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Warne spoils Chargers’ party

A. Joseph Antony

Symonds’s fastest century goes in vain; Pathan, Smith revel

— Photo: G. Krishnaswamy

MIXED LUCK: Despite a hurricane knock, Andrew Symonds ended up on the losing side.

Hyderabad: 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.

The scores:

Deccan Chargers: A. Gilchrist st. Akmal b Pathan 13, V.V.S. Laxman c & b Warne 16, S. Afridi c Jadeja b Pathan 10, A. Symonds (not out) 117, Rohit c Salunkhe b Warne 36, Arjun Yadav c Akmal b Watson 16; Extras (w-5, nb-1): 6; Total (for five wkts. in 20 overs): 214.

Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-32, 3-75, 4-186, 5-214.

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Munaf 4-0-55-0, Watson 4-0-32-1, Pathan 2-0-20-2, Pankaj 2-0-14-0, Trivedi 3-0-37-0, Warne 4-0-47-2, Salunkhe 1-0-9-0.

Rajasthan Royals: K. Akmal c Bangar b Vaas 12, G. Smith c Kalyankrishna b Afridi 71, Y. Pathan c Symonds b Kalyankrishna 61, S. Watson b Afridi 4, M. Kaif c Symonds b Afridi 34, R. Jadeja b R.P. Singh 1, S. Warne (not out) 22, D. Salunkhe (run out) 1, Pankaj (not out) 4; Extras (lb-4, w-2, nb-1): 7; Total (for seven wkts. in 19.5 overs) 217.

Fall of wickets: 1-14, 2-112, 3-126, 4-186, 5-187, 6-195, 7-196.

Deccan Chargers bowling: Vaas 4-0-42-1, R.P. Singh 4-0-44-1, Ojha 2-0-23-0, Kalyankrishna 3-0-30-1, Afridi 4-0-28-3, Symonds 2.5-0-46-0.

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