IPL Warne spoils Chargers’ party

With defeat within shaking hands distance for Rajasthan Royals, one man single-handedly turned the match on its head. That happened to be the skipper himself Shane Keith Warne, who with his side needing 17 runs in the last over, accomplished the amazing feat with a ball to spare in the Indian Premier League cricket match against Deccan Chargers at the Rajiv Gandhi international stadium on Thursday.

To take his men to victory, the leg-spin wizard smote Andrew Symonds twice for six, as if to avenge the latter’s blatant assault on the former, earlier in the day. A resurgence by the Chargers, which came a shade too late in the night, saw the host plunge to its third defeat in a row.

The visitor was well on its victory, thanks to a rollicking second-wicket stand of 98 between opener Graeme Smith (71, 45b, 4x8, 6x2) and Yusuf Pathan (61, 28b, 4x4, 6x6). Smith played the sheet-anchor, never intimidated by the Chargers’ attack, smashing it at will to all corners of the ground.

Revelling in his company, Pathan, who was adjudged the Man-of-the-Match, surged to his half-century in double quick time, off just 21 balls.

The pair was separated when Pathan’s miscued hit off Kalyankrishna sailed straight into Symonds’s hands at long on. There was a lull in the scoring after Pathan’s exit, as Laxman shuffled his bowlers and their ends. Most capable of his men in stopping the run-riot was Shahid Afridi, who had a bag of three for 28.

Shane Watson didn’t last long, foxed by an Afridi flipper. A run-a-ball routine followed, before Kaif hoisted Symonds over the mid-wicket hoardings. The wiry India discard replicated that feat, not once but twice in that very over. Kaif’s exit and Smith’s came in quick succession, the former holing out to Symonds at long-on off Afridi and the latter to Kalyankrishna at deep mid-wicket.

Earlier, Warne bucked the trend, inviting his rivals to bat, after reading the flip of the coin right. Buoyed by Symonds’ blistering and unconquered century (117, 53b, 4x11, 7x6) the Chargers had set up an imposing 214 for five. With scant regard for line or length, the dreadlocked Queenslander had steadied the Deccan boat rocked by reversals that ripped through its top order. Anything above the waist, he pulled with pulverizing power.

Warne had a hand in Symonds’ half-century, the leggie’s fingers unable to cut off a heave that then made the ropes.