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Kevin Pietersen will miss England’s final Super Eights fixture against New Zealand on Monday, as he returns to the UK to attend the birth of his first child

Cricinfo staff08-May-2010Kevin Pietersen will miss England’s final Super Eights fixture against New Zealand on Monday, as he returns to the UK to attend the birth of his first child.Pietersen, who was named Man of the Match after guiding England to a 39-run victory over South Africa at Bridgetown on Saturday, intends to return to the Caribbean in time for the semi-finals, assuming the team qualifies in his absence, and that there are no complications with the birth.”I’m flying in the next 24 hours, and if there are no complications, I’ll come back in a day before the semi,” said Pietersen during the post-match presentation at Bridgetown. “It’s my first child, so it’s a hell of an exciting time for me. I’ll be dashing across the Atlantic, and hopefully dashing back.”Pietersen has been England’s form batsman in the Super Eights, adding an aggressive 33-ball 53 to the 73 not out he made in their first game against Pakistan. “I’ve had a rough 14 months, so it’s nice to be back in nick again, and part of a team that’s successful,” he said. “We were pretty good today.”Paul Collingwood acknowledged the role Pietersen had played in the team’s success. “The contributions he has made in the last two games have been fantastic and he’s gone a long way to get us into the semi-finals and all being well we can get him back,” he said. “I’m delighted for him because he’s about to have his first child and I know what that feels like.”In Pietersen’s absence, Ravi Bopara is the likely candidate to slot into the side at No. 3. With two wins out of two, England are virtually assured of a place in the semi-finals, and need only to avoid a heavy defeat against New Zealand to guarantee their slot.

He became the third member of India’s squad, behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to bow out of the format after the Barbados final

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2024Ravindra Jadeja has become the third senior cricketer to retire from T20 internationals at the end of India’s triumphant run at the T20 World Cup 2024. Following the announcements from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Jadeja “bid farewell” to the format through a post on his Instagram account.”With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 internationals,” Jadeja wrote a day after India’s win over South Africa in a thrilling World Cup final in Bridgetown. “Like a steadfast horse galloping with pride, I’ve always given my best for my country and will continue to do so in other formats.Related

• Rohit Sharma joins Kohli in retiring from T20Is after World Cup triumph

• Kohli retires from T20 internationals after winning World Cup title

“Winning the T20 World Cup was a dream come true, a pinnacle of my T20 international career. Thank you for the memories, the cheers, and the unwavering support.”Jadeja retires after 74 T20I appearances, including every match in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. He didn’t have too big a role to play at the World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, though, facing just 22 balls in five innings, in which he scored 35 runs, and sending down 14 overs, picking up one wicket at an economy rate of 7.57. Overall, Jadeja has 54 wickets in the format at an economy of 7.13 and 515 runs at a strike rate of 127.16.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Jadeja, 35 is a much-decorated player in the IPL, where he has won four titles, three with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and one, in the inaugural season in 2008, with Rajasthan Royals (RR), which was before he had made his international debut which came in 2009.One of a handful of cricketers who have been part of all three international sides for India for a while now, Jadeja will continue to be available for Tests and ODIs, where he has turned out 72 and 197 times respectively. In Tests, he has 3036 runs (average of 36.14) and 294 wickets (24.13), and in ODIs, he has 2756 runs (32.42) and 220 wickets (36.07), and is considered one of the finest all-round fielders in the world.

NSW lead by 341 runs but a thrilling final day is in prospect thanks to a bold declaration from Lehmann following his unbeaten century

