Delhi's customary huddle is done with and the chase is about to get going. It's a near packed house here and there's a terrific atmosphere - a stark contrast to their previous seasons. Spin to begin..
"At the same time, there was a lot of pressure on me. It is my homeground, I have played for Delhi and people wanted me to perform. I cannot bowl at 140 but I can deceive the batsmen by bowling slower at 112 or something. Throughout the T20 League, I think the batsmen should use their own pace and not mine. At times, I fail but bowlers tend to fail in T20s. We are hoping to chase this total down in a respectable manner," says Rajat Bhatia in a quick interview near the sidelines.
JP Duminy's assuredness, Carlos Brathwaite's untrammelled power and Billings' pyrotechnics propelled DEL to 162. With small feints of his shoulder and knees, Billings unfurled a series of shots and lifted the tempo. Brathwaite then shredded Murgan Ashwin in the 16th over with a couple of crunching sixes. Brathwaite's airborne shots cleared the fence with ease. But Boland injected fresh energy into PUNE' camp by snaring the vital scalp of Brathwaite. Sharp pieces of fielding by Rahane and Tiwary also helped PUNE to make a decent comeback. The troika of Dinda, Boland and Bhatia were the best bowlers on show for them. Join us shortly for the chase...
19.6 -
Dinda to Negi, 1 run, slices this fullish ball to sweeper cover, was there a couple available? Negi did not think so, settles with a single in the end
19.5 -
Dinda to Negi, FOUR, advances and takes it on the full, cracks it over extra cover and beats the fielder running across from sweeper cover
19.4 -
Dinda to Negi, no run, another wide yorker and Negi cannot do much, even he if would have got a bat, at most a single towards the off-side would been the result
19.3 -
Dinda to Negi, no run, yorker that Dinda was looking for, well wide of Negi, he fails to reach out
19.2 -
Dinda to Negi, SIX, he did not time it well. But had enough legs on it to clear Rahane at long-on. Slower length delivery and Negi heaved at it, mistimed but will add six to the total
19.1 -
Dinda to Negi, 2 runs, low full toss angled across Negi, once again he mistimes the slog straight down the ground. Good running between the wicket ensures a couple
Ashok Dinda [3.0-0-21-1] is back into the attack
18.6 -
Boland to Shami, no run, slower short ball and Shami was too early on the slog, the ball carries to the keeper on a bounce
18.5 -
Boland to Negi, 1 run, Negi is trying too much, once again cleared his leg and was not left with enough pace to work with. Mistimes the heave to long-off
18.4 -
Boland to Shami, 1 run, yorker right on the stumps, Shami jams it down the ground towards long-on
18.3 -
Boland to Negi, 1 run, Negi clears his front leg this time, there is not enough pace on the delivery, flat bats off the inner part of the bat to long-off
18.2 -
Boland to Shami, 1 run, Shami read the slower delivery and then whipped it to deep mid-wicket
18.1 -
Boland to Negi, 1 run, full toss and Boland is lucky to get away, Negi mistimes the flat batted heave to long-off
17.6 -
Ashwin to Negi, 1 run, Ashwin fires it flat outside off, Negi cuts it to sweeper cover
Mohammed Shami, right handed bat, comes to the crease
17.5 -
Ashwin to Negi, out Jayant Yadav Run Out!! 1 run completed. Another one bites the dust and it is that man Saurabh Tiwary who has effected a direct hit at the non-striker's end. Negi softly tucked this through square and completed the first run with ease, got too greedy and took on the arm of Tiwary, Jayant Yadav had to pay the price for it as he fell short at the bowler's end on a direct hit. Jayant Yadav run out (S Tiwary) 1(3)
Ashwin to Negi, THAT'S OUT!! Run Out!!
17.4 -
Ashwin to Jayant Yadav, 1 run, Yadav works it softly in front of square on the on-side and steals a single
17.4 -
Ashwin to Jayant Yadav, wide, why is Ashwin getting nervous against Yadav, misses the line again, splayed down the leg-side
17.3 -
Ashwin to Jayant Yadav, no run, floats it on the stumps, pushes it to short mid-wicket
17.3 -
Ashwin to Jayant Yadav, wide, Ashwin wanted to be too straight, ends up slipping it down the leg-side
17.2 -
Ashwin to Jayant Yadav, no run, Ashwin sticks to a stump to stump line, Yadav works it towards short mid-wicket
17.1 -
Ashwin to Negi, 1 run, shortish outside off from round the wicket, Negi cuts it towards sweeper cover
Ravichandran Ashwin [3.0-0-28-0] is back into the attack
Jayant Yadav, right handed bat, comes to the crease
16.6 -
Boland to Duminy, out Duminy Run Out!! 1 run completed. Slower ball angled across Duminy, he pulls it to deep mid-wicket and set off, wanted the second run. It was never there, falls well short of the crease even as he dived on a good throw from the deep. The throw came on a bounce right at the stumps from Rahane Duminy run out (Rahane/Dhoni) 34(32) [4s-1]
Boland to Duminy, THAT'S OUT!! Run Out!!
