Doug BOLLINGERs awesome catch

David Hussey's awesome catch IPL 2010

One of the best catches of all time

Bhajji Blasts DCs

Harbhajan Singh for once stole the show from Sachin Tendulkar in a Mumbai Indians win as the Deccan Chargers lost by 41 runs on Sunday. The off-spinner blasted an unbeaten 49 off just 18 balls and then took three wickets including that of the dangerous Adam Gilchrist in the first over of the Deccan innings.

The Deccan Chargers were bowled out for 131 runs in just 17.1 overs. Rohit Sharma fought a lone battle with a 28-ball 45 but the rest of the Deccan batsmen failed to get going. Rohit smashed three fours and two sixes but it was never going to be enough.

Chasing 173, Gilchrist fell to Harabhajan in the first over, thanks to a terrific reflex catch by Tendulkar at first slip. And after Herschelle Gibbs (27) and Andrew Symonds (one) perished, Mumbai had taken complete control of the game.

Earlier, Harbhajan turned it on with the bat in the last three overs of the innings to take Mumbai to 172-7. When Tendulkar perished in the 17th over for 55, Mumbai were struggling at 119-7 but Harbhajan's eight fours and two sixes helped Mumbai smash 52 runs in the last three overs at the DY Patil stadium.

After Gilchrist elected to field, Mumbai were unable to get any momentum going in their innings as regular wickets kept pegging them back. The in-form Tendulkar held one end up but had to play a sedate innings with the Mumbai middle order crumbling. Mumbai lost five wickets for just 29 runs.

However, the game changed when Tendulkar fell after hitting nine boundaries and Harbhajan came to bat.

RP Singh was the most successful bowler with the left-armer picking three wickets for 31 runs.

Pathan Power derails Deccan express

Apart from one dropped catch by Adam Vogues, Rajasthan Royals did no wrong as Shane Warne's pumped-up troops thumped defending champions Deccan Chargers by eight wickets on Friday. Chasing 149, Rajasthan cruised home with more than four overs to spare. And it was Royals' main man Yusuf Pathan who sizzled again with a sensational 73 not out that came off just 34 balls.

The meager 149-run target was never going to be enough for Deccan after Royals got off to a flier in their chase. Naman Ojha (14) and Michael Lumb (45) added 55 runs off in 6.3 overs and then Pathan came to finish the game with his typical brutal innings.

Pathan smashed two fours and eight sixes as the Royals romped home in emphatic fashion and registered their third consecutive win that has now taken them to the third place in the points table. Only the Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore are above the Royals.

Earlier, Shaun Tait's triple strike restricted the Chargers to their lowest score in the third edition of the IPL.

Adam Gilchrist's decision to bat at Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium immediately backfired as he holed out to youngster Sumit Narwal, who replaced Munaf Patel in the line-up, in the first over the game. VVS Laxman made little in his comeback match as he fell for 10.

Herschelle Gibbs looked he would lead the fight back before a moment a magic by the wily Warne sent back the South African for 25 that came off only 14 balls.

And when Andrew Symonds was run out for 22, Royals took complete control. The home side never let go of the Chargers through regular wickets.

But the total could have been a lot less had Vogues held on to a simple catch offered by Rohit Sharma.

Rohit with some sensible batting took the Chargers to a respectable total before Tait snared him one run short of a well-deserved half-century.

Tait ended with figures of three for 22 while Warne picked one for only 15 runs in his four overs.

AB Devilliers Awesome catch againts RCB

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The master at his best

A batting masterclass from Sachin Tendulkar saw Mumbai Indians rise to the top of the IPL standings with a five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday.

Tendulkar's 72 was the cornerstone of Mumbai's stiff target of 181 which the hosts overhauled with an over to spare. The master batsman continued with his rich vein of form that saw him post his highest score in T20 cricket as well.

Tendulkar was a calming influence on fellow opener Shikhar Dhawan, who creamed 56 from just 34 balls to power Mumbai's initial burst. Dhawan cracked five fours and three sixes in frenetic pace while Tendulkar expressed himself with splendid control for his 52-ball effort.

By the time Mumbai lost Dhawan and Saurabh Tiwary in quick succession, they were cruising to their total. Chennai bowlers pulled them back in the middle overs, but Tendulkar ensured smooth sailing for the hosts. Dwayne Bravo finished it off with the winning runs as Mumbai recorded their fourth victory, while Chennai were forced to their fourth defeat.

Earlier, half-centuries from Suresh Raina and S Badrinath powered Chennai Super Kings to a healthy 180-2. Raina hammered an unbeaten 83 off 52 balls while Badrinath was 55 not out as the pair added an unbroken 142 runs for the third wicket, the highest third wicket partnership in the IPL, after Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and asked them to bat.

The visitors were given a typically quick start by Matthew Hayden, but Tendulkar's move to bring on Harbhajan Singh in the fourth over paid off immediately as the off-spinner removed the opener after he had raced to 20. Hayden's decision to change to the Mongoose bat in the middle of his innings didn't work again.

Mumbai struck again next over when Ryan McLaren bowled Parthiv Patel, but the the hosts' bowlers had no luck for the rest of their innings as Raina and Badrinath cashed in. Raina's rapid knock was studded with seven fours and three sixes while Badrinath scored a sedate yet fluent 45-ball 55 that had six fours.

Chennai received a timely boost with the return of captain MS Dhoni, but he hard-hitting batsman didn't get a chance to bat with the visitors losing just two wickets.

