Dindigul Dragons had none better but R. Ashwin to draw inspiration from on Tuesday. That he flew in at dawn to join his team ahead of its second TNPL match — its first at Chepauk — is inspiring in itself. But, he chose to play, and as captain; to let swell his team morale, and for Kanchi Warriors to grow wary.
His team prevailed by 48 runs in the end.The biggest positive for Warriors from its first match it won in the super over, must have been its bowling, and fielding, that helped it keep the opposition to a modest target. But here, having chosen to bowl, its bowling wasn’t as stingy to start with.
For, it let the Dindigul openers add 63 runs for the first wicket; 38 of which came in the first six overs of PowerPlay.
N. Jagadeesan hit four fours, and the left-handed Ganga Sridhar Raju, a four and a six, in the PowerPlay.
A.C. Prathiban rendered the union kaput when he had Sridhar Raju caught at deep midwicket in the 10th over.
He got Jagadeesan too, who reverse swept to short third man in the 12th over.
There was no partnership of note from there on, save 33 runs for the fourth wicket between R. Ashwin, who had come in at No. 5, and V. Subramania Siva.
By the time Siva got out, heaving a full toss to deep midwicket off R. Jesuraj, Dindigul had run up 117 for four in 16 overs. Twenty-two runs came off the last two overs for Dindigul to end on 159 for seven.
Kanchi’s chase went straight astray. Left-hander R. Nilesh Subramanian, who top-scored with 49 for his team in the last match, mistimed his shot to left-arm spinner M.S. Sanjay, and the lob was caught at midwicket. His partner K. Bharath Shankar was sent back off a run-out effected by Ganga Sridhar Raju from point. Kanchi was 20 for two in five overs when R. Ashwin came in to bowl.
He struck in his second over, getting L. Ganesh to top-edge to M. Ashwin for his first wicket in the league.
Shahrukh Khan went soon after, and captain Indrajith stepped out to to be stumped off leg-spinner M. Ashwin.
There was no recovery in sight for Kanchi from then on.
The scores:
Dindigul Dragons 159 for seven in 20 overs (N. Jagadeesan 44, V. Ganga Sridhar Raju 32, A.C. Prathiban two for 32, R. Jesuraj two for 30) bt Ruby Kanchi Warriors 111 for nine (A.C. Prathiban 20, Guru Kedarnath two for 22, M. Ashwin two for 24, Sunny Kumar Singh two for 18).