Third umpire in action. An easy one for him, the captain has to go
Pawan Negi, left handed bat, comes to the crease
16.5 -
Boland to Brathwaite, out Caught by T Perera!! What an innings he has played! Hit everything out of the park and nearly got this one away as well. Just that it was a slower bouncer which is always tough to be put away. Did not get it off the meat of the bat, was not enough power behind the shot, the fielder at deep backward square leg fumbled a bit but managed to cling onto it on the second attempt. Brathwaite c T Perera b Boland 20(8) [6s-3]
Boland to Brathwaite, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
16.4 -
Boland to Brathwaite, SIX, do not believe the news reports if they tell you of UFO sightings in Delhi. They are just these sixes off Brathwaite's bat. Cleared his front leg and clubbed this half-volley over the long-off fence
16.3 -
Boland to Brathwaite, no run, this is the only way you can contain this man, yorker around off, Brathwaite stays outside the line of the delivery and jams it out
16.2 -
Boland to Duminy, 1 run, full and that will do for DEL, Duminy wrists it towards mid-wicket. Brathwaite on strike now
16.1 -
Boland to Duminy, no run, slower ball on the stumps, Duminy pushes it back to the bowler
Scott Boland [2.0-0-18-1] is back into the attack
15.6 -
Murugan Ashwin to Brathwaite, SIX, and another one to cap off the over. Similar to the previous six, just a touch higher. Brathwaite has enough muscles to clear the small boundaries at Kotla. To make things easier, it was full toss from the leggie
15.5 -
Murugan Ashwin to Brathwaite, no run, better comeback from Ashwin, bowls a quicker googly and Brathwaite was beaten by the turn. Was hit near his abdomen area as he tried to work it towards the on-side
15.4 -
Murugan Ashwin to Brathwaite, SIX, why would you bowl a floater to him? In his arc and out of the park! Brathwaite got underneath and dispatched it over the long-on fence
15.3 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, flatter delivery outside off, Duminy waits and dabs softly towards backward point
15.2 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, FOUR, it was a full toss but had to be put away, Duminy sweeps and beats a running deep backward square leg with ease
15.1 -
Murugan Ashwin to Brathwaite, 1 run, flipper perhaps, Brathwaite works behind square on the on-side for a single
14.6 -
R Bhatia to Brathwaite, 1 run, touch short for the new man, Brathwaite waits and works around the corner in front of the umpire for a single
14.5 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, Duminy gets a full ball, drives it towards long-off
Carlos Brathwaite, right handed bat, comes to the crease
14.4 -
R Bhatia to S Billings, out Caught by Rahane!! Full marks for the shot, but it did not come off well in the end. Billings changed his grip and switched as a left-hander, got underneath the ball and flogged it towards long-off (for the right-hander). For a moment, it looked as if he will clear the fence, but it did not have enough power and carried to Rahane there. S Billings c Rahane b R Bhatia 24(15) [4s-1 6s-2]
R Bhatia to S Billings, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
Fine leg and third man are inside the ring
14.3 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, another fullish delivery around the same line, Duminy eases it towards long-off for a single
14.2 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, no run, yorker around off, Duminy jams it towards the cover region
14.1 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 2 runs, slower length ball on the pads of Duminy, he places it towards deep backward square leg for a couple
Rajat Bhatia [3.0-0-17-1] is back into the attack
Time-out in place
13.6 -
Murugan Ashwin to S Billings, no run, gets beaten by the googly this time, had no idea about it, gets an inside edge as the ball rolls away
13.5 -
Murugan Ashwin to S Billings, no run, Billings wanted to reverse sweep but failed to connect, Dhoni dislodged the bails but Billings had not left his crease
13.4 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, Duminy kneels down and then pulls this shortish delivery towards deep mid-wicket
13.3 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, no run, cuts it with the turn towards point, was interested in a single which was not there
13.2 -
Murugan Ashwin to S Billings, 1 run, good comeback from Ashwin, turns this one in from outside off, Billings gets it off his gloves as he wants to force towards the off-side, the ball rolled down to short third man
13.1 -
Murugan Ashwin to S Billings, FOUR, Billings uses his feet but did not quite get to the pitch of the delivery. Manages to flat bat it straight past the bowler, hit this one really hard, no chance for long-off
Murugan Ashwin [1.0-0-7-0] is back into the attack
12.6 -
Ashwin to Duminy, 2 runs, works it off his pads around the corner towards mid-wicket
12.5 -
Ashwin to S Billings, 1 run, uses his feet a bit and then gently pushes it towards long-on
12.4 -
Ashwin to S Billings, SIX, and another one, this time towards long-off. Danced down the track but was not quite there to the pitch of the ball, managed to flat bat this shortish ball over the long-off fence with ease
12.3 -
Ashwin to S Billings, SIX, sinks down on his knee this time and then flogs it over the deep mid-wicket fence, huge hit this one from Billings
12.3 -
Ashwin to S Billings, wide, errs in line this time and hurls it down the leg-side, called a wide
12.2 -
Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, Ashwin comes round the wicket for Duminy, bowls a gentle off-break outside off, Duminy swept against the turn towards deep mid-wicket
12.1 -
Ashwin to S Billings, 1 run, Billings indicated as if he was going to play the reverse sweep, changed his mind and used his feet to drill it towards long-on for a single
Ravichandran Ashwin [2.0-0-10-0] is back into the attack
11.6 -
R Bhatia to S Billings, 1 run, this time Billings connects with the reverse sweep, would have wanted to play it finer, but it went a lot squarer towards sweeper cover
11.5 -
R Bhatia to S Billings, no run, did he get an inside edge? Might have been the case, Billings wanted to reverse sweep but did not connect, the ball lobbed off his pad towards the bowler, fell short of him though
11.4 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, stays inside the line this time, the ball was there on the stumps, patted in front of point and hared to the other end
11.3 -
R Bhatia to S Billings, 1 run, Billings waited this time and then fenced it towards point
