Warne returns; RR crush Delhi

DD (Moham)made one change to their playing eleven – Brett Geeves made way for Asif.

RR made five changes to their playing (Pat)eleven – Niraj Patel, the Pakistani pair (Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal), Dinesh Salunkhe and Pankaj Singh made way for Graeme Smith, Swapnil Asnodkar, Sohail Tanvir, Ravindra Jadeja and Shane Warne (who was leading the team).

On winning the toss, Virender Sehwag, DD’s skipper, chose to field.

The first Powerplay of RR’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 58, without the loss of a wicket.

RR’s openers put on 50 off 5.3 overs (33 balls). DD had conceded an extra at that point. While the contribution of Smith to the partnership was 19, Asnodkar’s contribution to it was 33.

Smith, whose 21-ball innings included five boundaries, eventually scored 25. Forty balls into the match, he was caught by Shikhar Dhawan. Farveez Maharoof broke the 65-run partnership.

The second-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. Asnodkar, whose 21-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and a six, scored 39. A couple of balls later, he was caught by Manoj Tiwary off the bowling of Maharoof.

Tanvir, whose run-a-ball innings included a boundary, scored a run. Eleven balls later, he was caught by Dinesh Karthik. Maharoof broke the run-a-ball stand.

RR scored 100 off 10.5 overs (65 balls). DD had conceded three extras at that point.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 26 balls. While the contribution of Shane Watson, the player of the match, to the partnership was 37, Mohammad Kaif’s contribution to it was 11. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

Kaif, whose 11-ball innings included a six, eventually scored a dozen. Twenty-nine balls after Tanvir’s dismissal, Amit Mishra broke the 52-run partnership.

Watson’s half-century – which included four boundaries and three sixes – came off 28 balls.

RR scored 150 off 15.4 overs (94 balls). DD had conceded three extras at that point.

Watson, whose 29-ball innings included four boundaries and three sixes, eventually scored 52. Fourteen balls after Kaif’s dismissal, he was stumped by Karthik. Mishra broke the 27-run stand.

Although his five-ball innings included a six, Jadeja had no reason to be in seventh heaven – 10 balls later, he was caught by Maharoof. Yo Mahesh broke the 16-run stand.

Warne, who faced a ball, didn’t get off the mark. A couple of balls later, he was caught by Sehwag. Yo Mahesh broke the one-run stand.

Mahesh Rawat, who faced four balls, scored a couple. Nine balls later, he was caught by Asif, who broke the 18-run stand.

The ninth-wicket pair put on a run. Yusuf Pathan, whose 21-ball innings included three boundaries and four sixes, scored 45. The (Tillakarat)next ball, Dilshan and Karthik ran him out.

Munaf Patel, who didn’t face a ball, didn’t get off the mark. He was unbeaten, as was Siddharth Trivedi, who faced a couple of balls, scored a run.

DD eventually conceded four extras. RR scored 192 for the loss of nine wickets off 20 overs.

The five bowlers bowled four overs apiece.

Glenn McGrath, who was wicketless, conceded 38.

Asif, who conceded 32, picked up a wicket.

Yo Mahesh and Mishra picked up a couple of wickets apiece. While the former conceded 50, the latter conceded 37.

Maharoof, who conceded 34, picked up three scalps.

The first Powerplay of DD’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 28, and lost three wickets.

Sehwag, who faced four balls, scored three. Eight balls into the chase, he was caught by Tanvir. Watson broke the 10-run stand.

Gautam Gambhir, whose 15-ball innings included a boundary, scored 11. Fourteen balls later, he was caught by the substitute, Taruwar Kohli. Watson broke the 13-run stand.

Dhawan, who faced a dozen balls, scored just five. Eight balls later, he was caught by Jadeja. Watson broke the one-run stand.

Tiwary, who faced three balls, didn’t get off the mark. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was caught by Asnodkar. Munaf broke the four-run stand.

DD scored 50 off 9.2 overs (56 balls). RR had conceded five extras at that point.

Karthik, whose 12-ball innings included a boundary, scored 10. Twenty-one balls after Tiwary’s dismissal, he was caught by Kaif. Trivedi broke the 27-run stand.

Maharoof, whose run-a-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Fourteen balls later, he was caught by Pathan, Warne broke the 20-run stand.

Dilshan, whose 22-ball innings included five boundaries and a six, scored 33. Four balls later, he was caught by Tanvir. Warne broke the one-run stand.

Mishra, who faced five balls, scored a couple. A couple of balls later, Munaf broke the one-run stand.

Yo Mahesh, who faced 10 balls, scored just three. Thirteen balls later, he was caught by Rawat. Munaf broke the five-run stand.

The last-wicket pair put on five. Asif, who faced five balls, scored three. Five balls later, Pathan and Rawat ran him out.

McGrath, who faced three balls, scored four. His runs came by way of a boundary. He was unbeaten.

The number of extras they eventually conceded gave RR no reason to be in seventh heaven. DD, who were bundled out for 87 off 16.1 overs, lost by 105 runs.

Jadeja, who bowled a ball, was wicketless, as was Tanvir, who bowled two overs, conceding 16.

Trivedi, who bowled three overs, conceded 20. He picked up a wicket.

Warne, who bowled four overs, conceded 21. He picked up two wickets.

Watson, who bowled three overs, conceded 10. He picked up three scalps, as did Munaf, who bowled four overs, conceding 17.

RR advanced to the final.