AAP and ESPNCricinfo staff16-Mar-2023An audacious declaration from South Australia’s Jake Lehmann and a career-best score for New South Wales opener Ryan Hackney has brought the final-round Sheffield Shield match at Karen Rolton Oval to life on day three.On a docile pitch that had produced just 16 wickets in eight sessions, Lehmann declared South Australia’s first innings closed at 309 for 7, 138 runs in arrears of the visitors, just after posting his ninth first-class century.The Blues took up the baton in the final session thumping 203 for 2 off just 42 overs for a lead of 341. Hackney led the way in his fifth Shield match, ending the day unbeaten on 98 not out. After also scoring a half-century in the first innings, he struck 13 boundaries and a six in his 115-ball knock. Debutant opener Blake MacDonald also made 61 as the inexperienced pair added 143 for the first wicket.Ollie Davies helped the scoring along in the final half-hour with a whirlwind 31 off just 24 balls.Earlier, South Australia scored at just over three runs an over before declaring when their 100-over bonus point period ended.Lehmann impressed with an unbeaten 101, clocking up 13 boundaries in his 178-ball stay at the crease. Daniel Drew was more sedate during his four-and-half-hour innings of 85.Experienced paceman Chris Tremain and first-gamer Ryan Hadley both picked up 3 for 75 for the Blues. The inexperienced NSW side must collect victory in Adelaide to avoid a winless campaign for the first time in a 10-match season, while South Australia are seeking to hold off Tasmania and finish fourth.

He has had a breakout series after stepping in for the injured Nortje, and has now been picked in South Africa’s ODI squad

Firdose Moonda17-Jan-2022Marco Jansen is a man of few words, until he steps onto a cricket field.”I am a bit of an introvert but when I’m on the field, that’s the one place where I want to express myself,” he said, after his first stint as an international player. “All those emotions just show the passion and love I have for the game. If there is one place where I feel I can show my passion and emotions, it’s on the field.”Not only will Jansen’s debut series be remembered for being the most successful by a South African seamer in a three-match contest, but also for the exchange he had with his Mumbai Indians team-mate Jasprit Bumrah at the Wanderers. South Africa were going after the Indian tail in an attempt to ensure the target was as low as possible, Jansen bounced Bumrah several times and then sprayed him with unpleasantries.At one point the two were eye to eye (or rather Jansen was looking down at Bumrah, who is a foot shorter than him) and there was the threat of something more serious happening but Jansen backed off while Bumrah smirked. Turns out, it was all just fun and games. “I played with Bumrah in the IPL. We are good friends but sometimes on the field things get heated,” Jansen said. “You’re playing for your country so you are not going to back down for anyone, and he did the same. There’s no hard feelings, it was just in the heat of the moment, two players, giving their all for the country.”For Jansen, being able to represent the nation has come a little quicker than he thought it would. Despite spending most of 2021 as a non-playing member on South Africa’s Test tours (to Pakistan and West Indies), in a squad with seven specialist seamers, he thought he would have to bide his time. “I have been in the Test squad previously but I didn’t expect it (to play). I was hopeful that I would get picked,” he said.His first outing, at SuperSport Park, did not go as planned after he went wicket-less for 18.2 overs and appeared to struggle with his lengths. “I didn’t start the way I wanted to. I was very, very nervous. It’s normal for every player to get nervous,” he said.Marco Jansen has had a breakout series after stepping in for Anrich Nortje•AFP via Getty Images

Then, he took the wicket of none other than Bumrah, who edged to third slip. Jansen bowled 85 more overs in the series and took 18 for 244, including a best of 4 for 31. He showed the advantage of variation but also the importance of height to extract awkward bounce off the South African surfaces. “I’m really glad that after that innings, I came back and contributed to the team,” he said.Now, he has a new challenge. With Anrich Nortje still out of action because of a persistent hip injury, Jansen has been included in the ODI squad. He has just 13 List A caps and has not played in the format for almost two years, since March 2020, so once again, he isn’t quite sure he will get game time. “This is a call up I did not expect,” he said. “I’m very glad and honoured to be selected in the squad. I just want to go there and try to learn as much as possible and if I get an opportunity, hopefully I’ll grab it with both hands.”Jansen’s inexperience extends across white-ball formats. He has also made just 13 T20 appearances but two of them have been at the IPL. That’s the tournament that brought Jansen to the fore. He was part of the Mumbai Indians outfit and took his twin brother Duan, also a left-arm seamer, currently playing for North West, with him to the tournament. “We know everything about each other and he is my best friend. It’s weird in some way that we are basically the same player,” Jansen said. “He came along as a net bowler. He practiced with us. And he also learnt a few things from us as well. It was a great experience for him and for us to experience that together. We never would have thought we would be sitting here, both of us, playing the sport we love.”While it may seem like it now, things didn’t always come easy for Jansen. He remembers “back at high school, especially, I didn’t play nearly as well. I didn’t even get picked for sides.” Think about that and everything you’ve seen of him over the last few weeks and it may leave you at a loss for words too.