11.2 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, slower delivery as usual around off, Duminy punches it towards long-off for an easy single
11.1 -
R Bhatia to S Billings, 1 run, Billings nimbles down the track and works this one behind square on the on-side
11.1 -
R Bhatia to S Billings, wide, misses the line this time, hurls down the leg-side, called a wide
10.6 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, 2 runs, bit of width on offer outside off, Duminy cuts it towards deep backward point, Perera runs to his right and saves two runs for his team
10.5 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, 2 runs, this is exactly what he did on the first ball of the over. Uses his feet and works it wide of long-on
10.4 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, no run, better from Ashwin. Keeps it on the stumps, pushed back to the bowler
10.3 -
Murugan Ashwin to S Billings, leg byes, 1 run, Billings wanted to trek towards the pitch of the delivery, the length was not there, gets it off his pad towards short third man
10.2 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, goes deep in the crease this time, and nudges to deep mid-wicket
10.1 -
Murugan Ashwin to Duminy, 2 runs, uses his feet and gets to the pitch of the delivery, worked towards long-on
Murugan Ashwin, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
9.6 -
R Bhatia to S Billings, 2 runs, Billings opens the bat-face and dabs it to deep backward point. Good running between the wickets result in a couple
9.5 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, Duminy push-drives it to long-off
9.5 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, wide, well, Duminy survives on a stumping appeal. Duminy looks to flick it around the corner and perhaps it hit his pads on its way to the keeper, who took the bails off, but Duminy's back-heel was in. Surprisingly, given as a wide
The TV umpire has been called into play for a stumping. The batsman in question is Duminy. The zoomer is in place now. I think Duminy's back leg was in when the keeper took the bails off. No wonder, Duminy escapes
Sam Billings, right handed bat, comes to the crease
9.4 -
R Bhatia to Nair, out Caught by T Perera!! Another incision has been made. It is that man again, Bhatia, who picks up the key scalp. Nair goes inside-out, makes room and lofts it to the right of Perera at sweeper cover, who runs across and pouches a well-judged catch with both hands. Nair c T Perera b R Bhatia 32(23) [4s-5]
R Bhatia to Nair, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
9.3 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, fuller length delivery and on off-stump, Duminy drives it to long-off
9.2 -
R Bhatia to Nair, 1 run, Nair manufactures room and drives it on the up to sweeper cover
9.1 -
R Bhatia to Nair, no run, Nair takes a step out of the crease, but Bhatia bowls it full and outside off. Maybe he saw the batsman taking a step out of the crease. Nair chops it into the cover-region
Time-Out is in place now
8.6 -
Ashwin to Nair, 1 run, very full and on the stumps, Nair taps it to long-on
8.5 -
Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, Duminy shows his uncanny ability to use his feet, by taking this one on the half volley and push-driving it to long-on
8.4 -
Ashwin to Duminy, no run, a hint of turn away for Ashwin, Duminy adjusts for it and then defends
8.3 -
Ashwin to Duminy, no run, Duminy uses his feet and push-drives it to short mid-on
8.2 -
Ashwin to Nair, 1 run, Nair waltzes down the track, but Ashwin pulls his length back a wee bit, Nair gets his drive off the outside part of the bat to short third man
8.1 -
Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, flatter delivery and on the stumps, Duminy tucks it to deep square leg after rolling his wrists on it
7.6 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, another slower one, but Bhatia slides it down leg, Duminy clips it to deep mid-wicket. In the last couple of overs, PUNE have clamped down on the scoring rate a touch
7.5 -
R Bhatia to Nair, 1 run, low full toss from Bhatia, Nair drives it to long-off, where the fielder tidies up
7.4 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, stump-to-stump line, Duminy pushes it to long-on
7.3 -
R Bhatia to Nair, 1 run, the leg-cutter from Bhatia, Nair tucks it to deep backward square leg off the inside part of the bat
7.2 -
R Bhatia to Nair, no run, good length delivery and just outside off, Nair drives it towards the cover-region, where Ashwin runs across and makes a sharp save
7.1 -
R Bhatia to Duminy, 1 run, Bhatia rolls his fingers on this delivery, Duminy works it to deep mid-wicket
Rajat Bhatia, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
6.6 -
Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, slightly shorter in length, Duminy chops it to sweeper cover
6.5 -
Ashwin to Nair, 1 run, flighted delivery from Ashwin, Nair taps it to long-on
6.4 -
Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, Duminy dances down the track, closes the bat face a touch, takes it on the half-volley and push-drives it to long-on
6.3 -
Ashwin to Nair, 1 run, deliciously flighted from Ashwin, Nair works it to mid-wicket rather awkwardly
6.2 -
Ashwin to Duminy, 1 run, from round the wicket, Ashwin bowls it slower through the air, Duminy gets an inside edge on his sweep to fine leg
6.1 -
Ashwin to Nair, 1 run, Nair stays back and pushes it to long-on
Ravichandran Ashwin, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
Jean-Paul Duminy, left handed bat, comes to the crease
Ashwin is into the attack. He has a leg-slip in place
5.6 -
Boland to Samson, out Caught by Ashwin!! Can you believe it? Samson's strength is to play flick shots on the on-side. However, in an attempt to use the tuck, he has lost his wicket. He was just early into the shot there and that cost him dear. Short of a length delivery and on the stumps, Samson aims to clip it around the corner and mistimes it to mid-wicket, who snaffles an easy catch. Samson c Ashwin b Boland 20(17) [4s-3]
Boland to Samson, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
5.5 -
Boland to Samson, 2 runs, short of length delivery and on the stumps, Samson flicks it to deep mid-wicket and picks up a brace
5.4 -
Boland to Nair, 1 run, Nair stays slightly leg-side of the ball and steers it to third man
5.3 -
Boland to Nair, FOUR, well, did it keep a touch low? Anyway, Nair ekes out an outside edge that vrooms away to the third man fence. Boland gets a hint of seam movement back into Nair and perhaps got it to straighten a touch, Nair's edge ran away to the fences
5.2 -
Boland to Nair, no run, Boland changes his line and bowls it outside off, pushed to cover-point
5.1 -
