Dinesh Karthik smashed a blazing half-century and Amit Mishra claimed three wickets, as Delhi Daredevils scored a convincing 67-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League match at the Ferozshah Kotla, in Delhi, on Wednesday.
Mishra, who bagged the big wicket of Yusuf Pathan, finished with three for 23, as Rajasthan, chasing 189 for victory, were dismissed for 121 in 17.4 overs.
David Warner failed with the bat but excelled in the field, taking four catches and effecting a run-out.
Karthik led Delhi's recovery after the loss of a few early wickets with a smashing innings of 69 from 38 balls, laced with six boundaries and four sixes. He added 79 runs in 50 deliveries for the fifth wicket with captain Gautam Gambhir, who scored 43.
It was a splendid turnaround by the Delhi batsmen, as they hit 109 runs from the last ten overs to leave Rajasthan with a stiff target.
Pacer Sumit Narwal emerged the most successful bowler for Rajasthan, claiming three for 36, including the wickets of David Warner (4) and Virender Sehwag, both in his second over.
Delhi Daredevils:
Shane Warne tried something different against the dangerous opening combo of David Warner and Virender Sehwag by giving the new ball to Yusuf Pathan.
The dashing Indian opener though needed no second invitation and launched Pathan for a six over long-on and followed it up with a swept boundary in the first over.
Medium pacer Sumit Narwal came in from the other end and should have picked the wicket of Warner, but Siddharth Trivedi messed up an easy opportunity at mid-on.
After just one over from Pathan, Warne introduced another spinner in Adam Voges. Even he was taken apart by Sehwag, as the right-hander hit him for a couple of boundaries through the off-side, in the third over.
Just when it looked Delhi were off to a flying start, Narwal brought them back to earth with two wickets in his second over.
Warner, who made four from eight deliveries, failed to get his bat down on time to a yorker and was bowled.
A couple of deliveries later, Sehwag top-edged a pull shot and was caught on the square leg boundary after scoring 19 from 12 balls as Delhi were reduced to 32 for two after four overs.
Having got the two big wickets, Warne brought on strike bowler Shaun Tait. However, Paul Collingwood counter attacked and hit Delhi out of trouble as he pulled Tait for a six and followed it up with a cracking boundary through point.
But Delhi were pegged back further when they lost the wicket of Collingwood, who was run out for 16 by a brilliant piece of fielding from Adam Voges at covers.
Kedar Jadhav also didn't last long as he tried to take on Warne but ended up holing a simple catch to Pathan at mid-on for 10.
Delhi were reeling at 70 for four after nine overs.
After a steady start, Dinesh Karthik decided to up the ante and hit boundaries in consecutive overs to take Delhi to 120 for four after 15.
He then clipped a full delivery from Trivedi over square leg for his first six and followed that up with another couple sixes off Narwal in the next over.
But it was Narwal who gave Delhi the breakthrough, with the wicket of Gambhir. The Delhi captain scored 43 from 37 balls before he tried a lofted shot down the ground but failed to get enough elevation and was taken by Pathan at mid-on.
Gambhir had played an important role in Delhi's comeback, putting on 79 runs in 50 deliveries for the fifth wicket with Karthik. He completed his half-century off just 30 balls with a single to the thirdman region and followed that with three successive boundaries off Tait to take the total to 168 for five after 18 overs.
Despite Tait going for plenty, Warne brought him on to bowl the final over and Karthik went after him again.
Andrew McDonald was lucky that his edge went over the wicketkeeper for a boundary, while Karthik pulled te bowler for a powerful boundary over square leg.
Karthik fell off the final delivery, caught at long-on, after a wonderful innings of 69 that took Delhi to a huge 188 for six in their 20 overs. The Delhi wicketkeeper was instrumental in their recovery; he slammed six boundaries and four sixes in his 38-ball knock, as the hosts hit 109 runs from the last ten overs.
Narwal was the most successful bowler, claiming three for 36 in four overs, and Warne took one for 26. But it turned out be a nightmarish outing for Tait, who was hit for 53 runs in his four overs.
Rajasthan Royals:
Delhi were off to a fabulous start, with Farveez Maharoof claiming two wickets in the opening over.
Michael Lumb was out for a two-ball duck, brilliantly caught by David Warner running back from mid-off.
Three deliveries later, Faiz Fazal joined him in the dug out after being foxed by the slower delivery from Maharoof and trapped leg before wicket for a duck. Rajasthan were 1 for two after the first over.
With a huge target to chase, Naman Ojha looked to counter-attack and hit Maharoof for a six and boundary off consecutive deliveries, in the third over. He then took the attack to Amit Mishra, whom he slammed for back-to-back boundaries through the off-side.
But it was Mishra who had the last laugh when he had Ojha caught behind for 27 from 14 balls with a sharp turning delivery that took the outside edge.
Abhishek Jhunjhunwala helped Delhi's cause further by running himself out for two after being sent back by partner Adam Voges. Rajasthan slipped to 33 for four five after five overs.
Leg-spinner Sarabjit Ladda was unfortunate not to have picked the wicket of the dangerous Yusuf Pathan in his first over. Pathan tried to chip one down the ground but didn't get the distance and Collingwood, running in from long-off, made a good effort but failed to hold on.
Pathan rubbed more salt into Ladda's wounds when he hit the leggie for a couple of sixes in that over and followed it with two more boundaries off Umesh Yadav in the next over.
Suddenly Rajasthan were looking good for a comeback, but once again Delhi's bowlers struck.
Pathan could not make most of his reprieve and hit a short delivery from Mishra straight to Warner at long-on after scoring 24 from 14 balls, as the visitors slipped further.
Mishra continued his wicket ways, claiming his third in as many overs. Adam Voges tried to play the slog sweep but got a top edge which went to Warner at long-on for 15.
In the same over, Shane Warne was run-out for a duck by a direct hit from Warner, who was making a big impact on the field.
Paul Collingwood also got among the wickets when he claimed Sumit Narwal (12) in his first over, the batsman offering a simple catch to Warner at long-off, the Australian's fourth of the innings.
Ladda showed his potential when he beat Paras Dogra in the flight with one that turned sharply to have him stumped for 20.
Siddharth Trivedi and Shaun Tait hit a six each but it was too late in the day for Rajasthan.
Part-timer Sehwag finished off things by having Tait stumped for 11 as Rajasthan were dismissed for 121 in 17.4 overs. They lost by a huge margin of 67 runs.
Mishra was the star with the ball as he claimed three for 25 in four overs and joined Muttiah Muralitharan at the top of the wicket-takers list in the IPL with 11 wickets.
