abhishek Raut (nought), lbw, in one over to leave the Royals stuttering on 130 for six.
Watson, who was playing in only his second IPL match of the season after completing his international duties with Australia, was the mainstay of his team’s innings as he reached his half-century off 29 balls.
But seven balls later he pulled a short ball from RP Singh to deep square leg to depart for 58 with his knock including three fours and three sixes with the visitors on 136 for seven.
Rajasthan’s situation could have been a lot worse if Ryan Harris, at deep midwicket, had managed to hold onto a catch off the bat of Watson when his countryman had scored just eight.
The win lifts Rajasthan to fourth on the points table while the Chargers, after five consecutive losses, have just six points from nine matches to leave their semifinal hopes hanging by a thread.
Teams:
Deccan Chargers: AC Gilchrist (capt & wk), VVS Laxman, A Symonds, RG Sharma, AA Bilakhia, DR Smith, Anirudh Singh, RP Singh, PP Ojha, RJ Harris, Harmeet Singh.
Rajasthan Royals: MJ Lumb, SR Watson, YK Pathan, NV Ojha (wk), FY Fazal, AA Jhunjhunwala, AS Raut, SK Warne (capt), SK Trivedi, AP Dole, M Morkel.
