 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Anil Kumble came up with his magic of yore as Royal Challengers Banaglore shocked defending champions Rajasthan Royals on the opening day of the second edition of the Indian Premier League in Cape Town on Saturday.
After Mumbai Indians had stunned last season's runners-up Chennai Super Kings in the tournament's opener, winning by 19 runs, Kumble claimed five wickets for five runs from 3.1 overs as Rajasthan Royals, chasing a modest 134 for victory, were shot out for 58 in 15.1 overs.
Kumble claimed the last five wickets to fall - those of Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Shane Warne, Munaf Patel and Kamran Khan -- as the Royal Challengers, who had finished seventh last season, won by 75 runs.
It was a dream start for the Bangalore team, one of the weakest teams in the first edition. Paceman Praveen Kumar started the rot as he removed Swapnil Asnodkar (0) and the dangerous Greame Smith (2) in successive overs.
Kiwi paceman Jesse Ryder sent back Niraj Patel (4) and the dangerous-looking Tyson Henderson (11) to leave the Rajasthan team reeling at four for 28.
With wickets tumbling and the determined Banaglore bowlers, well-supported by their brilliant fielders, not willing to concede even an inch, runs dried up for the Shane Warne-led side.
The pressure mounted and the run-rate soared as the defending champions put up only 32 runs in the first 10 overs. And once Kumble dismissed Pathan (11) after Dimitri Mascarenhas ran himself out, the writing was on the wall for the Rajasthan team.
England all-rounder Mascarenhas had earlier ripped apart Royal Challengers' top-order before Man of the match Rahul Dravid's fighting 66 guided the team to a modest 133 for eight.
Mascarenhas wreaked havoc with a brilliant three-wicket haul before Dravid led the Bangalore team's fightback with his third IPL fifty. The former India captain, who led the team in the first edition of the Twenty20 tournament, defied all the odds to ensure his team stayed in the hunt. His 48-ball innings was studded with eight fours and a six.
Skipper Kevin Pietersen (32) was the only other batsman to put up some resistance.
Warne (2/18) and Munaf Patel (2/25) shared four wickets between them.
Mascarenhas provided a sensational start to the holders, scalping two wickets in the very first over of the game. He struck on the second ball of the innings, having the dangerous Kiwi batsman Jesse Ryder (0) caught behind and then had the stumps of his compatriot Ross Taylor (0) rattled with the next ball.
Without a single run on the board the Bangalore team had lost two of its most destructive batsmen. They had hardly recovered from the early shocks when they found Robin Uthappa (3) back in the hut when the flamboyant batsman, attempting a big shot, holed out to stumper Mahesh Rawat off Mascarenhas.
Pietersen and Dravid steadied the rocking boat as both the batsmen hit some elegant strokes and kept the scoreboard ticking. They added 35-runs for the fourth wicket.
Just when the Bangalore team thought the dashing duo have settled and a competitive total is possible, Tyron Henderson sent back Pietersen.
Warne then spun his magic as he bamboozled Virat Kohli (3) and Balachandra Akhil (9) to leave Bangalore tottering at 68 for six.
A determined Dravid though batted with elan and patience and proved his worth in bowler friendly conditions. His innings was a good mixture of aggression and control as it lifted his team from the pits to a fighting position.