Rajasthan trounced by Harbhajan-led MI

RR made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Johan Botha and Shreevats Goswami made way for Dishant Yagnik and Brad Hogg.

MI made a couple of changes to their playing (Pat)eleven – Herschelle Gibbs and Munaf made way for James Franklin and Dhawal Kulkarni.

On winning the toss, Rahul Dravid, RR’s skipper, chose to bat.

The first Powerplay of RR’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 31, and lost a couple of wickets.

Dravid, whose run-a-ball innings included a boundary, scored five. Ten balls into the match, he was caught by Dinesh Karthik. The medium-pacer broke the (Kulkar)nine-run stand.

Ajinkya Rahane, whose 17-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 13. Twenty-two balls later, he was caught by Rohit Sharma. Kulkarni broke the run-a-ball stand.

RR scored 50 off 8.1 overs (49 balls). MI had conceded three extras at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 32 balls. While Shane Watson’s contribution to the partnership was 19, Stuart Binny’s contribution to it was 29. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

The third-wicket pair eventually put on 53. Binny, whose 17-ball innings included three boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 30. Thirty-six balls after Rahane’s dismissal, Kieron Pollard ran him out.

RR scored 100 off 13.3 overs (81 balls). MI had conceded eight extras at that point.

Watson, whose 36-ball innings included four boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 45. Sixteen balls after Binny’s dismissal, he was caught by Dwayne Smith, the player of the match. Pollard broke the 21-run stand.

Owais Shah, whose 24-ball innings included a boundary and a six, eventually scored 28. He was unbeaten.

Ashok Menaria, whose 20-ball innings included a boundary and a six, scored 21. Twenty-nine balls after Watson’s dismissal, he was caught by Kulkarni, who broke the 43-run stand.

Yagnik, whose three-ball innings included a boundary, scored half-a-dozen. Half-a-dozen balls later, he was caught by Lasith Malinga, who broke the 12-run stand.

Hogg, who did not face a ball, was unbeaten.

RR scored 150 off 19 overs (116 balls). MI had conceded 14 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

RR scored 162 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets off 20 overs.

Franklin bowled a wicketless over, conceding half-a-dozen.

Smith bowled a couple of wicketless overs, conceding 13.

The Singhs – Rudra Pratap and Harbhajan, MI’s skipper – bowled three wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 32, the latter conceded 31.

Pollard bowled three overs, conceding 29. He picked up a wicket, as did Malinga, who bowled four overs, conceding 32.

Kulkarni bowled four overs, conceding a maiden. He conceding 18, picking up three scalps.

The first Powerplay of MI’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 44, without the loss of a wicket.

MI’s openers put on 50 off 6.4 overs (40 balls). RR had conceded 12 extras at that point. While Sachin Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 14, Smith’s contribution to it was 28.

Smith’s half-century – which included five boundaries and three sixes – came off 34 balls.

MI’s openers put on 100 off 11.2 overs (69 balls). RR had conceded 13 extras at that point. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 38, Smith’s contribution to it was 51.

Tendulkar’s half-century – which included five boundaries – came off 44 balls.

MI’s openers put on 150 off 16.1 overs (98 balls). RR had conceded 17 extras at that point. While Tendulkar’s contribution to the partnership was 52, Smith’s contribution to it was 81.

Tendulkar, whose 51-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, eventually scored 58. He was unbeaten, as was Smith, who eventually scored 87. His 58-ball innings included 10 boundaries, in addition to the aforementioned number of sixes.

RR eventually scored 18 extras. MI, who scored 163 without the loss of a wicket off 18 overs, won by 10 wickets with a couple of overs to spare.

Needless to say, each of the six bowlers was wicketless.

Binny bowled an over, conceding 13.

Ajit Chandila bowled a couple of overs, conceding 24.

Watson bowled three overs, conceding 17.

Shaun Tait, Trivedi and Hogg bowled four overs apiece. They conceded 40, (Siddhar)thirty-seven, and 30, respectively.