Captain bats for four-and-a-half hours to deny Gloucestershire

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2020Glamorgan were grateful for the second successive game to their captain Chris Cooke, whose unbeaten half-century carried his side to a draw against Gloucestershire.Glamorgan had slipped to 138 for 8, a lead of only 73 with plenty of overs remaining, but Cooke was at the crease for four-and-a-half hours in compiling 59, and was given solid support by No.10 Tim van der Gugten, who was 30 not out.They survived despite the sterling efforts of Gloucestershire’s two left-arm seamers David Payne and Matt Taylor, who excelled throughout – with Payne taking eight wickets in the match. Glamorgan had a lead of 132 with 13 overs remaining when the teams shook hands.Had the first day not been lost to rain, there could have been an interesting finish as the ball dominated the bat throughout, with still plenty in the pitch for the seamers while the odd ball turned.Glamorgan began the final day 65 runs behind and with all their wickets intact, but Matt Taylor soon got to work by taking two wickets in his opening two overs. Charlie Hemphrey, whose place must now be in doubt after scoring only 72 runs in six completed innings, was out lbw.He was quickly followed by Kiran Carlson, who was dismissed in similar fashion, as he shuffled across his stumps to a ball that came back into him. The two wickets had fallen without any addition to the overnight score.Nick Selman stood firm, alternating between attack and defence, and was developing a useful partnership with Billy Root, one of the few Glamorgan batsmen who has been in any sort of form this season. But after scoring 13, Root was out to one of the slip catches of the season, taken by George Hankin at second slip.Root dabbed at a delivery intended for the third man area, before it was intercepted by the fielder who dived to his right and held on in front of first slip.Selman, who also been short of runs this season, completed a responsible half-century, but after adding a further five runs was leg before to Ryan Higgins, in what was the last ball before lunch as play was interrupted by a heavy shower.When Payne dismissed Dan Douthwaite and Graham Wagg in quick succession, and Kieran Bull was bowled by Graham van Buuren in his first over, Glamorgan had slumped to eight down, but van der Gugten, who the previous day had dislocated his finger, gave his captain staunch support.He joined his captain in the 67th over, to remain there for a further 24 overs as Gloucestershire’s hopes receded.

Velocity fell short of Supernovas 142 by 12 runs, but the result ensured both sides had a better net run rate than Trailblazers

The Report by Ankur Dhawan09-May-2019A picture perfect 48-ball 77 not out from Jemimah Rodrigues took Supernovas to 142 for 3 and consigned Velocity to a 12-run defeat, setting up a rematch between the two sides in the final. Though all three teams finished with a win each, Trailblazers, who had come to the stadium to watch proceedings, were knocked out due to a poorer net run-rate.

Jemimah Rodrigues on her unbeaten 77:

“This was one of my best knocks and one of the memorable ones because today the wicket actually wasn’t easy to bat on. But, as I said, [WV] Raman sir [the India women head coach] just told me, “With the class of batting you have, don’t try to hit the ball too hard, just hit it through the line and focus on impact of the ball.” And that’s what I was focussing on, and kept things simple actually.
I just reacted to the ball. And yeah, obviously, the [7,000 strong] crowd over here [at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, in Jaipur] was really amazing. You get really pumped – even if you hit one boundary you get pumped by the cheering. I really loved playing in Jaipur and the crowd has been very supportive.”