Delhi beat Bangalore

The struggling Delhi Daredevils surprised table toppers Royal Challengers Bangalore to register a much-needed 17-run victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. Chasing a steep 184, Bangalore made 166-9 in their 20 overs. Delhi, who were lingering at the seventh position before the game, rose to the fourth rank with this emphatic win.

Bangalore got off to a brisk start but lost their way in the second stage of their innings. Jacques Kallis (27) and Manish Pandey (39) started well with a 71-run stand but the visitors fought back with regular wickets to win convincingly in the end.

Three run outs dented the Bangalore chase as the middle order crumbled under pressure. Virat Kohli (38 not out) tried to keep up the fight but ran out of partners in the end. Robin Uthappa (15), Rahul Dravid (one), Eoin Morgan (17) and Mark Boucher (two) failed as the Banglaore chase ran out of steam.

Earlier, a sensational start by David Warner (33), a steady knock by AB de Villiers (45) and some lusty hitting by Kedar Jadhav (50 not out) took the Delhi Daredevils to 183-4.

Though after the flying start, Delhi looked poised to score a total of over 200 but Bangalore pulled back proceedings in the middle overs. However, the Delhi middle order ensured the visitors reached a respectable total.

An uninhibited Warner went after the Bangalore bowling right from the onset, taking Delhi to 44 runs in the fourth over. Warner smashed three fours and two sixes in his 14-ball 33 before Dale Steyn snared him. Virender Sehwag (12) followed his opening partner soon as Bangalore clawed back in the game.

However, de Villiers kept the momentum going through brisk stands with skipper Dinesh Karthik (17) and debutant Jadhav but a brilliant direct hit by Eoin Morgan after strategy break sent back the South African batsman just when Delhi were looking to accelerate.

But Jhadav then surprised Bangalore with some brutal strokeplay that saw the youngster smash five boundaries and two sixes.

Impressive Tendulkar leads Indians to victory

Sachin Tendulkar scored another impressive half century to help the Mumbai Indians cruise to a 7 wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Brabourne Stadium.

Set a target of 156 the Indians innings was trouble free as Tendulkar (71) and Saurabh Tiwary (30) built a second wicket partnership of 56 to help the home side get back to winning ways.

Having won the toss and elected to bat first the Knight Riders struggled on a batsman wicket and were reliant on Chris Gayle’s excellent innings of 75 to help Sourav Ganguly’s team reach 155-3.

The Indians run chase was pretty straight forward as Tendulkar played another wonderful innings proving Twenty20 cricket isn’t just crash, bang, wallop batting as critics claim it to be.

Tendulkar was outstanding with bat; he opened the innings and made it look easy. With breathless stroke play the little master found the boundary 10 times looking untroubled during his innings of 71 which he scored from 48 balls.

The Indians lost Shikhar Dhwan (23) Tiwary and Kieron Pollard (7) but with Tendulkar at the crease the home side’s victory was always going too guaranteed.

Having won the toss the Knight Riders batted first on a slow wicket which offered no assistants to the bowlers as Gayle and Sourav Ganguly built the foundations of a good opening partnership.

Having missed the Knight Riders 34 run defeat against the Rajasthan Royals on Saturday because of illness Gayle wasted little time getting into the action hitting Ryan McLaren for three consecutive fours in the second over.

The partnership grew steadily reaching 70 before Ganguly (31) was bowled by Harbhajan Singh in the 11th over. With only 9 overs to go Gayle increased the tempo with the Knight Riders well set for a score of 150 plus with 9 wickets in hand.

Gayle raced past his half century with consecutive fours in the 15th contributing 31 runs to a partnership of 50 with Owais Shah from just 32 balls as the score started to climb at a faster pace.

With Shah playing the perfect supporting role Gayle decided to attacks McLaren in the 17th over hitting the South African for 14 runs to set a launch pad for the last two overs.

Shah (31) fell in the last over after he was bowled by Zaheer Khan who gained revenge having just been hit for a boundary by the Englishmen.

Angelo Matthews (3) and Gayle saw out the last 4 balls of the innings to reach 155-3 setting the Indians a tricky run chase.

First Super over of IPL 3

Chennai: Kings XI Punjab snatched a thrilling victory in the Super Over to register their first win in the competition against Chennai Super Kings after their contest ended in a tie at the MA Chidambaram stadium on Sunday.

Chennai could only manage nine runs in their Super Over bowled by debutant Juan Theron and lost both their wickets in the form of Matthew Hayden and Suresh Raina. Hayden, using his Mongoose bat for the over, coulnd't connect the first ball he faced and was castled before Raina added two runs and a six before perishing.

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Chennai picked Muttiah Muralitharan to bowl the Super Over, who was easily their best bowler of the night, and was up against compatriot Mahela Jayawardene and Yuvraj Singh. Jayawardene smashed the first ball he faced for six but was out the next, bringing Yuvraj onto the crease. The left-hander missed the first ball but reverse-swept the next for a boundary which settled the contest in favour of the visitors for their first victory in the tournament.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings were cruising towards their target until Punjab turned the tides and caused panic in the home team, who needing 10 runs from the last over in regulation time, choked to tie the match. Irfan Pathan began the over by giving a boundary away, but came back strongly and finished with two dot balls to give Punjab a life.

Chennai began their chase in commanding style, with openers Matthew Hayden and Parthiv Patel milking the Punjab bowlers. Hayden was bowled by Ramesh Powar after racing to 33 but the contest remained one-sided as the pair had already added 65 for the first wicket.