Boland to Samson, 1 run, good length delivery and on the stumps, defended
4.6 -
Dinda to Nair, no run, what has happened there? Nair is a fine timer of the ball, but here, he tries to hit it too hard. As a result, loses his bat which flings towards square leg. Low full toss and just outside off, Nair misses with his slog
4.6 -
Dinda to Nair, no ball, FOUR, Dinda perhaps tried an in-dipping slower one, but lost his radar as he bowls it above waist height, Nair pulls it to the deep backward square leg fence. Now, we have a free-hit in place
4.5 -
Dinda to Samson, 1 run, the slower one from Dinda, Samson guides it to third man
4.4 -
Dinda to Nair, 1 run, short of length delivery and slanted in, Nair steers it to third man. With a slightly open stance, Nair is watching the bowler's hand with square and level eyes. That is allowing him to pick the bowler from the hand and play with balance
4.3 -
Dinda to Samson, 1 run, short of length delivery and angled in, Samson gets an inside edge and the ball rolls across towards the keeper. The duo pinch in a single
4.2 -
Dinda to Nair, 1 run, good length delivery and outside off, dabbed down to third man
4.1 -
Dinda to Nair, FOUR, unruffled elegance on show. Nair picks the swing early and drives it all along the carpet and the ball vrooms away to the sweeper cover boundary. He used his feet there
3.6 -
Boland to Samson, no run, a tad fuller and outside off, Samson pushes it to cover-point, but can't breach the gap
3.5 -
Boland to Samson, FOUR, Boland steams into the crease and bangs it on a back of a length, but it was drifting down leg, Samson tickles it to the fine leg fence
3.4 -
Boland to Nair, 1 run, angled into the right-hander, Nair pats it to third man
3.3 -
Boland to Nair, FOUR, Nair twins timing and placement to crack a superb drive. Fuller length delivery and outside off, Nair's eyes traces the line through the cover-region with his drive and it runs away
3.2 -
Boland to Samson, 1 run, well, confusion in the middle could have cost Samson his wicket. However, he survives. Boland yanks his length back a touch, Samson dabs it to mid-on and sets off for a quick single. There was a bit of hesitation in the middle before Samson decided to take on the arm of the fielder at mid-on, who fired in a throw at the bowler's end, but misses. Samson did put in a desperate dive and might have got in
3.1 -
Boland to Samson, no run, fullish and zooming in on the stumps, Samson pushes it to mid-on
Scott Boland, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
2.6 -
Dinda to Nair, no run, stump-to-stump line, defended solidly
2.5 -
Dinda to Nair, FOUR, full and subsidized with width, Nair tries to slap and gets a thick outside edge into the third man fence. The fielder in the deep had no chance there
Dinda has to reload again
Karun Nair, right handed bat, comes to the crease
2.4 -
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, out Bowled!! Dinda is jubilant as he picks up the scalp of the man in form - Pant. Pant looks to play with a dash of bravado by aiming to heave a length delivery that curled back in a touch across the line, connected with thin air and his stumps took a knocking. He was the hero in the last game, but this time around, could not make his mark. Rishabh Pant b Dinda 2(8)
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, THAT'S OUT!! Bowled!!
2.4 -
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, wide, Dinda goes for the razor sharp yorker, but bowls it down leg, left alone to the keeper. In fact, the keeper did well to dive to his right and make a fine save
2.3 -
Dinda to Samson, 1 run, Samson is well-known for essaying pull shots. Here, he shows glimpses of it by pulling a banged in delivery to mid-wicket
2.2 -
Dinda to Samson, no run, a hint of curl back into Samson, he awkwardly taps it to mid-on
2.1 -
Dinda to Samson, no run, from mid-crease and with his customary jump, Dinda pounds it on a back of a length and on the stumps, pushed to mid-on
1.6 -
T Perera to Rishabh Pant, no run, short of length delivery and angled away. It swung away from Pant, too, he stays slightly leg-side of the ball and pushes it to point
1.5 -
T Perera to Samson, 1 run, Samson again takes it from middle-stump and works it to mid-wicket. Unsullied game on display
1.4 -
T Perera to Samson, no run, a wee bit of width on offer, Samson chops it to cover-point
1.3 -
T Perera to Samson, FOUR, too straight from Perera, Samson, with a straight bat, allows the ball onto the willow and flicks it wide of mid-wicket. Sweetly timed by the youngster
1.2 -
T Perera to Samson, FOUR, a hint of away-swing from Perera, Samson aims to slap it through the off-side and gets a thickish outside edge past the slip fielder and into the fences. There was width on offer, but Samson did not get it off the sweet spot of the willow
1.1 -
T Perera to Samson, no run, short of length delivery and angling away from Samson, he punches it to mid-off
Thisara Perera, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
0.6 -
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, 2 runs, the inswinger from Dinda, Pant covers for the movement and works it to deep mid-wicket after twirling his wrists on it. The fielder at mid-on tidies up. Meanwhile, Pant adds two more runs to the tally
0.5 -
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, no run, sliding down leg, Pant aims to flick it around the corner and gets hit on the pad. He would be a disappointed man that he did not get any bat on it
0.4 -
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, no run, back of a length delivery and just outside off, Pant defends it to short cover
0.3 -
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, no run, a tad fuller and on the stumps, defended back towards the bowler
0.2 -
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, no run, Dinda belts out an appeal for LBW, but turned down. Dinda again swings it back into the left-hander, Pant aims to tuck it around the corner and misses. He was clearly hit outside the line of leg-stump and might have been high, too
0.1 -
Dinda to Rishabh Pant, no run, shortish delivery and gets it to curl back into Pant, he tries to defend and gets an inside edge
Rishabh Pant and Samson are at the crease. Rishabh Pant is on strike. Dinda will open the attack
That's that from the Thursday thriller. This loss will certainly hurt DEL. No one wants a halt in momentum, ain't it? For Pune, as Dhoni revealed "It was a much-needed one." Lets call it quits for today. Have a goodnight's sleep! Alvida from Raju Peethala, Sagar Chawla, Abhishek Chaudhary, Bharath Ramaraj and scorer Sreenivas. Thanks for reading quite IN-TENExpress-LY...