Chasing 143, Velocity knew that getting to 117 would ensure that they got through along with Supernovas, even if they ended up losing this game. They briefly threatened going for the win, with Danielle Wyatt going great guns, but after Poonam Yadav ended her cameo on 43, they shut shop and crawled past the qualification target of 117 in the 19th over, with Mithali Raj finding the extra cover boundary off her counterpart Harmanpreet Kaur. Raj remained unbeaten on 40 off 42, and steered her team to safety in the company of Veda Krishnamurthy, who was unbeaten on a 29-ball 30.The star of the match, however, was Rodrigues. She came in when opener Priya Punia fell in the fifth over and batted through to the end. She was ably supported by Chamari Atapattu, who struggled for timing and rode her luck, but hung around to forge a 55-run second wicket stand at seven runs per over. That partnership set the foundation for a respectable total, which was put beyond Velocity’s reach by legspinner Poonam’s middle overs squeeze.Jemimah Rodrigues’ masterclassFirst ball at the crease, she leaned into it and caressed it through extra cover. You would have thought that’d be the shot of the match. But she accumulated an assortment of boundaries, each seemingly better than the last, through the course of her knock. Her second boundary, for instance, was the perfect illustration of a straight drive. At other times, particularly against spin, Rodrigues toyed with the bowling. She came down the wicket and went inside out or over the bowler’s head, and when the bowlers shorted their length, she used the depth of the crease and the late cut to great effect. And even when the ball was fired into the pads, she wasn’t to be tied down, as she swept, both to the short fine-leg’s right and left. Finding back to back boundaries was another feature of her innings; she did that thrice, in the sixth, 14th and 15th overs.Shoddy fielding costs VelocityPoor fielding reared it’s ugly head in Jaipur again as Velocity dropped as many as five chances, arguably costing them the match. Atapattu was the first beneficiary, put down by Wyatt diving to her right at midwicket. A sharp chance, but not impossible by any stretch. The left-hander was on four at the time but she was offered another life on 10, this time by Raj, who circled around a steepler at mid-off, before grassing it. Rodrigues was largely flawless in her strokeplay but there was a period of play when she seemed to lose her concentration. She miscued a slog sweep off Amelia Kerr, which was put down at deep square leg, and the next ball, deceived in the flight, she was coaxed out of her crease but wicketkeeper Sushma Verma failed to collect it cleanly due to the extra bounce. Rodrigues was on 52 at the time and added another 25 runs. Sophie Devine was also given a life at long-off but that didn’t prove as costly.Poonam Yadav’s middle overs squeezeWhen she was brought into the attack, Velocity were undoubtedly going for the win, with Wyatt finding the boundary with great regularity and Raj rotating the strike nicely. The required run-rate was under seven when she came on in the 10th over. She bowled a tight first over which went for just one. On the third ball of her second over, after a misfield brought Wyatt back on strike, she tossed one up on middle stump and went through Wyatt, who had swung way too early. Poonam conceded just 13 in her four overs, choked the scoring with 12 dot balls, and by the time she finished her spell, the required run-rate had shot up to 15.50.

Travis Head fell short of a hundred but his efforts helped guide Australia to a first victory since September after Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins had filleted England’s top order

The Report by Daniel Brettig26-Jan-2018

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAlex Hales was bowled for 3 by Pat Cummins•Getty Images

