IPL 2012: Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors India – As it happened…

Rajasthan Royals thrashed Pune Warriors India by 45 runs at at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.

Jaipur: Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson laid a solid platform and Ajit Chandila’s hat-trick dented Pune Warriors India who have now lost eight matches in a row.

07:26 pm 20th over: 125/9 Binny to bowl the last over. Rajasthan Royals won by 45 runs! Scorecard»I Match Report»I Points table » 07:19 pm 19th over: 116/9 Tait to continue. 4 runs from the over. 07:14 pm 18th over: 112/9 Watson brought back into the attack. Mathews hits one towards long-on and is caught by Ajinkya Rahane! Rahul Sharma is the new batsman. Batsmen run a bye. Kartik takes a single. A dot ball. Sharma is OUT! Brilliant catch by Botha and Rahane! Sharma smashed the ball towards long-off where Botha holds on to a catch and realizes that he is crossing the rope, throws it back inside and Rahane easily ends a stunning effort from Botha! AD Mathews c Rahane b Watson 23 (19b) 07:10 pm 17th over: 109/7 Tait comes into the attack. Mathews takes a single on the off-side. Kumar is BOWLED! Murali Kartik is the new batsman. Tait appeals for an lbw, turned down by the umpire. Kartik manages a single to get off-strike. Mathews manages a single. Kartik scores a single off the last ball. B Kumar b Tait 3 (5b) Time for a strategic break. 07:02 pm 16th over: 104/6 Binny comes into the attack. Kumar takes a single off the first ball. Mathews works the next ball towards deep midwicket for a couple. Mathews plays a dilscoop and scores three runs towards fine-leg. Kumar takes a single. Mathews takes a single. Binny ends the over with a dot ball. 06:59 pm 15th over: 97/5 Botha to continue. Smith is OUT! He heaves the first ball high in the air and Brad Hodge makes a lot of ground and takes a good catch. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar is the new batsman. Mathews takes a single towards long-off. Kumar gets off the mark with a single. A dot ball. Mathews smacks a full-toss towards midwicket for a boundary. Mathews plays the last ball for a couple towards deep midwicket. Steven Smith c Hodge b Johan Botha 37(31b) 06:55 pm 14th over: 89/5 Trivedi to continue. Mathews works a short ball for a single. The second ball is a swing and a miss for Smith who was trying to heave it on the leg-side. Smith works the next ball for a single towards leg-side. Mathews takes a quick single. Smith clears the man at short fine-leg for a boundary. Smith makes some room and scores a single towards long-on. 06:50 pm 13th over: 81/5 Botha to continue. Mathews defends the first ball for no run. Mathews takes a single towards square leg. Smith takes a single towards square-leg. Mathews takes a single towards long-on. Smith hits the next ball towards long-off for a single. Mathews takes a single off the last ball. 06:47 pm 12th over: 76/5 Trivedi to continue. A dot ball to begin the over. Smith takes a single towards midwicket. Mathews takes a quick single towards square leg. Smith charges down the wicket and manages a single towards deep cover. Mathews takes a single towards fine leg. Smith ends the over with a boundary towards third-man. 06:43 pm 11th over: 68/5 Botha to continue. And he gets a wicket off the first ball of the over. Ferguson is OUT! Caught plumb in front of the wicket! Mathews is the new batsman. He takes a single. Smith works one towards square leg for a couple. Smith drives one through deep covers for a boundary! A dot ball. Smith takes a single off the last ball. 06: pm 10th over: 60/4 Trivedi comes into the attack. Eight runs from that over. Time for a strategic break. 06:33 pm 9th over: 52/4 Botha to continue. Just 5 runs from that over. 06:29 pm 8th over: 47/4 Tait to continue. Ten runs from that over. 06:25 pm 7th over: 37/4 Chandila to bowl his last over. A couple scored off the first ball. Ferguson hits the next ball back to bowler. He takes a single off the next ball. Smith plays the next ball towards mid-on for no run. Smith takes a single towards long-on. A dot ball to end the over. Chandila ends a magical spell 4-0-13-4 06:20 pm 6th over: 33/4 Shaun Tait comes into the attack. A couple scored off the first ball. Ferguson takes a single towards off-side. Smith defends the next ball for no run. The next ball whistles past Smith’s bat. Smith clears the off-side field of the next ball for a boundary. 06:16 pm 5th over: 25/4 Chandila to continue. Ferguson drives the first ball for no run. He takes a single towards long-on. A Wide. Majumdar plays the next ball back to the bowler. Majumdar is OUT! It was a soft dismissal, Majumdar was looking to work it on the leg-side and a leading edge went straight to Chandila. He has his 4th wicket! Smith is the new batsman. Chandila ends the over with a dot ball. AP Majumdar c & b Chandila 9 (8b) 06:12 pm 4th over: 25/3 Watson to continue. A dot ball. Ferguson takes a single. Majumdar flicks the next ball towards deep-midwicket for a boundary. Watson follows it with two dot balls. Majumdar makes some room and gets a leading edge that flies towards third-man for a boundary. 