Delhi win keeps Pune waiting
CLOSE GAME Karun Nair guides Daredevils to decent total before Shami’s fine show derails Supergiants’ charge towards playoff spot
Exceptional bowling and fielding in the death overs, especially from Mohammed Shami, ensured Delhi Daredevils spoilt Rising Pune Supergiant’s march to the IPL 2017 playoffs by registering a seven-run win at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Friday.
The result meant Steve Smith’s team are still not assured of a spot in the playoffs and their last league game against Kings XI Punjab assumes even more importance.
Rising Pune Supergiant were coasting to victory when they required 44 off 27 balls with Ben Stokes and Manoj Tiwary going strong and stitching a partnership of over fifty. However, Mohammed Shami had other ideas and he changed the course of the match with some crucial blows.
Shami first removed Stokes for 33 as he batsman thumped a full toss to long off, Corey Anderson timing his leap to perfection and taking a well-judged catch near the boundary. Having taken the catch, Anderson proceeded to bowl a brilliant 17th over in which only five runs were given.
However, the key moment came in the 18th over as MS Dhoni mistimed a pull to short fine leg. The former India skipper was not expecting a throw at the bowler’s end and took the run casually but Shami swooped in from short fine leg and scored a direct hit, catching Dhoni short of the ground despite the dive.
Having provided the breakthroughs, Shami made Rising Pune Supergiant’s task even harder by conceeding just eight in the 19th over, which meant Smith’s team required 25 off the
last over. Tiwary gave Delhi Daredevils some anxious moments as he slammed two consecutive sixes off Pat Cummins in the final over, in the process notching up his maiden fifty. But Cummins held his nerve and delivered four perfect balls to give Delhi Daredevils a thrilling win. Delhi Daredevils had managed to post 168/8 on a tricky Kotla wicket thanks to the exploits of Karun Nair. Nair broke his lean run by slamming his maiden fifty in IPL 2017 but the 74-run stand ended when Pant was caught at long off of legspinner Adam Zampa to depart for 36.
Chasing 169, Rising Pune Supergiant got off to a bad start as Zaheer Khan castled Ajinkya Rahane first ball with a delivery that nipped back. The wicket was Zaheer’s 100th in the IPL and it came in his 99th game. Things got better for the Daredevils skipper as he removed the Rahul Tripathi (7) with an off-cutter. Smith revived the innings but RPS faltered in the end.