For a match that appeared over inside 10 overs, Australia’s first ODI victory since September did not come easy. The new-ball pair of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood filleted England’s top order, but Chris Woakes’ doughty rearguard and Adil Rashid’s variations allowed the Australia Day ODI to creep into floodlit hours while Travis Head guided his team close to home.A slimmer-than-expected Adelaide Oval crowd of 24,329 seemed destined to be filing out of the exits early when Cummins and Hazlewood combined to have Eoin Morgan’s side a sickly 5 for 8 as the new ball swung and seamed, before Woakes delivered his latest outstanding display of a series England had already won.Woakes’ innings ensured that Australia needed at least one score of note to register their first ODI win since last year’s India tour and only their second since January 2017, and it was Head, returning to the top of the order in the absence of the injured Aaron Finch, who provided it. His calm presence, laced with regular boundaries, contrasted with less certain innings from David Warner, Cameron White and the captain Steven Smith. Winners or not, this Australian side is a long way from peak batting performance, meaning Glenn Maxwell is a fair chance to play in the final match of the series in Perth on Sunday.That Australia were not chasing more runs was due to the adroit use of helpful conditions by Hazlewood and Cummins with the new ball, in a display that will be of interest in the context of the looming Test tour to South Africa. Andrew Tye, too, contributed a serviceable spell featuring his first ODI wickets, though Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis and Adam Zampa were somewhat less dangerous.Damp and humid weather in Adelaide had encouraged Smith to bowl first upon winning the toss, even though the hosts rested Mitchell Starc after he played in the first three matches. England lost Liam Plunkett due to a hamstring injury in the third match in Sydney, with Tom Curran called in.Adelaide Oval’s pitch has become known for its even grass coverage and the prospect of some assistance for bowlers as well as batsmen, but the surface combined with the weather made conditions decidedly awkward for batsmen early on – akin more to the early overs of a Test match than the first innings of a 50-over affair. Combined with England’s hyper-aggressive attitude to the early overs of an ODI innings, the result was a truly rare rush of early wickets.Second ball of the match, Jason Roy sliced an airy drive at Hazlewood and was pouched in the gully by Smith, then in the fourth over Cummins found sharp seam movement to bowl Alex Hales off his pads. At the other end Jonny Bairstow drove eagerly at Hazlewood and edged through to Tim Paine, and in the next over Joe Root’s hook shot flew with some precision into the hands of fine leg.When Jos Buttler was out to one of the balls of the summer, a Hazlewood seamer that pitched on the off stump before prancing away and gifting Paine another catch, England had lost four wickets in as many overs. Only once in ODI history, when Canada were 5 for 7 against the Netherlands in 2013, had the fifth wicket fallen at a lower score, and an exceptionally quick finish seemed in the offing.However, the conditions eased slightly as the ball lost some shine, and Smith seemed content to conserve his bowlers rather than going for the kill. The resultant breathing room allowed Morgan and Moeen Ali to raise a 50 stand, before the return of Cummins and an excellent short ball had Morgan gloving down the leg side. Moeen’s innings ended when he hooked Tye straight at Head, centimetres inside the midwicket boundary on the members’ side, and Rashid soon feathered Cummins’ fourth wicket.Woakes, though, played another excellent innings, in vastly different circumstances to the first three matches, working the ball around and then hitting out powerfully when the bowlers strayed into his scoring zones. Curran offered typically determined support, with the occasional flourish like one terrific pull shot in Hazlewood’s final over. While Woakes fell short of a century, he and the rest of England’s bowlers gave themselves a chance to challenge Australia on a pitch still amenable to the new ball.A year ago Warner and Haed had combined to add a world record 284 against Pakistan, but this time their union was worth a mere 25 when Warner edged a Woakes delivery angled neatly across him. White had said before this match that, not being “stupid”, he knew he needed runs to give himself a chance of figuring in Australia’s further plans, but was defeated by a nip-backer from Curran that pinned him in front of the stumps.Smith’s own underwhelming ODI series was maintained when he sliced a forcing shot at Rashid and was reflexively caught at slip by Root, also the fifth time the wrist spinner had found a way past Australia’s captain in ODIs. Marsh hinted at permanence in a stand with Head that soothed any lingering Australian nerves, but after he hammered a return catch to Rashid, Stoinis misread a top spinner to sky a catch.Tim Paine survived his own share of nervous moments, and Head was mortified to shell a catch to mid-on with only 17 required and four short of his century. Cummins was run out in an awful mix-up with Paine, and it was a nervous Tye who accompanied Paine to the finish, albeit with 13 overs to spare. If winning is a habit, then Australia’s limited overs team still have plenty of forming to do.

A lot of drama unfolded in Coffs Harbour where Australia and South Africa played out only the fifth tie in the history of women’s ODIs

ESPNcricinfo staff27-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by ball- detailsMasabata Klaas’ run-out on the last ball led to the tie•Getty Images