06:08 pm 3rd over: 16/3 Chandila to continue. And IT’S A HAT-TRICK for the right-arm spinner! Uthappa was deceived by the arm ball and Goswami once again was quick to remove the bails. A dot ball. Another dot ball. works the next ball back to Chandila. Ferguson makes some room and cuts the next ball for a boundary on the off-side. Ferguson takes a quick single off the last ball. RV Uthappa st †Goswami b Chandila 6 (6b) 06:03 pm 2nd over: 11/2 Watson to bowl the second over. Uthappa defends the first ball. Watson bowls a Wide. A dot ball. Uthappa takes a single. Majumdar takes a single. Uthappa hits the next ball straight down the ground for a boundary! Uthappa takes a single off the last ball. 05:59 pm 1st over: 3/2 Ryder and Ganguly to open for Pune. Ajit Chandila will bowl the first over. Ganguly gets off the mark with a single. Ryder takes a single towards midwicket. Ganguly gets away with a close lbw appeal. Ganguly works one on the leg-side for a single. Ryder comes down the wicket and Uthappa is the new batsman. Ganguly is OUT! Ganguly gets an inside edge and he moves out of the crease, as Goswami removed the bails on time. Snustup Majumdar is the new batsman. SC Ganguly st †Goswami b Chandila 2 (4b) JD Ryder c Watson b Chandila 1 (2b) Ajinkya Rahane was once again back to form as he scored 61 runs from 47 balls but it was Watson’s 31-ball 58 that provided the momentum early in the innings. Pune would be happy to restrict Rajsthan for 170 as at one stage it looked like they would cross 180. Pune have brought back Ryder in the team and they would expect him to provide the same momentum as Watson did. 05:39 pm 20th over: 170/4 Mathews to bowl the last over. Binny hits a full-toss towards long-off for a single. Rahane is BOWLED! Rahane came down the wicket as a perfect yorker from Mathews crashed onto the stumps. Botha is the new batsman. Botha plays a reverse sweep and a full-toss flies over the man at short third-man for a boundary! Botha takes a couple towards wide of long-on. Mathews bowls another yorker, Botha manages a single towards mid-off. Pune need 171 runs to win in 20 overs, AM Rahane b Mathews 61 (47b) 05:33 pm 19th over: 161/3 Nehra to bowl the penultimate over. Hodge hits the first ball towards midwicket for no run. Hoge heaves the ball in the same area and Hodge is OUT! Caught by Ganguly at midwicket! Stuart Binny is the new batsman. A dot ball. Binny gets off the mark with a single towards long-off. Rahane takes a single towards long-on. Binny hits the next ball high in the air towards where Kumar doesn’t reach thre on time. Hodge c Ganguly b Nehra 14(14b) 05:28 pm 18th over: 156/2 Kumar comes into the attack. Hodge takes a single off the first ball. Rahane goes over covers for a boundary! Rahane clears the gap between short fine leg and squre leg for his second boundary! A dot ball. Rahane hits the next ball over Kumar for a single. Hodge scores a couple towards deep cover. 05:24 pm 17th over: 145/2 Sharma comes back into the attack. Hodge takes a single towards midwicket. Rahane drives the next ball for a boundary on the off-side. Rahane takes a single that also brings his 50 off 40 balls! Hodge takes a single. Rahane takes a single off the next ball. Hodge drives the next ball towards long-off for a single. 05:14 pm 15th over: 126/2 Nehra comes into the attack. He bowls on the pads and Rahane glances it for a boundary towards fine leg. Rahane takes a single straight down the ground. Watson is BOWLED by Nehra! Out for 58! Brad Hodge is the new batsman. A dot ball. Hodge drives the next ball past covers for a couple. Hodge takes a single off the last ball. Shane Watson b Nehra 58(31b) 05:08 pm 14th over: 118/1 Mathews comes into the attack. Rahane drives the ball towards wide of long-off and scores a couple. Rahane comes down the wicket, doesn’t connect well but scores a couple towards midwicket. Rahane works a single towards square leg. A dot ball. Watson hits a bullet straight drive for a boundary! That went LIKE A TRACER BULLET! A dot ball. 05:02 pm 13th over: 109/1 Ryder comes into the attack. A single taken off the last ball. Watson plays the next ball back to the bowler. Another dot ball by Ryder. Watson plays a full-toss towards leg-side for a boundary. Watson gets a half-volley and he smokes that over deep midwicket for a SIX!! 50 up for Watson off just 26 balls! Watson hits the next ball straight towards long-off where a misfield by Kartik produces another boundary! 15 runs from the over. 04:59 pm 12th over: 94/1 Kumar comes back into the attack. He begins with a dot ball. Rahane scores a single towards long-off. Watson takes a single towards long-on. Rahane works the next ball towards square leg for a single. Watson hits a full-toss towards long-off for a single. Rahane takes a single off the last ball. Shane Watson 40*(22b) Ajinkya Rahane 31*(30b) 04:55 pm 11th over: 89/1 Sharma comes back into the attack. Watson pulls the next ball towards wide of long-on where Steven Smith does a misfield that produces a boundary! Watson takes a couple towards midwicket. A dot ball. Watson gets some width and he beats the off-side field to score a boundary. Watson takes a single towards long-on. Rahane scores a single. Shane Watson (b) Ajinkya Rahane (b) 04:49 pm 10th over: 77/1 Kartik to continue. Rahane plays the first ball towards short cover for no run. Rahane scores a couple towards square leg. Rahane takes a single. Watson goes straightd down the ground for another DLF MAXIMUM! Kartik bowls a full-toss and Watson clobbers it over deep-midwicket for his second consecutive SIX! Watson scores a single straight down the ground. 