Yagnik, Dravid propel RR
A late blast from Dishant Yagnik (31 not out) and Brad Hodge (19 not out) helped the Rajasthan Royals set a tough chase for the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 of the IPL-6 at a largely unoccupied Eden Gardens here on Friday.
The Royals were also served well with handy contributions from skipper Rahul Dravid (43), Stuart Binny (27) and Ajinkya Rahane (21) as they posted 1656 in a match delayed by one hour due to evening showers.
Although Mumbai bowlers Harbhajan Singh (3/23) and Kieron Pollard (2/6) upset the progress of the Royals’ innings twice, Yagnik’s unbeaten cameo (off 17 balls) ensured they finish with a fighting total.
Openers Dravid and Rahane got going with fluent drives through the covers. While Dravid timed a half volley from Mitchell Johnson in the first over perfectly, Rahane dispatched one on the up by Rishi Dhawan in the second.
The duo displayed a tendency to play through the covers as MI skipper Rohit Sharma was forced to guard the off-side with six players. But Dravid sent left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha for successive boundaries on the other side of the wicket as the Royals raised 42 from the powerplay.
But Harbhajan halted their progress with three wickets from his spell giving away 23 runs. The Royals, who were looking steady at the end of six overs, were reduced to 93/4 overs by the time Harbhajan finished his spell in the 13th over, including the prized scalps of Shane Watson and Dravid.
The Jaipur-based side crossed the 100-run mark in 13.4 overs and looked set for a late charge by Binny and Hodge, who were at the center then. However, Pollard’s double blow in the 16th over, removing Binny and Kevon Cooper, upset their plans.
It was then wicketkeeper Yagnik joined Hodge and overshadowed his senior partner in an unbeaten 57-run stand off 28 balls with some convincing shots and some nicks.
The final over by Lasith Malinga was an eventful one as the Sri Lankan conceded the costliest of the innings with 18 runs, sending down two huge wides which looked as if they were aimed at the adjacent pitch.
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