"Really happy the way I batted today. We decided one batsman, who gets set will carry the innings through. I'm just looking to keep it really simple. If I stay till 6 overs, I try to keep the score ticking and that's my strength. I don't try too many things and if I stick to my strength I'm sure I'll be able to do well in the future games as well," warbles the Man of the Match recipient Jinks Rahane
"The overall bowling effort pleased me the most. It felt nice we restricted them to 160. With a ground like this and with the way they are going, I think we did really well. There were quite a few hits from the batsmen but I think the death bowling was good. We are a bit uncomfortable in the middle, but I think it's a well-earned victory for us. The wicket did slow a bit in the second innings. Mishra did well and Imran Tahir also bowled really well. This victory was much-needed for us. Even if the batsmen are hitting hard, you have to stick to your plans and I think that's what makes the difference" murmurs MS Dhoni.
Duminy: "We did feel it was enough at the half time. The middle part of our batting let us down, we were 20 runs short, but we did pretty well to take it to the last over. The way we fought back was exceptional. They (Zaheer, QdK and Morris) carry a lot of experience, but as I said at the toss it is an opportunity for the guys to stake a claim in the T20 League. There were some errors and missed opportunities, but lot of positives. We spoke about Shami bowling in the death, so we needed to go with him. We went in with only two seamers, so we had to use our legspinners wisely. So, we kept Imran (Tahir) for the final overs, an exceptional spell from him. We have played some good cricket this season and there are six more games before the playoffs, hopefully we can pick it up in the next game."
Imran Tahir, with his box of tricks, kept the lid on the scoring rate and deserves the bulk of the credit for DEL's fightback in the middle overs. Sam Billings also showed his class and quality with a couple of blinders. The hosts, though, did not help their cause as they missed quite a few chances in the field. For DEL, Duminy held the innings together, followed by Billings and Brathwaite vandalising PUNE' bowlers. However, they lost a stream of wickets in the slog to end up with a slightly below par total.
PUNE' template of getting off to a steady start and upping the ante finally bore fruit as they crossed the finish line with just five balls to spare. Rahane raced through the length and breadth of the field to run singles and twos and when the occasion demanded, cracked the odd boundary. MS Dhoni and Perera then landed a few crucial blows in the slog overs to ensure PUNE' victory.
19.1 -
Shami to Rahane, FOUR, Pune revive their campaign in style. Rahane and co. waylay DEL force. Full at the toes, Rahane whips it high and over mid-wicket. Sped away like a tracer bullet. He shakes hands with Duminy and so does Perera. The Pune dug-out is all smiles and DEL... Well! Zaheer has a frustrated look and that should tell you the story
A free hit coming up. Pune couldn't have asked for a fitting finish
19.1 -
Shami to T Perera, no ball, 1 run, oh come on! You gotta be kidding me. A front foot no ball, seriously? Perera looks to flay it over the off-side circle, but ends up slicing it to Duminy at extra cover. Catch taken but that won't count
3 from 6. Pune should win this comfortably
18.6 -
Tahir to T Perera, 1 run, the googly outside off, Perera heaves and gets it off the toe-end towards short third man, steals a single nonetheless
18.5 -
Tahir to T Perera, SIX, this will do! Quicker on leg-stump, Perera thumps it with utter disdain. Going, going......and gone into Mars (cow corner stands)
18.4 -
Tahir to T Perera, no run, quick, full, on the pads, nutmegs Perera who attempts a big whoosh. Lost his balance for a while but managed to land his back foot in time. Samson helps his cause by making a fumble behind the stumps
18.3 -
Tahir to T Perera, SIX, what a strike! Thisara Perera has just walloped a 103-metre six. Stands deep inside the crease, opens his stance and clubs it into the long-on stands
18.2 -
Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, legbreak outside off, Rahane mistimes the flat-bat biff and nutmegs his partner at the other end
Thisara Perera, left handed bat, comes to the crease
18.1 -
Tahir to Dhoni, out Caught by S Billings!! Take a bow Sam Billings! That was one ripper of a take from the Englishman. He plucked it with both hands airborne. How crucial will this catch prove to be? Coming to the dismissal: It was full on the pads, Dhoni whipped powerfully and for a fleeting moment everyone reckoned it was a six. Billings at deep mid-wicket leaps to right and grabs a screamer. Took it just a few inches inside the rope. Despite tumbling he ensured he was in complete control of the catch. What a bonzer! Dhoni c S Billings b Tahir 27(20) [4s-1 6s-2]
Tahir to Dhoni, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
Imran Tahir [3.0-0-12-1] is back into the attack
17 from 12 and guess what! It's Imran Tahir to bowl. Spinners against MS? Not a good idea I reckon...
17.6 -
Shami to Dhoni, 1 run, shortish and Dhoni is quite content with a pull through mid-wicket
17.5 -
Shami to Dhoni, 2 runs, makes room outside leg and steers this length delivery to the left of third man. Would have been a boundary but Brathwaite pounces on it and slides it back to save a couple of runs
17.4 -
Shami to Dhoni, SIX, typical MS Dhoni! Greyhounds down the pitch and takes it on the half-volley to smack-bang it straight down the ground. BANG!
