Friday, 15 May 2009

It was a match none could afford to lose in their pursuit of a semifinal berth. But as the match went down to the wire, Mumbai Indians, needing four runs in the last over lost their nerves. And Shane ‘Hollywood’ Warne’s team again escaped to victory, this time by two runs.

It was Munaf Patel who   was instrumental in the Rajasthan Royals’ win. In a sensational last over, he claimed a wicket and accounted for two run-outs. This after Warne had stopped Ajinkya Rahane and Sachin Tendulkar’s late charge.

Mumbai Indians restricted  Royals to 145 but made a few surprising moves which kept them from taking the kind of control they would have liked.

They gave one over to Chetnya Nanda after the leg-spinner removed Yusuf Pathan and this could still be understood because his departure brought to the middle two left-handers. The decision to hold back Sanath Jayasuriya when they started the chase was more puzzling.

The Royals didn’t get much from Graeme Smith and Pathan but were in the hunt thanks to Rob Quiney and Ravindra Jadeja.

The left-handers were helped significantly by a generous dose of loose deliveries.

Source: hindustantimes.com