Swami Bengaluru - Rajasthan pull off a thriller : IPL

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Rajasthan pull off a thriller : IPL

Written by amith
02 June 2008
The more nervous ones had already done considerable damage to their fingernails! And then a few minutes past midnight, Sohail Tanvir clipped the last ball of the match from Laxmipathi Balaji for the most important run of his life to herald Team Jaipur as the proud champions of the inaugural Indian Premier League before a distinguished gathering at the DY Patil Stadium. Needing eight runs off the final over, Shoail Tanvir and skipper Shane Warne displayed a cool head, and nerves of steel, to see their side through. Chasing a target of 164, Jaipur were finally home in a game full of twists and turns. Of course, the hero of Jaipur’s sensational threewicket victory was Yusuf Pathan. The 25-year-old, who underlined his reputation as a big-hitter during the course of this unique event, thrived on two dropped catches—13 and 33—to send pulses racing with strokes that were as exciting as they were brillaint. Once Pathan got into the mood, he single-handedly destroyed Team Chennai with a power-packed half-century that turned the game on its head. His knock of 56 was studded with four big sixes and three fours. Earlier, on a slow DY Patil Stadium track, Team Chennai chugged to 163-5. Suresh Raina , who has been the fulcrum around which Chennai totals have revolved, was at it once again. The lefthanded staved a middle-order collapse with a well-crafted 43.That the most expensive overs were the second (13 runs) and the last (15 runs) gives an indication of how Chennai cut out the frills and waited for the kill. Those who failed to play the patient game perished sooner rather than later. Partnerships were few and far between with the highest being 39 runs between openers, Parthiv Patel (38) and Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (16). Run-making wasn’t easy either, as Shane Warne set an attacking field and shuffled his bowlers around to unsettle the Chennai batsmen. S Vidyut and Patel had set the tone for the Chennai innings, but once off-spinner Yusuf Pathan was introduced into the attack, Chennai lost their way. Wickets suddenly began falling as the batsmen tried to break the shackles. That only one six was hit off Pathan, who ended with measly figures of 4-0-22-3, gave an indication that spinners had a big role to play. ! User reviews There are no user reviews for this item. To write a review please register or login.