17.3 -
Shami to Dhoni, FOUR, top-edge and four! Doesn't matter how they come. Dug in short and climbed higher than Dhoni expected, went for the pull and the edge flies to the fine leg fence
17.2 -
Shami to Rahane, 1 run, pulls his length back and follows Rahane again, whipped backwards of square for a single
17.2 -
Shami to Rahane, 5 wides, jeez! Is this the game for Pune? Rahane backs away early and Shami loses his radar. Follows the batsman and overcorrects a full delivery. Drifting well down leg, Samson flung himself to his left but was a real tough one
17.1 -
Shami to Dhoni, 1 run, bangs it short and just outside off, Dhoni rockets the pull straight to deep square, this won't help
Mohammed Shami [2.0-0-24-0] is back into the attack
Right then! Last 3 overs coming up. 37 needed. Lot of chatting in the middle
16.6 -
Mishra to Dhoni, 1 run, flatter and wider of off, Dhoni drives to deep extra cover
16.5 -
Mishra to Rahane, 1 run, Had Mishra collected that one cleanly, Rahane would have been a goner. He flicked one to deep mid-wicket and wanted a second. Sent back, Billings sends in a flat throw but Mishra dislodges the bails early sans ball in his hands. Poor stuff!
16.4 -
Mishra to Dhoni, 1 run, clever stuff from Mishra! Keeping it straight. Quicker one on the stumps, Dhoni slogs and inside-edges it onto his pads, rolled away to the off-side and the duo nab a quick single
16.3 -
Mishra to Rahane, 1 run, sinks to one knee and sweeps this fullish delivery square on the leg-side
16.2 -
Mishra to Dhoni, 1 run, flighted full on off, Dhoni looks to hoick it over long-on, but toe-ends it on the bounce to Brathwaite
16.1 -
Mishra to Rahane, 1 run, flipper on the stumps, wristed away to deep mid-wicket
Amit Mishra [3.0-0-22-1] is back into the attack
43 off 24 balls
15.6 -
Tahir to Dhoni, no run, fuller and wider of off, thumped back to the bowler, no timing whatsover
15.5 -
Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, touch short on middle and leg, clipped away wide of mid-wicket
15.4 -
Tahir to Dhoni, leg byes, 1 run, the quicker one on the stumps, Dhoni shimmies down and fails to get bat on the flick. The ball dribbles away to the leg-side off the pad and off they go for a leg bye. Tahir wanders around and fires the throw straight into Rahane
15.3 -
Tahir to Dhoni, no run, the wrong 'un hurried on middle, Dhoni camps on the back foot and defends it awkwardly
15.2 -
Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, legspinner outside off, Rahane crouches low and clatters it through cover
15.1 -
Tahir to Dhoni, 1 run, shortish on middle, tucked away through mid-wicket
47 from 30 now. Tahir will continue...
14.6 -
Negi to Dhoni, 1 run, shortish and arrowed towards the pads, Dhoni flicks to mid-wicket and retains strike
14.5 -
Negi to Rahane, 1 run, easy peasy for Rahane, nurdles a single to long-on
14.4 -
Negi to Dhoni, 1 run, ticked off the pads towards short fine
14.3 -
Negi to Dhoni, no run, fired flat and outside off, Dhoni doesn't bother flirting with that
14.2 -
Negi to Dhoni, SIX, "He's sent that into orbit" goes Pommie. Aptly put. A little shimmy and a wallop straight down the ground. Send the ball back please!
14.1 -
Negi to Rahane, 1 run, gets good bounce on this tossed up on off, Rahane on-drives to long-on
Pawan Negi, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack
57 off 36 now
13.6 -
Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, there it is! The 50 from Mr. Consistent. Nudges this quicker one towards mid-wicket and reaches the milestone
13.5 -
Tahir to Dhoni, 1 run, shortish, Dhoni pulls with hard hands towards wide long-on
13.4 -
Tahir to Dhoni, no run, driven towards cover
13.3 -
Tahir to Dhoni, no run, "Howzaaat" goes Tahir, but that's too ambitious. Dhoni jumps down the track to smother the spin on this one, misses and is rapped on the pads. Too far down the pitch to consider a lbw appeal
MS Dhoni, right handed bat, comes to the crease
13.2 -
Tahir to S Tiwary, out Caught by S Billings!! Slog swept straight into the bucket hands of Billings. Floated just outside off on a fullish length, Tiwary knelt down and struck powerfully. Billings runs to his right and times the forward dive to perfection. S Tiwary c S Billings b Tahir 21(18) [4s-1 6s-1]
Tahir to S Tiwary, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!
13.1 -
Tahir to S Tiwary, no run, the slider that skids straight on, pushed back to the bowler
Strrrrategic Time-out. 59 required from 42. Tahir is back
12.6 -
Brathwaite to Rahane, 2 runs, a better throw and Tiwary would have been in trouble. The slower ball slanted into the pads, Rahane clips along the carpet and calls for two straightaway. Deep mid-wicket swoops and hurls a wild thorw at the bowler's end. Tiwary was a tad slow and was struggling to reach
12.5 -
Brathwaite to Rahane, FOUR, that's a horrid delivery! Short and dancing down leg, Rahane swivels and belts the pull through short fine
12.4 -
Brathwaite to S Tiwary, 1 run, deft from Tiwary! Remains stable inside the crease and taps this goodish length delivery on its head, sends it fine towards short third man
12.3 -
Brathwaite to Rahane, 1 run, 128ks length outside off, Rahane steps to leg and uses the width to drive it on the up through covers
12.2 -
Brathwaite to S Tiwary, 1 run, fires it full on off, clipped away to wide long-on
From round the wicket to the leftie
12.1 -
Brathwaite to Rahane, 1 run, the off-cutter tilting in towards middle, wristily tucked through mid-wicket
Carlos Brathwaite [1.0-0-7-0] is back into the attack
69 off 48. With 9 wickets in hand, Pune are clear favourites at the moment and here comes Carlos...