A fourth straight ODI fifty for Ellyse Perry, second consecutive for Nicole Bolton, a four-for from Suné Luus, and a match-changing all-round performance from Dane van Niekerk combined to a dramatic tie in the fourth ODI in Coffs Harbour. South Africa women needed eight off the last over and later five off two, when Masabata Klaas slapped a four but was run-out on the last ball as both teams were all out for 242 in only the fifth tie in women’s ODIs. South Africa have still not beaten Australia in any format.South Africa were reeling in their chase at the score of 40 for 4, rattled by the Australian quicks and left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen. After Jonassen broke the opening stand, Perry bowled Lara Goodall, Rene Farrell bowled Luus and debutant Amanda-Jade Wellington had Mignon du Preez stumped with her very first ball. Kapp and van Niekerk joined forces that only steadied them but also brought the chase on track with a massive partnership that lasted 30.3 overs. Wellington would have had her second wicket, of van Niekerk, in the 16th over but Meg Lanning could not hold on to a low chance at slip after the ball flicked the keeper’s glove on the way.Kapp and van Niekerk scored 144 runs together, the third-highest stand for the fifth wicket overall, and took South Africa towards 200. While Kapp was more circumspect in her sixth ODI half-century, van Niekerk scored at more than run a ball against Jonassen, Perry and Farrell.It took a run-out to break the stand when Kapp backed up too much at the non-striker’s end and walked back for a 104-ball 66, starting Australia’s fight back. South Africa needed 57 off eight overs and Van Niekerk’s fours during her third ODI fifty brought the asking rate under six before Jonassen bowled her for 81. Another run-out and nine runs later, the visitors needed eight from six but Elyse Villani, bowling for the first time in her international career, conceded seven. When they needed one to win, Klaas struck a full delivery to midwicket but could not reach the non-striker’s end on time.Australia had opted to bat and Bolton and Perry, who missed the last match with a groin injury, steered them for over 16 overs after Beth Mooney, who was promoted to open, and Lanning fell cheaply. Bolton and Perry’s partnership yielded 80 runs before Luus dismissed Bolton, for 63, and Jonassen in her consecutive overs.Alex Blackwell then allied with Perry with a quick 35 off 30 but van Niekerk disturbed their lower order. Perry helped them cross 200 and took them to the last five overs before Luus sent her back too and van Niekerk struck on consecutive balls with the wickets of Alyssa and Villani. The stutter meant Australia struck only 26 runs in their last five overs as debutants Wellington and Tahlia McGrath were dismissed off consecutive balls in the last over.Luus finished with 4 for 37 from her 7.5 overs and Van Niekerk returned figures of 3 for 52 from nine overs.

Dinesh Karthik struck 167 to propel Tamil Nadu into a dominant position against Mumbai in the third round of the Ranji Trophy

Amol Karhadkar16-Oct-2015
ScorecardDinesh Karthik made his 24th first-class century•PTI

In an endeavour to improve his technique and earn an India call back, Dinesh Karthik spent weeks in Mumbai last year, working at the MCA’s Bandra-Kurla Complex facility with personal coach Praveen Amre. At the same ground, Karthik turned out to be the difference between Mumbai and Tamil Nadu in a Ranji Trophy league game.When Karthik is on song, the best of bowling attacks can appear hapless. It was the turn of Mumbai to bear the brunt as his 167 meant Tamil Nadu recovered from 201 for 6 to pile up 434 in their first innings and give the visitors a good chance of snatching the lead. Tamil Nadu’a pacers then built on the good work, seeing off two Mumbai batsmen, including the prized wicket of Shreyas Iyer, to further the cause.His unbeaten 76 on the opening day was about controlled aggression; a necessary tactic considering Tamil Nadu had been in danger of collapsing. The 91 runs he added today were split into two halves – being patient and then cutting loose.

We feel couple of wickets went against us – Mumbai coach Pandit

Acknowledging Dinesh Karthik’s effort and the resilience of the Tamil Nadu lower middle order, Mumbai coach Chandrakant Pandit has said it was unfortunate that his team found themselves on the wrong side of umpiring decisions. On the second day, three decision, including two in the morning session, went against Mumbai.
“Anybody who would have seen the first half on both the days must have seen the ball was doing a lot. Credit to their batsmen [for] the way they handled the first session,” Pandit said.
“Even this morning, the ball was moving but unfortunately a couple of wickets went against us. Yes, we feel that. I will go with the boys. But I don’t blame anyone for any of that. It is just part and parcel of the game and we have to accept it. I am not blaming the decisions for a total in excess of 400 being scored.”
Dhawal Kulkarni’s appeal for a caught behind against Malolan Rangarajan was turned down early on the second day. It was followed by an lbw shout against Dinesh Karthik that got the shake of the head. Late in the day, Mumbai opener Akhil Herwadkar was adjudged caught behind when the batsman felt he had not edged the ball.

