Deflated mascot, revved up team
The Mohali team mascot got deflated half way through the match, but the team marched on to their second straight victory. The cheerleaders had to come out wearing tights up until their knees under the mini skirts in the sweltering heat, giving the moral policing brigade a victory of sorts, but not losing their energy level.
Simon Katich played his first (and last) match of the tournament, but that did not stop him from stroking away to a masterful 75; taking his side to victory. Kumar Sangakkara may not get to wear the orange cap as he did not score enough to catch up with McCullum, but he certainly will receive an award for fair play as he walked without the umpire raising his finger. Yet the biggest cheers came from the crowd when Sreeshanth came on to bowl, albeit for non cricketing reasons.
Daredevils: Lots of daring, no direction
When it is Virendra Sehwag’s day, the side he he plays for invariably wins. Super Sunday wasn’t his day. None of his teammates could get to a half century and the side folded up with a rather meek total of 158. The two Delhi openers Sehwag and Gambhir, both together and individually can tear a bowling attack apart, but both failed to take off. Add to that the fact that their one drop batsman Shikhar Dhawan was done in by the umpire, Delhi was just playing catch-up.
Kings getting it right
Yuvraj’s team did everything right over the span of 40 overs. Bret Lee bowled with a lot of fire as always, Irfan Patahn bowled with a lot of guile up front and the duo managed to take early wickets including that of the danger man Sehwag. When the Super Kings came out to chase, they did not let the game slip away in spite of losing early wickets. In the end Katich and Yuvraj proved too good for the Daredevil bowling attack. It would be interesting to see who shares the burden of bowling for the Super Kings once Bret Lee, their spearhead leaves for his national duties.
April 28, 2008