11.6 -
Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, legbreak outside off, Rahane leans into the drive and keeps strike
11.6 -
Tahir to Rahane, wide, what was that? It must have slipped out of his hand. Googly banged in way too short and it bounces well over Samson. Thankfully, there is a short fine in place
11.5 -
Tahir to S Tiwary, 1 run, sits on one knee and fetches this skidder from fifth stump line, slotted to deep mid-wicket
11.4 -
Tahir to Rahane, 1 run, attacking the stumps is Tahir and Rahane is too good with his wrists, tucks to deep mid-wicket and runs leisurely for a single
11.3 -
Tahir to Rahane, no run, slows this one up and keeps it on off, Rahane clamps forward and blocks with soft hands
11.2 -
Tahir to S Tiwary, 1 run, 103ks too full around off, eased down towards long-on
11.1 -
Tahir to S Tiwary, 2 runs, fullish and on the pads, Tiwary flips it wide of long-on and calls for a double
Imran Tahir, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
Another leggie into the attack. No slips
10.6 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, 1 run, another googly and Tiwary toe-ends the flat bat stroke to sweeper cover
10.5 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, no run, googly outside off, Tiwary tucks to the left of the bowler
10.4 -
Mishra to Rahane, 1 run, would you believe it? Rahane has holed out on a free hit. Quick and flat from Mishra, Rahane gives it all after coming down the pitch and picks out Billings at deep mid-wicket
10.4 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, no ball, 1 run, and the dross stuff continues. Hurls a high full toss above waist height and Tiwary drags the pull through mid-wicket, another free hit please
10.4 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, no ball, oh my! Mishy oversteps. A cardinal sin, played back to the bowler...Free hit time fellas!
10.3 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, SIX, brutal from Saurabh Tiwary! First six for him. Charges down, gets to the pitch of the delivery and marmalizes it into the mid-wicket orbit. CYA tomorrow!
10.2 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, no run, the googly! Tiwary sits too deep inside the crease and tries to dab it fine, he ain't getting any close to that
10.1 -
Mishra to Rahane, 1 run, walks down the pitch and bunts this down to long-on
10.1 -
Mishra to Rahane, wide, that's brave from Mishy! Flighty, loopy outside off, ends up spraying it too wide of off, Rahane lets it be
9.6 -
Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, tosses it too full outside off, Rahane smothers the drive to long-off
9.5 -
Duminy to S Tiwary, 1 run, tapped down to long-on
9.4 -
Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, pulls the length back and Rahane whips a pull to deep square leg
9.3 -
Duminy to Rahane, FOUR, what a shot! What a good shot! Opened himself up to line up the off-side and then creamed it over extra-cover
9.2 -
Duminy to S Tiwary, 1 run, nothing has gone to hand. There have been opportunities created but nothing has gone to hand. Shortish around off, almost a half-tracker which is enough for Tiwary to take the aerial route with a pull. Got it off the toe-end and spooned it up, but drops short and wide of long-on
9.1 -
Duminy to Rahane, 1 run, drifts it across off from round the wicket, driven down to long-off
Jean-Paul Duminy, right-arm off break, comes into the attack
8.6 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, no run, what's going on! Running between the wickets by Pune has been rubbish. Utter rubbish. How on earth have they even not been made to pay is beyond me. Tossed up outside off, softly patted in front of backward point before taking a few strides down the pitch. Rahane's decision is "no" and his call is timely enough
8.5 -
Mishra to Rahane, 1 run, moves smoothly towards the leg-side and clips one down to long-on
8.4 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, 1 run, goes hard on the slog-sweep and drags it through mid-wicket
8.3 -
Mishra to S Tiwary, FOUR, and he's away! Flatter and shorter outside off, skids on after pitching and Tiwary dabs it fine. Got it past the slip fielder and beat short third man
A slip in place for the new man..
Saurabh Tiwary, left handed bat, comes to the crease
8.2 -
Mishra to Khawaja, out Stumped!! Mishra dupes Khawaja with a googly as the latter tries to heave to the stars. Beats the outside edge and sets up a simple stumping for Samson. Khawaja st Samson b Mishra 30(27) [4s-2 6s-1]
Mishra to Khawaja, THAT'S OUT!! Stumped!!
8.1 -
Mishra to Khawaja, no run, full ball and it's drilled hard down the pitch but straight back at the bowler
7.6 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, 1 run, plonks his foot across to get inside the line of the ball, paddles it behind square
7.5 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, 2 runs, driven powerfully through extra-cover after a little shimmy down. Forces sweeper cover into a sprint to his left and gets back for two
7.4 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, no run, darted in from round the wicket, and hits the pads of Khawaja as he is late on the flick. Would have easily gone down leg, hence no appeal
7.3 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, 1 run, well bowled. Holds it back after seeing Rahane come down, contains him to a nudge down to long-on
7.2 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, 1 run, flows into the push down to long-off
7.1 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, 1 run, tamely floated on the pads, clipped through mid-wicket
Jayant Yadav [3.0-0-19-0] is back into the attack
Strategic time-out!
6.6 -
Mishra to Khawaja, no run, could this have been a chance had Samson collected? Quicker leg-break down leg, Khawaja misses with a flick and the ball drops off his thigh pad and bounces towards the keeper. Khawaja is unaware of what's going on and wanders out of his crease unsuspectingly. If Samson had collected, there could have been something on. But he didn't
6.5 -
Mishra to Khawaja, no run, a stumping appeal going upstairs. But this is merely a polite enquiry, Samson didn't show too much interest. Yes, Khawaja's back foot is grounded. Khawaja played for the leg-break and tried to blast it through the off-side, but the ball skid on to beat his outside edge. Samson is quick but Khawaja's foot never moved
6.4 -
Mishra to Khawaja, no run, another googly outside off, this one's on the shorter side too. Dabbed to short third man
6.3 -
Mishra to Rahane, 1 run, hoodwinks Rahane with a googly, but it's too short and he is able to read it off the pitch to tuck it behind square
6.2 -
Mishra to Khawaja, 1 run, too full from Mishy and Khawaja slaps the drive to long-off
6.1 -
Mishra to Rahane, 1 run, drops it short outside off and is cut away to sweeper cover
Amit Mishra, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack
It's a solid start from these two, but fate has had a lot to do with it. They wouldn't mind though..
