Delhi Daredevils joined Deccan Chargers at the top of the DLF Indian Premier League with six points after they scored their third successive victory, a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore with four deliveries to space in a low-scoring but fiercely competitive at the St George’s Park here on Sunday.
In the end, Delhi Daredevils was relieved that it has the seasoned and determined Tillekeratne Dilshan to man the chase of 150 runs with an unbeaten 67 (47 balls, five fours, two sixes) and the experience of Mithun Manhas who bustled his way to a quick 23 not out after RCB paceman Pankaj Singh sent Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir packing inside six overs.
On a day when paceman Praveen Kumar was unavailable with an ankle problem, Royal Challengers Bangalore would have liked Anil Kumble to be among the wickets but Delhi Daredevils played him out with care. Jacques Kallis had a miserable day out, conceding 37 runs in three overs after being bowled first ball of the match by Dirk Nannes. Royal Challengers Bangalore had as many as four batsmen getting off to starts, Kevin Pietersen leading the way with 37. But none of them was able to play an innings of substance as leg-spinner Amit Mishra (coming in for paceman Avishkar Salvi) stifled the middle-order with purposeful and attacking bowling.
Playing his first game of the seaeon, Mishra finished with one for 19 in his four overs and stole the thunder from the vastly experienced left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori. It showed Delhi Daredevils’ decision to play both frontline spinners was indeed the right one – and not just because the team had been fined for slow-over rate in its previous game.
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