Rajasthan Royals v/s Delhi Daredevils, 1st innings analysis!
Virender Sehwag became the first player to score four consecutive half-centuries in the IPL as he formed the spine of Delhi Daredevils line-up. The captain's contribution was the biggest and most important in an otherwise underwhelming innings from the home side, barring a last over blitz from Yogesh Nagar.
Rahul Dravid read the pitch well and used his seamers cleverly to restrict Daredevils with changes of pace. The bowlers conceded 57 runs in the last eight overs and took four wickets in that period. Twenty of those runs came off the last over, bowled by Amit Singh. More concerning to Royals than the number of runs they conceded off the last over will be the injury to Kevon Cooper, who tried to take a catch on the boundary and fell, clutching his knee in pain.
Sehwag survived the two early blows which saw him lose his opening partner, Mahela Jayawardene and Kevin Pietersen, who managed just five runs in his last match at the Kotla this season. Jayawardene was caught at deep midwicket off Pankaj Singh and Pietersen was caught at slip in the next over. He succumbed to a familiar foe - a left-arm spinner. Ankeet Chavan got one to come onto Pietersen quicker than he expected and he outside edged an attempted cut to Dravid.
Royals almost could not believe their luck at having Daredevils two down early in the innings but did not have much time to enjoy their success. Sehwag's form was immediately evident as he flicked Pankaj through midwicket, off a ball that did not really deserve to travel to the boundary. Sehwag played the full range of strokes - pulls, reverse sweeps and drives and two stunning sixes over long-off and long-on.
Sehwag threatened to take the innings away from Royals but they dismissed him in timely fashion to ensure he did not. He played an aggressive cut off Brad Hogg but the ball stayed in the air for too long and Ashok Menaria took a well-judged catch to end the captain's innings on 63.
Taylor had been an almost absent partner in the stand with Sehwag as he looked to spend time at the crease. He was circumspect, looking to protect his freshly healed arm, and he was bowled the over after Sehwag departed. Taylor looked to take a Pankaj delivery from outside off and flick on the leg-side but did not make contact and was bowled.
It was up to Nagar and Naman Ojha to deal with Hogg's wrong un's and Cooper and Amit Singh's changes of pace and get Daredevils to a score they could defend. Ojha got a big shot away early in his innings, smacking Hogg for six, but the pressure soon took its toll. After two overs of slower balls, Ojha decided to take one on but mistimed his attempt and was caught by Dravid at long-on. Nagar enjoyed a good last over, hitting two full tosses for six to push Daredevils past 150.