While Patel continued to bring up a composed half-century, he kept losing partners. Suresh Raina was run out for 15 while Murali Vijay and S Badrinath fell in quick succession to let Punjab in with a chance. Panic crept in when Patel departed in the 18th over, and the unavailability of Justin Kemp - who bowled a ball and walked off with an injury - hurt the team.

Manpreet Gony perished for a wild slog while Morkel and R Ashwin couldn't find the boundaries. Juan Theron conceded just one run in the penultimate over before Irfan stopped them with scores tied.

Chennai were unable to capitalise on a splendid bowling effort led by Muttiah Muralitharan, who bowled a magnificent spell of 3-16 to help them restrict Punjab to a modest 136-8.

The Sri Lankan off-spinner snared Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and Mohammad Kaif and never let the Punjab batsmen get away after Suresh Raina won the toss and elected to bowl. Yuvraj Singh accelerated in the end with a fine 43.

Punjab promoted Irfan Pathan to open the innings and didn't disappoint, scoring a brisk 39 after the dismissal of his partner Ravi Bopara for one. But Punjab continued to suffer from their middle order woes, with Sangakkara being outclassed by Murali for 15, before Pathan was bowled by Laxmipathy Balaji.

Yuvraj helped the team to a respectable total, but lost his partners at crucial junctures. Mahela Jayawardene was trapped in front for three while Mohammad Kaif departed in an attempt to get boundaries.

DareDevils slump to third straight defeat

The Delhi Daredevils slumped to their third straight defeat in this years Indian Premier League after failing to chase down a target of 172 against the Deccan Chargers at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

The DareDevils started off brightly thanks to a wonderful half century from David Warner but the visitors started to wobble as the middle order we unable to build on Waraner’s great start and finsihed 10 runs short.

Having won the toss and electing to bat the Chargers top order struggled on a slow wicket and had to be rescued by Rohit Sharma (45) and Tirumalasetti Suman (29) to set the DareDevils a tough target.

The DareDevils got their run chase off to a poor start losing inspirational batsman Virender Sehwag (3) in just the third over of their innings after he was caught by Herschelle Gibbs at long off.

The lost of Sehwag didn’t slow down David Warner who had started off in rampant style smashing 29 runs from the first two overs. The Australian continued his brutal blitz reaching 50 in just 26 balls.

With Warner’s bright start the Daredevils were coasting towards victory but a needless run out at the start of the 10th over saw Warner (58) lose his wicket and the visitors their advantage.

AB de Villiers (27), Mithun Manhas (8) and Moises Henriques (11) soon followed as the DareDevils started to lose their way slumping to 132-5. With a third successive defeat looming stand in skipper Dinesh Karthik offered some hope smashing 47 runs from just 27 balls.

His impressive innings almost changed the course of the game and amazingly a victory was starting to look possible but any hope the daredevil shad vanished in the 18th over when Karthick was brilliantly caught by Symonds off his own bowling to halt the visitors charge.

After winning the toss and electing to bat the defending champs got off to a poor start losing Monish Mishra (1) in the first over of the day.

New batsman Gibbs responded to the early set back smashing 14 runs of the next over from Dirk Nannes including a big six high over long off to get the Chargers inning up and running.

Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist was once again in impressive form but he would have been disappointed to have gotten himself out after hitting Ladda for a six and then a four in consecutive balls in the 4th.

After being hit for 10 runs Ladda remained calm and floated in a delivery which Gilchrist (24) tried to whip over square leg but was only able to flick the ball towards wicket keeper Dinesh Karthik who took an easy catch.

After the lost of the two early wickets Gibbs and Andrew Symonds built a third wicket partnership of 28 but with the pair looking to push on Gibbs (31) was caught by Moises Henriques to leave the Chargers 72-3.

Symonds continued his early tournament form with the bat scoring 35 runs but after building his innings slowly he failed to go on to score a big total after he was caught by AB der Villiers.

The wicket of Symonds left the Chargers 103-4 to but the DareDevils on top but Sharma and Suman built a 5th wicket partnership of 60 to help the home side reach 171-6.

After a slow start the Chargers will feel Sharma and Suman’s partnership will have given their bowlers a very good chance of claiming their third victory in the years IPL.

Mongoose

	It was an auspicious debut for the Mongoose © Mongoose
Related Links Players/Officials: Rajat Bhatia | Matthew Hayden | Muttiah Muralitharan | Dirk Nannes | Parthiv Patel Matches: Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings at Delhi Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Chennai Super Kings | Delhi Daredevils | India

Sehwag scintillates
In his previous game, Muttiah Muralitharan bowled a top spell against Kolkata Knight Riders, allowing just 16 runs in his four overs while picking up the wicket of Laxmi Shukla. Today his first over went for 12, with Virender Sehwag taking a special liking for his pace and turn: a well executed late cut for four was followed by an even better shot as he gave himself room, in fact exposing all three stumps, and gently and elegantly angled the ball wide of short third man for another boundary. Nothing fazes this man.

Sticking to the basics … and suffering
When bowling at the death, the gospel says "full and straight". Poor Joginder Sharma was precisely that in the 19th over, except that Rajat Bhatia struck successive sixes off him, indicating that there really is no set method in Twenty20. The fourth ball off the over was a full toss, which Bhatia dumped over deep midwicket, and the next was pitched up on the stumps and Bhatia nonchalantly swung it over long-on for the same result. Both Joginder and Bhatia were drafted in for their first game of the season, and their contributions couldn't have been starker: Joginder went for 43 in his four overs and Bhatia larruped a nine-ball 21 that swung the impetus back Delhi's way after Chennai had hit back with big wickets in a clump.

