Sourav Ganguly stole the show at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi last night. The Pune Warriors captain first dug deep to carve out a 35-ball 41 and then pulled a surprise by deciding to bowl at a time when Delhi Daredevils’ best batsmen — skipper Virender Sehwag (57) and Kevin Pietersen (32)— were on a rampage.
The 39-year-old’s move turned out to be the game changer as he cleaned up Pietersen with his first delivery of IPL 5 and in the next over claimed the dangerous Irfan Pathan.
The Daredevils, who had begun their victory charge towards the 193-run target failed to recover from the twin blows and crashed to a 20-run loss, their first defeat in four games.
Ganguly’s ploy of replacing Marlon Samuels with pacer Alfonso Thomas in the match proved to be a masterstroke as the 35-year-old South African claimed three wickets conceding 22 runs in his four overs.
Earlier, Jesse Ryder’s belligerent 86 off 58 balls and his 93-run alliance with Ganguly laid the foundations for Pune to post a robust 192 in 20 overs. Steven Smith too played a crucial part creaming 34 runs off 13 balls.
He was particularly severe on left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem striking two fours and two sixes in his fourth over.
Delhi, however, made a bold dash and were in control until the halfway stage with Sehwag and Pietersen leading the way. Sehwag offset the loss of his opening partner Mahela Jayawardene (7) by striking a six and a four off Murali Karthik in the fifth over.
But it was Pietersen, who set Delhi on a roll in the next over by carting three successive sixes off pacer Angelo Mathews.
Sehwag continued to hit the high notes slamming Ryder for a couple of sixes over extra cover and a four that fetched 18 runs in the eighth over. The fourth six from Sehwag was off Rahul Sharma that was hit straight into the sightscreen. Sehwag and Pietersen raised 75 runs in 7 overs.
Sensing danger and with all his bowlers getting the stick, Ganguly brought himself on and his gentle seam-up stuff yielded rich dividends.
First, a tad low delivery broke through Pietersen’s defences and Ganguly broke into a celebratory run that would have done Usain Bolt proud. Pietersen’s 23-ball 32 was laden with one four and three sixes. In the next over, he claimed Pathan (15).
Kartik then got into the act to remove Sehwag who offered a simple return catch and suddenly the match had swung Pune’s way with Daredevils in a spot at 115 for four. Sehwag’s 57 came off 32 balls and included five fours and four sixes.