5.6 -
Shami to Khawaja, 2 runs, again, it's not short enough to pull. Chops it off the bottom half through mid-wicket. He's placed it well enough for a couple
5.5 -
Shami to Khawaja, no run, whips a back of a length delivery to mid-wicket
5.4 -
Shami to Rahane, 1 run, waits on a back of a length delivery and dabs it to third man
5.3 -
Shami to Rahane, FOUR, powerful wrists from Rahane as he whips a back of a length delivery through the on-side. Deep mid-wicket puts in a dive but can't cut it off
5.2 -
Shami to Rahane, FOUR, that's how you play the pull! And he's executed it magnificently off the front foot. Nails it behind square
5.1 -
Shami to Khawaja, 1 run, this is right out of a tragic comical. Well, not quite a tragedy in the end as Khawaja survives. But seriously, this is terrible running. Khawaja fails to pull one off the middle, chops it off a bottom edge and then it drops on the pitch off his body. Rahane is hurtling for the single, so Khawaja has no choice. But then he bumps into Shami who is going for the ball. Shami had all three stumps to aim at, misses by a whisker
4.6 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, 1 run, steps to leg looking to pull but mistimes it wide of mid-on
4.5 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, SIX, there's so much freedom in his batswing. Once he gets to the pitch of the ball and flows into the lofted drive, it's always going all the way
4.4 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, 1 run, hops out of the crease, realizes he isn't quite to the pitch and safely pats it to long-on
4.3 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, 1 run, nice in-drift from round the wicket, but there's too much of it. Ends up on Khawaja's pads and is clipped through the on-side
4.2 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, 1 run, turning in on middle, flicked through mid-wicket
4.1 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, no run, pulls the length back and fires it quicker seeing Rahane charge. Forces him to a defensive stroke. Also, with the ball sliding on, he manages to catch a thick outside edge which rolls to point
3.6 -
Shami to Khawaja, FOUR, throws his hands at a length ball slanted outside off, and the ball flies away off the outside edge to the third man fence. This pair has been riding on a lot of luck
3.5 -
Shami to Rahane, 1 run, another nicely timed tuck to deep square leg
3.4 -
Shami to Rahane, 2 runs, excellent use of the wrists. Whips it behind square and hares for two
3.3 -
Shami to Rahane, no run, length ball around off, Rahane blocks it solidly
3.2 -
Shami to Rahane, FOUR, good short ball bouncer, it's bowled with enough pace to hurry Rahane and get big on him. As a result, he's late on the pull. The ball catches his gloves and zooms away past a flying Samson. So unlucky
3.1 -
Shami to Khawaja, 1 run, Khawaja had given up! Short of length just outside off, skids on and thuds high on the bat as he tries to muscle it down the ground. Wanders away straight to mid-off, but the pair still decide to run. An ill-judged decision and a direct-hit would have caught Khawaja well short
Mohammed Shami, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
2.6 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, no run, clips one to mid-wicket
2.5 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, no run, cut straight towards cover
2.4 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, 1 run, there's a chance for Brathwaite at long-on. Khawaja has mistimed a flat-batted heave to a shortish dart, but he has hit it so poorly that the ball is dying on an incoming Brathwaite. The West Indian does so well to get there, dives forward and gets both hands to the ball but can't cling on
2.3 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, 1 run, nudges a single down to long-on
2.2 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, 1 run, sits on his back knee looking to fetch a slog-sweep from outside off, drags it off the bottom of the bat towards deep mid-wicket
2.1 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, no run, shimmies down to flick a quicker one towards square leg. More hesitation. These two really need to get their frequencies to match. But again, Khawaja is sent back in time
1.6 -
Brathwaite to Khawaja, 1 run, so quickly into position against a short ball. Not much height on it though. Lifts his front leg in the air and pulls it to deep square leg
1.5 -
Brathwaite to Rahane, 1 run, another cutter. Rahane waits on the back foot and dabs it to third man
1.4 -
Brathwaite to Khawaja, 1 run, slower ball angling down leg, glanced to short fine leg
1.3 -
Brathwaite to Khawaja, FOUR, such a gorgeous stroke! Back of a length, just outside off. There isn't much room on offer, but Khawaja latches onto it anyway. Carves it past backward point
1.2 -
Brathwaite to Khawaja, no run, denies Khawaja the room with a short of length delivery, tucked to mid-wicket
Brathwaite is angling it in from round the wicket, by the way..
1.1 -
Brathwaite to Khawaja, no run, full ball outside off, Khawaja mistimes the drive to the left of cover and there is some hesitation in the running again. Sent back in time and no damage done
Carlos Brathwaite, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack
Carlos Brathwaite will share the new ball..
0.6 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, no run, slower through the air, on the stumps, and is calmly defended
0.5 -
Jayant Yadav to Khawaja, 1 run, driven down the ground to long-off. It's bowled on a length but there isn't much turn, and Khawaja just hits it through the line
A slip in place for the leftie. And Yadav will switch to round the wicket..
0.4 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, 1 run, leans into a flighted off-break and works it down to long-on
0.3 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, no run, Rahane wants a single after patting one towards backward point. Huge screams from Khawaja to send him back, which is the right call
0.2 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, FOUR, this one is on the wrong line. Floats it on Rahane's pads and he simply tickles it fine. Races away once it clears short fine leg
0.1 -
Jayant Yadav to Rahane, no run, tossed up nicely but holds the length back, Rahane prods forward and blocks to cover
Rahane and Khawaja are at the crease. Rahane is on strike. Jayant Yadav will open the attack