Suspense and suspenders
Who says the first over of a Twenty20 innings can't be full of suspense and action even if there isn't a single wicket or boundary? Sample the first over of Chennai's chase, bowled by Dirk Nannes. First delivery: left alone. Second delivery: pitched and cut back sharply to nearly saw Parthiv Patel in half, Dinesh Karthik fumbled the take as he fell to his right. Third delivery: well outside off stump, Parthiv shouldered arms, a wide was called. Fourth delivery: length ball, tapped in front of square for a quick single. Fifth delivery: pitched on a good length, held its line, and Matthew Hayden didn't offer a shot. You could feel the suspense building up. Sixth delivery: just as Nannes released the ball, Hayden backed out with some issues with vision down the ground. When the ball was finally bowled, he calmly opted to shoulder arms. Was the big hit around the corner, you wondered? Seventh delivery: Hayden mistimed a drive to a full ball, set off, the backward point fielder hit he stumps, the ball ricocheted, and Hayden got a second run.

Ouch and out
Parthiv, into the side because of MS Dhoni's injury, had a muted game. The first ball of the third over, bowled by Nannes, was full, straight and fast, and the yorker thudded into Parthiv's pads. Surprised by the pace and swing, he lost balance and stooped over. Still in a daze, Parthiv set off for a non-existent single, but Hayden waved him back vehemently. It was too late, however, because de Villiers took out the stumps. It seemed Parthiv was still smarting from the yorker that thudded into his foot.

Operation Mongoose
Finally we got to see what all the fuss was about. Hayden swung Pradeep Sangwan away for his fourth boundary and promptly called for Chennai's 12th man to bring out the Mongoose bat. A single and a dot ball later, the Mongoose was on the loose as Hayden tonked three fours and a six in four deliveries. Hayden had roared back into form. The little thing worked well against spin too, as Dilshan found out when his first over went for 21 runs, including three sixes. The bullying continued until Hayden was out for an audacious 93 from 43 balls. It was an auspicious debut.

Royal Bashing

A superlative bowling performance by Royal Challengers Bangalore, including a hat-trick by Praveen Kumar, decimated Rajasthan Royals to a paltry 92 and set up a huge win. The match lasted just 30.3 overs as Bangalore strolled home by 10 wickets to call it an early night and also seal the second-most comprehensive victory in terms of ball to spare.

Full report to follow

20 overs Rajasthan Royals 92 (Kumble 3-9, Praveen 3-18) v Royal Challengers Bangalore

A superlative bowling performance by Royal Challengers Bangalore, including a hat-trick by Praveen Kumar, decimated Rajasthan Royals for a paltry 92 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The bowlers stuck to a plan of bowling quick, short deliveries, which contributed to an abject batting performance by a weakened Rajasthan. The batsmen struggled to find a weak link to exploit. Although Praveen hogged the limelight with the first hat-trick of IPL 2010, it was the combined bowling performance that set the platform for back-to-back wins at home.

The Bangalore bowlers focused on bowling as straight as possible and tucking the batsmen up. They looked out of depth from the very beginning, playing and missing and failing to find gaps. The first five overs produced only two fours and 27 runs, quite an antithesis to the Twenty20 brand of cricket.

The pressure began to tell on Rajasthan, and the urgency to push on cost them three early wickets. Jacques Kallis struck with his first delivery when he had Naman Ojha splicing to cover-point. Michael Lumb, the Hampshire left-hand batsman, had a testing IPL debut, particularly against Dale Steyn, who got the ball to skid through and fizz past the outside edge on a few occasions. He tried his luck against Anil Kumble by chipping down the track to a slow flighted delivery, but failed the read the googly and was stumped by yards.

Even the experienced Damien Martyn looked out of sorts. The rustiness of not having played too much competitive cricket since retirement began to show against some sharp bouncers from Kallis. The dismissal of Abhishek Jhunjhunwala - chopping Kallis onto the stumps - heralded the arrival of Yusuf Pathan, the best man to get them out of jail.

There wasn't to be an instant manic revival. Yusuf struggled to put bat on ball early on. Realising his weakness against the short ball, Bangalore persisted with back-of-a-length deliveries, and Yusuf kept swishing at thin air. Between the seventh and 11th over, the run-rate did not cross four and even their most attacking batsman was in inertia.

However, the bowlers were made to pay when they bowled fuller, as Yusuf demonstrated with consecutive thumps over deep midwicket off Vinay Kumar. He was dropped twice - on 19 and 24 - off thick top edges, but it didn't cost Bangalore much as he was sent packing with an athletic direct hit by Virat Kohli, diving forward.

Praveen used three different deliveries to get his hat-trick, the seventh in the tournament's history. A sluggish Martyn struggled to break free and lost his middle stump when Praveen returned for a new spell. Praveen followed the yorker with a short delivery to Sumit Narwal, who top-edged it down fine leg's throat. Paras Dogra faced the hat-trick ball, but had his middle stump pegged back to a length delivery, trying to swipe him across the line. The procession of wickets stamped Bangalore's authority on the game, which was only theirs to lose.