16 runs from the over. Time for a strategy break. 04:43 pm 9th over: 61/1 Mathews to continue. Rahane gets an inside-edge and Uthappa dives on his left to make a good stop. Rahane plays a yorker towards mid-off for no run. Rahane scores a couple towards midwicket. Rahane works the ball in the same area for another couple. Rahane plays the next ball towards long-on for a single. Watson plays a full-toss towards square leg for no run. 04:38 pm 8th over: 56/1 Kartik comes back into the attack. Rahane works a full-toss towards long-on for a single. Watson plays another full-toss towards long-on for a single. Rahane scores a couple towards wide of long-off. Rahane takes a quick single off the next ball. Watson hits the next ball back to Kartik. Kartik ends the over with a dot ball. 04:34 pm 7th over: 51/1 Mathews comes into the attack. Watson takes a single off the first ball. Rahane plays a dot ball. Rahane scores a single towards long-off. Watson works the next ball towards mid-off for no run. Watson plays the next ball back to Mathews. Watson pulls the last ball towards wide off long-on for a boundary! 04:30 pm 6th over: 45/1 Kumar comes back into the attack. Watson defends the first ball for no run. Kumar bowls a short one and Watson smacks it over deep-midwicket for a SIX! Watson takes a quick single towards long-on. Rahane works the next ball towards mid-off for no run. Rahane beats the man at short fine-leg and scores a boundary! Kumar ends the over with a dot ball. 04:26 pm 5th over: 34/1 Nehra comes back into the attack. He beats Dravid with the first ball that moves away from him. Dravid hits the next ball towards point for no run. Dravid is OUT! Uthappa takes a good catch to dismiss the Rajasthan skipper! The ball took a leading edge as Uthappa dived on his right to take a very good catch. Shane Watson is the new batsman. Watson gets off the mark with a single towards third-man. Rahane defends the next ball towards mid-off. Rahane hits the last ball over covers for a boundary! R Dravid c †Uthappa b Nehra 21 (20b) 04:20 pm 4th over: 29/0 Rahul Sharma comes into the attack. Rahane defends the first ball for no run. Rahane takes a single. Dravid works the next ball for no run. The next ball beats two fielders at short third man and gully, a boundary for Rajasthan! Dravid takes a single on the leg-side. Rahane goes inside out over extra cover for a boundary! 04:15 pm 3rd over: 19/0 Bhuvaneshwar Kumar comes into the attack. Dravid gets an inside-edge and that beats Uthappa and runs for a boundary towards fine leg. Dravid takes a single towards third-man. Rahane slashes at the next ball towards deep backward point for a single. A dot ball. Dravid defends another one on the off-side for no run. 04:11 pm 2nd over: 13/0 Nehra to bowl the second over. Dravid plays the first ball towards mid-off for no run. Dravid gets some width and he cuts it, Smith at point makes a fantastic stop. Dravid gets an inside edge off a ball that moved in. Dravid gets a half-volley and he flicks it towards deep midwicket for a boundary. Nehra bowls one on the pads and Dravid takes a single towards fine leg. Nehra ends the over with a dot ball. 04:06 pm 1st over: 8/0 Rahane and Dravid to open for Rajasthan. Murali Kartil to bowl the first over. Dravid defends the first ball back to the bowler. Dravid takes a quick single towards mid-on. Rahane defends the first ball for no run. He again defends the next ball back to the bowler. Kartik bowls a Wide, Uthappa doesn’t collect it and a single is taken. Dravid gets some room and he beats the man at point to score a boundary! Dravid takes a quick single off the last ball. TOSS: Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid won the toss and elected to bat first against Pune Warriors India at Jaipur. Faced with the daunting task of winning all their remaining matches for having any chance of making the playoffs, Rajasthan Royals would fancy a facile victory when they take on the struggling Pune Warriors in an IPL match on Sunday. Royals are lying sixth with 12 points from 13 matches and have to win the remaining three to keep their playoff hopes alive. On the other hand, Pune are at the eighth position with only eight points in kitty from 14 matches, close defeats against Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super kings hurting them the most. Add to this the leadership crisis that the team is facing due to an off-colour skipper Sourav Ganguly. He rested himself last night but promised to be back for this game despite team owner Subrata Roy`s claims that Ganguly would play a mentor`s role from next season. Royals, on the other hand, have no such worries and have an inspirational leader in Rahul Dravid. They have played good cricket against fancied rivals but have been guilty of frittering away opportunities. They might have the edge against the Pune but a victory here would not be enough as they will have to win all remaining three and pray that the other results also go in their favour. The hosts would like to start afresh from this juncture and make full use of every opportunity.