Mumbai had a very hard day. The BKC track not offering much assistance and the soaring heat did no favous either. They didn’t have much going by way of luck either. Karthik, having seen off the first hour of the morning session, survived a close leg-before shout off Shardul Thakur in the nineties. Earlier in the day, a huge appeal for caught behind off Dhawal Kulkarni against Malolan Rangarajan had been turned down as well. The two batsmen put on 182 runs for the seventh wicket.Karthik got his 11th four, which also brought up his 24th first-class ton, there were no more half-chances. By then, the fast bowlers had begun losing their zip and when spin was called in, Karthik simply swept them aside. Literally. Whenever left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar or legspinner Abhishek Raut or part-timer Siddhesh Lad pitched it slightly fuller, Karthik bent down in no time and the connection was sweet. When the pace duo of Thakur and Kulkarni pitched it short, the pull shot yielded optimum results.The mammoth stand came to an end soon after lunch when Aditya Tare took a sharp, one-handed catch behind the wicket off Thakur to end Rangarajan’s vigil for 61 off 150 balls. Three overs later, Karthik was undone by a sweep to give Dabholkar a deserving five-for. Aswin Crist and M Mohammed frustrated Mumbai bowlers for an hour, but Kulkarni took two in two in the 145th over to wrap up the innings. And from then on and until the end of the day’s play, bowlers dictated the proceedings.Tamil Nadu’s pacers bowled a nagging line. Even though Crist started off by bowling two full-tosses in the opening over, the second of which was creamed for a four by Shrideep Mangela, Mohammed bowled five maidens on the trot from the other end. Reward for that discipline came in Mohammed’s second spell when he had Akhil Herwadkar caught behind, although replays were inconclusive. There didn’t appear to be any sound of bat hitting ball as it passed.Iyer counterattacked with a sparkling cover drive, a trademark flick through midwicket and an aerial flick that sailed over long leg but with just over ten minutes remaining for the scheduled close, his uppish drive was brilliantly caught by medium-pacer J Kousik to make it a perfect day for Tamil Nadu.

A preview of the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals

The Preview by Rachna Shetty02-May-2013

Match facts

Friday, May 3, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

Big picture

Kolkata Knight Riders find themselves racing the clock as time runs out on their bid to make it to the playoffs. With just three wins in 10 matches, Knight Riders risk finishing in the bottom half of the table unless they win every game from here on, including the one on Friday against Rajasthan Royals.Knight Riders have enough firepower in their line-up to create a final surge. But their biggest hurdle, against Royals and the other teams, has been inconsistency. They’ve had few days when the batting and bowling has clicked together and the failure of marquee players has dragged them down further. But Knight Riders will hope the side that takes the field on Friday can feed off the enthusiasm and support of the loyal home crowd.Royals need this win as badly as Knight Riders. They’ve been poor travellers this season and as the competition for the playoff spots heads for a logjam, a win here could give them some breathing space and possibly the momentum to open up a gap of a few points.Fortunately for Royals, they have players who have stepped up to the challenges thrown their way. The batting looks settled in spite of captain Rahul Dravid’s changes in the batting order. Shane Watson’s return to form and contributions from players like Dishant Yagnik, Brad Hodge, Sanju Samson and James Faulkner have helped them beat more fancied teams and they are more than capable of springing a surprise on Knight Riders.

Form guide

Kolkata Knight Riders LLWLL (most recent first)
Rajasthan RoyalsWWLLW

Players to watch

There probably will not be a better time in this IPL for Gautam Gambhir to stand up and show his leadership skills. His technique is strong enough to handle Sreesanth, James Faulkner and Shane Watson at the top of the order but, more importantly, he needs to be an innovative leader on the field and marshal the out-of-form batting line-upSince the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore, when he returned to bowling on the same day that he quit his vice-captaincy, Shane Watson has taken five wickets. More importantly, in those four matches, he has amassed 268 runs at a strike rate of 174.

Stats and trivia

• Royals don’t have a great record on the road in the IPL. Of the 34 away matches they’ve played in the IPL, they have won 14 and lost 20.
• Shane Watson has an IPL strike rate of 147.62, which puts him fourth overall in the IPL
• Gautam Gambhir has the 19 fifty-plus scores in the IPL and is joint-highest with Rohit Sharma. Among the top five batsmen in the list, Gambhir is the only one without a hundred

Quotes

“We would try to get back the best players in the top order. We also need to give confidence to the middle order so that the team can score 150 plus, a competitive total in the game.”