JAIPUR: Brad Hodge went ballistic as Rajasthan Royals preserved their perfect home record in IPL-V with a dramatic last-over win, by five wickets, over the beleaguered Deccan Chargers at Jaipur, yesterday. Chargers, looking for their first success of the season, elected to bat and posted a huge 196-2, as their top four batsmen came to the fore with racy knocks, and looked set to finally get on the points board after they pegged Royals back despite the visitors’ rapid start.
Fifty-five runs were needed in four overs when Dale Steyn came on to bowl. Hodge spanked four consecutive boundaries to arrest the spiralling asking rate, and continued his assault against Anand Rajan’s medium-pace, in the 19th over, to leave Royals with 11 to get off Steyn’s last over.
Hodge took a single and a couple on the first two balls, and the responsibility for the end-game shifted to the unknown quantity Dishant Yagnik – who had been pencilled in as a last-minute replacement for the injured Shreevats Goswami.
The left-handed Yagnik did not even need the four balls at his disposal – two purposeful hits on the off-side, all the way to the fence, and Chargers were left staring at another defeat from a position of virtual invincibility.
odge was named man-of-the-match for his 48 (21b, 6×4, 2×6), but really Royals should thank their skipper Rahul Dravid for providing them the start they wanted. Dravid 42 (24b, 7×4, 1×6) added 62 in just 5.5 overs with Ajikya Rahane 44 (31b, 5×4, 1×6) setting up a nice platform for the later batsmen to capitalise on.
Chargers had a decent total to bank upon, but lapses in fielding – Owais Shah and Johan Botha were dropped, although neither proved costly – and a lacklustre business end of the match cost them dear, just the way it had against Mumbai Indians when Rohit Sharma denied them an expected win in the last over.
Chargers, however, had started on the right foot. Sangakkara 44 (32b, 5×4, 1×6) and Shikhar Dhawan 52 (43b, 8×4) gave their team a solid 94-run opening stand, and although they were out within 14 runs of each other, Chargers didn’t let the dismissals affect the scoring rate.
It was left to the devices of J.P. Duminy to take the visiting side to 196. The South African hoicked five sixes on his way to an unbeaten 26-ball 58 as runs flowed thick and fast in the death overs.
Eventually, Hodge’s innings overshadowed Duminy’s, leaving Chargers still without a win to their name in three games this season. (Yahoo Cricket)