Delhi fizzle out

	Sachin Tendulkar combined grace with power in his classy, match-winning 32-ball 63 (file photo) © Getty Images
Related Links Matches: Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians at Delhi Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Delhi Daredevils | India | Mumbai Indians

Tournament heavyweights Delhi Daredevils crashed to a 98-run defeat against an inspired Mumbai Indians outfit that seemed determined to set the lopsided head-to-head record straight and, in the process, went to the top of the points table. Quickfire sixties from Sachin Tendulkar and Saurabh Tiwary took Mumbai to an imposing 218 but a batting line-up capable of overhauling the biggest of targets was bowled out with more than three overs to spare.

Delhi were already handicapped by the loss of Gautam Gambhir to a hamstring pull early in the match so it was up to the middle order to anchor a big chase. But the loss of a steadying hand in Gambhir showed up as the likes of Virender Sehwag and Tillakaratne Dilshan performed well below expectation. The backup for those heavyweights had little time in which to plot and execute a Yusuf Pathan-like counterattack.

Dilshan began the chase on an audacious note by slapping the first ball over mid-off for four. It was an emphatic way to get off the mark after two consecutive ducks, and Delhi motored along at a rate marginally faster than Mumbai after three overs. Mumbai had to dislodge at least one of the opening duo of Dilshan and Virender Sehwag, and the first breakthrough came through Lasith Malinga in the fourth over. After firing it in the blockhole to keep Dilshan under check, he bowled a slower ball and sent the off stump for a spin as the batsman swished at thin air.

The expectations on Sehwag only increased but he was the first victim of double-strike by Dwayne Bravo in the seventh over. Trying to clear long-off, he made contact off the toe-edge of the bat straight down Ambati Rayudu's throat. Four balls later, AB de Villiers dragged one onto his stumps and the momentum had firmly swung in Mumbai's favour. A flurry of boundaries by Dinesh Karthik - three in a row - raised some hope, but he too joined the exodus, courtesy a brilliant stumping down the leg side by Aditya Tare. When Manhas perished in the tenth over, Delhi had lost half their side, and with Gambhir indisposed, the match had ceased to be a contest.

Match Meter MI Tendulkar fires: Tendulkar tore into Maharoof with consecutive fours to start an eventful fourth over. Jayasuriya's wicket was a blip as Tendulkar belted two more fours to make it 17 for the over, the most expensive of the innings MI Tiwary and Rayudu push on: Tendulkar's departure didn't hurt Mumbai as the overs 13-15 produced a massive 40. Tiwary and Rayudu combined to hit three sixes and a four to lift the run rate to 11 MI Malinga nails countryman Dilshan: The opener looked in ominous form, hitting three boundaries. But he was dismissed in the fourth over for just 17, losing his off stump to a slower ball MI Bravo's double-strike: The seventh over, by Bravo, left Delhi in deep trouble. Sehwag fell off the first ball and four balls later, de Villiers followed. Delhi slipped to 58 for 3 Advantage Honours even

The pitch was nothing like the minefield which forced the abandonment of the one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka a few months ago. Evenly paced, Tendulkar showed just how easy it was to get to the pitch and pick the gaps with deft touches and delicate clips. It was similar to the way he started his innings in Gwalior, where he scored a memorable 200, squirting the ball past the gaps effortlessly.

Farveez Maharoof's one-dimensional bowling - overusing the legcutter - made it easier for Tendulkar to plan his shots. After slicing Maharoof past backward point, he made Delhi pay for not placing a slip as he guided the next ball to third man. He then chipped down the track, got inside the line and played a glorious on drive past midwicket to give Delhi some anxious moments.

He brought up his fifty, off just 23 balls, with a paddle to fine leg. Mishra had Tendulkar caught at long-off by the substitute Yogesh Nagar, who was earlier in the news for pulling off a one-handed blinder at mid-off to get rid of Sanath Jayasuriya. Filling in for Gambhir, Nagar had to propel himself backwards a long way but managed to time his leap to perfection.

Significantly, Tiwary and Rayudu didn't allow things to drift after Tendulkar departed. The over after his dismissal went for just three but the pair ensured they picked at least one boundary in every over during their 71-run stand, in just short of seven overs. If Tendulkar was all nonchalance, Tiwary and Rayudu were all about brute power. Tiwary employed the slog sweep against the spinners, staying in the crease and muscling three sixes. Rayudu used his feet a lot more, regularly chipping down the track to clear the rope. Mishra tried firing it flatter and shorter with the hope of getting the ball to shoot through but the batsmen were alert enough to slap them away.

By the time Delhi dislodged the pair, Mumbai were already on 193 with a little more than two overs left. Promoting Tiwary and Rayudu over the two West Indians - Bravo and Pollard - had proved to be a productive move. The Caribbean duo combined to push the score to 218 - the highest in this tournament so far - which was more than enough to stamp their dominance.

Knight Riders suffer crushing defeat

MS Dhoni scored an important half century to help the Chennai Super Kings built the Kolkata Knight Riders by 55 runs at Eden Gardens to claim their first win in this years Indian Premier League .

The Super Kings skipper stared with the bat, his blistering innings of 66 from just 33 balls allowed the visitors to reach 154-3 on a slow wicket.

The Knight Riders who had got of to the worst possible start losing two early wickets in their run chase never troubled the Super Kings as the visitors bowlers controlled the game.

Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first. The Super Kings lost big hitting danger man Matthew Hayden (1) in the third over but Suresh Raina (18) and Murali Vijay (33) didn’t panic keeping Shane Bond and Ishant Sharma at bay with the new ball.

Although runs were slow to come by the pair started to build a useful partnership but they both failed to build on their good starts losing their wickets in the space of 3 balls to put the Knight Riders on top.

Vijay departed first hitting an inside edge onto his own stumps before Brad Hodge struck with is first ball of the game to knock Rainia middle stump out of the ground to leave the Super Kings 55-3.

With the Super Kings in trouble Dhoni came to the rescue, his 4th wicket partnership of 109 with Subramaniam Badrinath (41) gave the Super Kings hope after a slow start.

Dhoni was inspired form smashing 15 runs of Laxmi Shulka in the 17th over and then another 14 runs of Shane Bond in the next over to ensure his bowlers would have a chance of bowling the Super Kings to victory.

In reply the Knight Riders struggle with the bat losing Brad Hodge (0) and Manoj Iwary (8) inside the first two overs as the openers struggled against the new ball pace of Albie Morkel and Manpreet Gony who claimed a wicket each.

Wriddhiman Saha (22) and Owais Shah (5) soon followed to leave the home side 46-4 in the just the 6th over. With wickets falling around him Sourav Ganguly (18) needed to remain at the crease to see his side to victory but he was dismissed by Justin Kemp two overs later.

The Knight Riders were now in complete disarray as they collapsed to their first defeat in this years IPL. Angelo Matthew (6), Rohan Gavaskar (2), Laxmi Shukla (19), Shane Bond (1) and Murali Kartik (21) all departed without troubling the score as the Knight Riders were bowled out for 109.

Lara might join IPL 2011

Need to be at my best'

Mumbai: Brian Charles Lara. The name conjures an image of a batsman swivelling on his back-foot, playing a majestic pull shot against the speedsters, resulting in a perfect freeze frame - the Nataraja pose.

For almost 17 years one name was synonymous with West Indies cricket - Lara.

The man is currently traveling all across India to watch the Indian Premier League 2010 and is keeping a close eye on the men from the Caribbean in the league. In an exclusive interview with iplt20.com, Lara spoke about his chemistry with Sachin Tendulkar, Kieron Pollard and his plans for making a comeback to the game with IPL.

Praising the concept of Indian Premier League, Lara said, “It is an awesome concept. IPL is into its third year. They had a season in South Africa and this year it is back in India. I like the concept of franchise [-based cricket] with the private investors coming in. Just like in the English Premier League in England and the Spanish League, you know people are following their clubs. The players are real. It is a great venture and is catching up all around the world.”

It would be safe to say that the cricket-viewing experience is not complete until you have seen an innings by an in-form Brian Lara. For who knows if we'd ever again get to feast on the deeds of such a genius on the cricket field. So does he plans to get back to cricket with IPL?

“I don’t know if I can. It has been a long time since I have played competitive cricket. The standard of cricket being played in the Indian Premier League is pretty high so I need to be on the top of my game before I think of joining the league. So for now I am happy watching it,” he says displaying remarkable modesty.

Mumbai and Sachin are two names which bring a smile on Lara’s face. But which of the two he is fonder of?

“Well, obviously with my fellow West Indians playing in the tournament I had to be here. Mumbai is my favourite city in India. I have a few friends in here and I love coming here during this part of the year. Obviously watching Sachin [Tendulkar] at home is an invite no one can deny.

“I think we have a mutual admiration for each other's talent. We do feed on each other. We have been together on tours and we have discussed batting techniques. I would be happy if Sachin [Tendulkar] breaks my record of 400 in Test cricket. No one other than Sachin should do it,” he added.

With his nimble footwork he cut, drove, hooked and pulled fast bowlers and spinners with disdain through his career. A quality unmatched and hard to find among the youngsters. But quite a few have impressed him from the Caribbean.

“[Dwayne] Bravo has been playing international cricket for a while now so he has the experience and temperament to play at this level. He has had a good season in IPL already so he will be an asset for Mumbai Indians,” he said.

There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Kieron Pollard’s inclusion in the Mumbai Indians side. Will Pollard be able to live up to his reputation?

“[Kieron] Pollard has attracted a lot of attention with his big hitting already. He has to develop the consistency factor. To get one or two big scores is one thing but to win games consistently for your team is quite different. So, I hope he takes the IPL by storm by his powerful play and consistency,” he explained.

Lara was a true entertainer in every sense of the word. Which West Indies feel is up to entertaining the crowds consistently? “Adrian Barath is a talented young West Indies cricketer. He impressed with his debut for the Carribean against Australia. He will be representing Kings XI Punjab so I too will be supporting [Kumar] Sangakkara’s side.”

What about the bowlers? “We have Kemar Roach who is a very good. Although he is inexperienced there is also an opportunity for youngsters like him and other West Indies cricketers to prepare themselves for the highest level. He is very competitive [in the tournament] and his participation will only build his character,” he said.

Lara acknowledged that the rise of the shortest format has resulted in the rise of T20 specialists. “Yeah, there are specialists but I would say a good cricketer will be successful in all formats in the long run. Talking about the specialist – [Dwayne] Smith is an experienced campaigner in the T20 format. He loves the fast pace of the game and anyone who enjoys the pace and nuances of Twenty20 format will make it big like Smith,” he wrapped up.

