END OF OVER:20 | 17 Runs 1 Wkt | DC: 149/9 (2 runs required, RR: 7.45)
- Albie Morkel73 (55b)
- Domnic Muthuswami0 (0b)
- Dwayne Bravo4-0-36-2
- Ashish Nehra4-0-25-3
Glad to see Dhoni call it as he saw it. He knew Bravo bowled a poor last over, and they were lucky in the end. Although the two runs saved by Raina were no luck. And what about Nehra. The only Indian bowler who doesn't try to preserve his body, and bowls yorkers, the most taxing delivery in cricket. Well, Ashok Dinda does too, but he misses more often than he would like. Not only did Nehra take the early wickets, he executed those yorkers in the 19th over. Ashish, "You still got it." That's all we have for you tonight, this is Sidharth Monga saying goodbye
"You have to hold on to your nerves," says MS Dhoni. "I thought the last one was in the slot, and Bravo won't be happy with the ball he bowled, but it is good to win close games. Nehra is good, at times he is prone to injuries, but he backs himself, which is good for a fast bowler. It is good to see him the way he bowls. He has kept himself fit. He is one Indian pace who bowls pace effortlessly. It was important to win because this was our first match here in a long time. Not just for us, but for the crowd, because they appreciate opposition too. A crowd you want to do well in front of."
"The way we started we were definitely 15-20 short," says Ashish Nehra, the Man of the Match. "In T20 games every run is important. You can see the score so that run-out was important. A good start. These two points will count in the end. These are the games you want to win.."
"Unbelievable,". says JP Duminy. "Game of small margins. Proud of the boys. We will take a lot of learning out today. We just kept saying the gameplan is to keep taking wickets. They came hard at us, but we kept taking wickets. Feeling very good. Obviously we would have liked to win, but still a long time to go. A lot of learnings here."
Dhoni is taking a stump back with him, but it is Raina's fielding in the last over that has saved them. First he took that catch under pressure, but then that great piece of fielding to keep Morkel down to two. That came after that bad spinning bounce at deep point. Apart from that I am struggling to think of a worse final over where Bravo kept bowling length balls. No slower ball, no yorker, no bouncer. Everything in Morkel's slot. He should be disappointed he hit only one of them for a six. The scoreboard will say a one-run margin, but the cricket wasn't of high quality. There was more luck involved than cause and effect. In the first innings, Dhoni mis-hit two sixes in the final over. In the second, Bravo bowled a much worse final over, but Morkel didn't exploit it well enough. And the turnaround began with some catching practise given by Kedar Jadhav off a short and wide ball, which should have been cut away for four. You can't take it away from Super Kings fielders, though. Raina was pure gold. Those two runs he saved have win Super Kings the match
Morkel just about made it with the second. Dhoni and Nehra having a long conversation. Lets Morkel draw his breath. Bravo needs to be told to stop bowling length
Can Morkel find any strength? Can Bravo move away from his swinging zone and not bowl length?
Imran Tahir c Raina b Bravo 2 (5m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100
Bravo to bowl the last over. Getting Morkel off strike might be the end of the game
END OF OVER:19 | 8 Runs 1 Wkt | DC: 132/8 (19 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 6.94, RRR: 19.00)
- Imran Tahir2 (1b)
- Albie Morkel56 (50b)
- Ashish Nehra4-0-25-3
- Ravichandran Ashwin4-0-25-1
Nehra 4-0-25-3. Check again. Still got it. Only Indian bowler this side of 2000 who bowls yorkers consistently
Tahir is the new batsman. The instruction will be to just hit. Don't take odd number of runs
"This commentator is a wrestling fan... Michael Cole's replacement on announcer's desk maybe?" Yes, Makran, wee need to get rid of Cole. And Nehra, "you still got it"
A Mishra run out 4 (6m 4b 0x4 0x6) SR: 100
Nehra comes back
END OF OVER:18 | 5 Runs 1 Wkt | DC: 124/7 (27 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 6.88, RRR: 13.50)
- Amit Mishra1 (2b)
- Albie Morkel54 (47b)
- Ravichandran Ashwin4-0-25-1
- Dwayne Bravo3-0-19-1
Mishra is in. He is not the best runner between the wickets
NM Coulter-Nile b Ashwin 5 (12m 4b 1x4 0x6) SR: 125
Thirty-two required off the last three. Ashwin and Nehra have one each. Bravo has one. Only Nehra bowls yorkers out of the three. Ashwin the first one to bowl out. If Daredevils don't give him a wicket, they are the favourites
END OF OVER:17 | 9 Runs | DC: 119/6 (32 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 7.00, RRR: 10.66)
- Albie Morkel51 (44b)
- Nathan Coulter-Nile5 (3b)
- Dwayne Bravo3-0-19-1
- Ishwar Pandey4-0-30-1
The crowd chants "Bra-vo, Bra-vo"
