Dravid delighted; RR beat Punjab

KXIP (Shar)made a couple of changes to their playing (Micha)eleven – Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Neser made way for Adam Gilchrist (who was leading the team) and Bipul.

RR made four Chan(dila)ges to their playing eleven – Stuart Binny, Sachin Baby, Pravin Tambe and Shaun Tait made way for Dishant Yagnik, Kevon Cooper (the player of the match), Ajit and Sreesanth.

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

The first Powerplay of KXIP’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 37, and lost a wicket.

KXIP’s openers failed to get off the mark. Mandeep Singh, who faced a ball, didn’t open his account. Three balls into the match, he was caught by Chandila off his own bowling.

KXIP scored 50 off 6.4 overs (40 balls). RR hadn’t conceded any extras at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 37 balls. While Gilchrist’s contribution to the partnership was 25, Marsh’s contribution to it was 26. Extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

KXIP scored 100 off 12.5 overs (77 balls). RR had conceded half-a-dozen extras at that point.

Marsh’s half-century – which included five boundaries and a six – came off 44 balls.

The second-wicket pair put on 100 off 74 balls. While Gilchrist’s contribution to the partnership was 41, Marsh’s contribution to it was 53. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was half-a-dozen.

Gilchrist, whose 32-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries, scored 42. Seventy-eight balls after Mandeep’s dismissal, he was caught by Cooper, who broke the 102-run partnership.

David Hussey, who faced three balls, scored a run. Half-a-dozen balls, Shane Watson broke the three-run stand.

Marsh, whose 64-ball innings included half-a-dozen boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 77. Twenty-five balls later, Cooper broke the 31-run stand.

David Miller, who faced 11 balls, scored eight. A couple of balls later, he was caught by Ajinkya Rahane. Cooper broke the one-run stand.

Manpreet Gony, who faced three balls, scored as many. Four balls later, he was caught by Sanju Samson. James Faulkner broke the six-run stand.

Rajagopal Sathish, who faced three balls, scored four. He was unbeaten, as was Piyush Chawla, who faced a ball, scoring a run.

RR eventually conceded nine extras. KXIP scored 145 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets off 20 overs.

Sreesanth and Siddharth Trivedi bowled a couple of wicketless overs each, conceding 18 apiece.

Faulkner, Chandila, and Watson bowled four overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. They conceded 37, 24, and 19, respectively.

Cooper, who bowled four overs, conceded 23. He picked up three scalps.

The first Powerplay of RR’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 38, and lost a wicket.

Dravid had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored four. His runs came by a way of boundary. Eight balls into the chase, Bipul broke the five-run stand.

RR scored 50 off 7.4 overs (46 balls). KXIP hadn’t conceded any extras at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 40 balls. While the contributions of both Rahane and Watson to the partnership were 25 apiece, extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

Watson, whose 25-ball innings included three boundaries and a six, eventually scored 31. Fifty balls after Dravid’s dismissal, Chawla broke the 66-run partnership.

RR scored 100 off 14.3 overs (87 balls). KXIP had conceded a couple of extras at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 39 balls. While Rahane’s contribution to the partnership was 13, Samson’s contribution to it was 32. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was five.

Rahane’s half-century – which included three boundaries and a couple of sixes – came off 43 balls.

He eventually scored 59 off 49 balls, which included the aforementioned number of boundaries, and as many sixes. He was unbeaten, as was Samson, who eventually scored 47 off 33 balls, which included five boundaries and a six.

KXIP eventually conceded half-a-dozen extras. RR, who scored 147 for the loss of a couple of wickets off 19 overs, won by eight wickets with an over to spare.

Sathish, who bowled a wicketless over, conceded 10.

Gony, who bowled a couple of wicketless overs, conceded 22.

Parvinder Awana and Praveen Kumar bowled four wicketless overs apiece. While the former conceded 39, the latter conceded 27.

Chawla and Bipul bowled four overs each, picking up a scalp apiece. While the former conceded 27, the latter conceded 21.