Sehwag powers Delhi to convincing victory

Delhi Daredevils 142 for 4 (Sehwag 75) beat Rajasthan Royals 141 for 6 (Jhunjhunwala 53*) by six wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Virender Sehwag bludgeoned his way to 75, sealing a second consecutive win for Delhi Daredevils (file photo) © AFP
Related Links News : Greg Shipperd to join Delhi after Sheffield Shield Features : Rajasthan's prescription for motivation Preview : Underdogs take on top dogs in Ahmedabad Players/Officials: Abhishek Jhunjhunwala | Virender Sehwag Matches: Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils at Ahmedabad Teams: Delhi Daredevils | India | Rajasthan Royals

A disciplined performance by the Delhi Daredevils bowlers and a blistering innings from Virender Sehwag inflicted a dispiriting defeat on Rajasthan Royals, their second in as many games, in Ahmedabad. The only highlight for Rajasthan was a battling half-century from Abhishek Jhunjhunwala which took them to a respectable total, but it was rendered woefully inadequate in the wake of an unforgiving onslaught from Sehwag.

Rajasthan were made to regret their batting fairly early in the chase, as Sehwag blazed away in the first over, swinging Dimitri Mascarehnas over square leg and mid-on for two boundaries. The seamers bowled either too full or offered him the desired width to break free. Shaun Tait, who was cut fiercely through point, and Munaf Patel, who was dispatched over long-off for a six and past mid-on for a boundary the next over, were the next in line.

There were a couple moments of hope for Rajasthan. Mascarenhas returned in the fourth over to snare Gautam Gambhir, who mistimed a slower one to mid-on, and got one to move away to produce an outside edge from Tillakaratne Dilshan the next ball. That the wickets made no difference to Sehwag's approach could have worked to Rajasthan's advantage, as he skied Mascarenhas when on 41 only to be dropped by Tait while running back from short fine - another low on what's so far been a miserable IPL for the South Australian.

Having smote Mascarenhas the previous two deliveries for 10 runs, Sehwag proceeded to target Amit Uniyal's medium-pacers, walloping him for six over long-off, upper-cutting him wide of third man to reach his half-century and striking through the line of a length delivery to dismiss it over long-on. The parting shot before being caught brilliantly by Graeme Smith at mid-on was a thunderous six over long-on; Delhi were 99 for 3 when he fell in the 10th over, and Dinesh Karthik, with the luxury of a set platform, saw his team through.

Match Meter RR An encouraging start: Naman Ojha targeted Delhi's bowling, racing to 24. Amit Mishra came in for attack, being struck for two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries as Rajasthan began positively in the first five overs. DD The setbacks hurt: Mishra, Farveez Maharoof and Pradeep Sangwan grab three crucial wickets in 21 balls to turn the tide. Ojha is bowled, Yusuf Pathan holes out to long-on and Graeme Smith is caught while trying to pull. DD Sehwag blazes away: Delhi show early signs of wanting to finish the game off quickly, as Virender Sehwag smacks six fours and a six in the first three overs to take his team to 40 without loss. DD RR A ray of hope: Dimitri Mascarenhas removes Gautam Gambhir and Tillakaratne Dilshan in successive deliveries in the fourth over to bring Rajasthan back into the game. No stopping Sehwag: The wickets make no difference to Sehwag's approach, as he stars with a blistering innings of 75 off 34 balls, falling only in the 10th over with the score on 99 and the win virtually sealed. Advantage Honours even

Rajasthan, who wore black arm-bands in memory of the victims of a bus accident in Sawai Madhopur district, had begun positively after Gambhir had put them in. But they were dented by a testing first spell from Dirk Nannes and the early introduction of Amit Mishra, leaving an inexperienced middle order to contend with a determined display from the rest of Delhi's bowlers who gave little opportunity to open up.

The conditions in Ahmedabad were hardly favourable with the dust from the parking lots surrounding the stadium kicking in, and adding to the haze from the floodlights. The surge of moths, flying across the pitch as well as the outfield, proved another irritant.

Swapnil Asnodkar and Smith, cashing in on some overpitched bowling from Farveez Maharoof, dispatched two boundaries off the first three balls of the match. Nannes, however, continued to trouble the batsmen with his ability go generate bounce, even from bowling on a good length. He got rid of Asnodkar with his second delivery, which was sliced towards Dilshan who took a good low catch, and followed up with two snorters to Naman Ojha, one striking him on the shoulder.

Ojha, who had some success while opening the batting for Rajasthan in the previous IPL, resumed the attack after a momentary lull, thrashing Maharoof over mid-on and edging him over the slips. He reserved special treatment for Mishra, brought on in the fourth over, cutting and sweeping him for two boundaries and launching him into the stands over long-on. But Mishra undid him with his first variation of the over, slipping in the googly to bowl him through the gate as he tried to loft him over the covers.

With Yusuf Pathan lasting just five deliveries, failing to pick a slower delivery and holing out to long-on, and the experienced Smith following soon after to make it 54 for 4, Rajasthan were starting at a bleak prospect.

Paras Dogra, who partnered Yusuf during his ruthless ton, and Jhunjhunwala, returning from the ICL, saw off a quiet phase during a nagging couple of overs from Pradeep Sangwan and Sarabjit Ladda; Rajasthan, at one stage, had played out 38 deliveries without a boundary. Replacing Yo Mahesh, Ladda varied his pace well, often surprising the batsmen with the quicker delivery but had his figures disturbed when the pair had stepped up, both smashing him for two sixes in a 17-run over.

Delhi saw to it they didn't give too much away with the two run-outs of Dogra and Mascarenhas in successive overs. Jhunjhunwala, though, struck two boundaries off Nannes in the final over, reaching his fifty, to give his bowler's more than an outside chance. Sehwag, however, ensured it was washed away.

Royals Vs Dare Devils

	Delhi Daredevils had to fight for victory against Punjab, but it'll take some effort to beat them (file photo) © Associated Press
Related Links Matches: Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils at Ahmedabad Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Delhi Daredevils | Rajasthan Royals

Big Picture

The two teams playing the first ever IPL match in Ahmedabad present a bit of a contrast. The Rajasthan Royals, even though they were champions in 2008, are perennial underdogs and seem comfortable playing that role. They're the team most fans love to support after their own. They possess the tournament's fastest bowler and perhaps its most destructive batsman but, a few overseas players apart, also a bunch of boys who aren't individually threatening. Their captain, formerly the world's greatest legspinner, is now a glamorous poker player, an expert at staying in fashion and the team's chief inspiration. He spearheads Rajasthan's PR on Twitter, engaging in entertaining and sometimes frivolous banter with his mates, and he's fashioned a team in his own image, one that in his own words "plays to entertain".

There aren't any Delhi Daredevils on Twitter, unless they've been hiding in obscurity, apart from Wayne Parnell. Their players aren't darlings of the media, their owner is in infrastructure not Bollywood, and their captain, who's got into trouble more than once for his on-field temper, is sullen compared to his larger-than-life counterpart. Delhi have few frills and a low-key media presence. They are the team that shows up to get the job done, clinically, and the one most opponents will be a little intimidated by, even if they won't admit it. They have their best foreign players available for the whole tournament, their top five in the batting order is unmatched, and their Indian contingent is among the strongest. No matter who they play and where, Delhi are usually favourites.

These two teams, with their different styles, will clash for the first time at Motera, a 48,000 seater, one of four new venues this season. Both contested closely-fought opening games on Saturday: Delhi won theirs in Mohali, Rajasthan fell agonisingly short in a mammoth chase against Mumbai. One loss doesn't ruin a season, but a second in a row will be a little harder to come back from.

Team talk

Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Shaun Tait and Shane Warne were the four overseas players Rajasthan fielded against Mumbai. Given that their top order struggled, they might consider replacing Mascarenhas and bringing in Damien Martyn or Michael Lumb to bolster the batting. Tait, though he leaked 11.50 runs an over, is likely to play to counter Delhi's powerful top order. Munaf Patel, who was ill ahead of the first game, could also come into the XI if fit. Warne had said they "don't want to change anything in the middle [order] as [Abhishek] Jhunjhunwala and [Paras] Dogra batted beautifully." But with Rajasthan, you never can tell.

Delhi had to do without Ashish Nehra's services against Punjab because of an injury. He could return in place of either Pradeep Sangwan or Yo Mahesh if fit. Another option, which will strengthen a formidable batting line-up, would be for Nehra to replace Farveez Maharoof, who took 2 for 37, while David Warner comes in as the fourth overseas player, instead of Mithun Manhas. That would be unfortunate for Manhas, who made a crucial 31 against Punjab, but a top order comprising Sehwag, Gambhir, Warner, de Villiers and Dilshan, with Karthik to follow, seems too good to pass on. Parnell has joined the Delhi squad after completing domestic duties in South Africa but is unlikely to play.

Previously…

The first contest between these two sides in 2008 was a no-contest, with Delhi cruising to a nine-wicket win with 29 balls to spare. The clash in Jaipur was much closer - Rajasthan won in the last over with three wickets in hand. Rajasthan won the first game between the sides in 2009 by five wickets, but lost the second by 14 runs.

In the spotlight

Yusuf Pathan: His 37-ball century, the fastest in the IPL and second quickest overall, was the sole reason Rajasthan got anywhere close to Mumbai's 212. On flat pitches and small grounds, Yusuf is a brutal batsman and Rajasthan's strategy in previous tournaments has been to build a platform for him to launch an assault from, whether chasing or batting first. He wasn't attacked with any bouncers during his blitz, which was surprising considering he has struggled against the short ball. A cheap dismissal will severely dent Rajasthan's chances of challenging Delhi's batting line-up. Expect Nannes to dig them in tomorrow.

Tait v Nannes: Shaun Tait and Dirk Nannes are specialist Twenty20 fast bowlers for Australia. Tait sent down thunderbolts nearing 160kmh during the summer, intimidating international batsmen into dismissals, while Nannes maintained his accurate lines and lengths at around 150kmh. In combination, they were a potent force but tomorrow they will be opponents with the responsibility of making inroads into other's top order. Nannes was exceptional against Punjab but Tait was poor at Brabourne. Another failure tomorrow could result in Rajasthan chasing leather.

Prime numbers

• Yusuf went from 15 off 14 balls to 69 off 25 against Mumbai by hitting 11 consecutive balls for 6,6,6,6,4,4,6,4,4,4 and 4.

• Nannes' first spell Punjab was 2-0-3-0 with ten dot balls. His spell at the death was 2-0-9-2.

Chatter

"Over the 30-odd games we have played if you look at our numbers we probably are the worst in the first six overs. If you take the top three of Graeme Smith, Swapnil Asnodkar and Shane Watson that first year compared to last year (there is a ) 900 runs difference (of their aggregate score)."
Shane Warne wants some more momentum at the top of the order.