New delhi: DD climbed two places from the bottom after beating RR in their ninth game at the Ferozeshah Kotla. The hosts collected their third win to take their points tally to six. RR too have three wins but dropped to seventh spot on run-rate.
In what turned out to be a run-fest, the eventual difference between the winning and losing side proved to be just 4 runs. Hosts DD were lucky to escape with a win while RR would rue DÁrcy Short slump in the building phase for losing the match by such a close margin.
1.Chennai 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.553
2 Hyderabad 8 6 2 0 0 12 0.514
3 Punjab 7 5 2 0 0 10 0.228
4 Kolkata 8 4 4 0 0 8 0.110
5 Bangalore 8 3 5 0 0 6 -0.301
6 Delhi 9 3 6 0 0 6 -0.450
7 Rajasthan 8 3 5 0 0 6 -0.726
8 Mumbai 8 2 6 0 0 4 -0.059
After the match was delayed due to rain, RR were given 151 to chase in 12 overs, after DD scored 196 in 17.1 overs. The D/L method put an asking rate of over 12 for RR to claim a win. But with Jos Buttler coming out in a furious mood, even an asking rate of 15 could have been razed down. The English batsman displayed smart tactics in the crease and developed a stable base to pummel massive sixes. His pyrotechnics had put RR on course to pull off a heist. Buttler scored 67 in just 26 balls.
But DD cannot thank Amit Mishra enough for his brilliant spell of 2-0-12-1, in which the experienced leggie not only removed Buttler but also kept the other RR batsmen silent.
Short did bloom late but lost his wicket at a crucial stage especially after hitting three consecutive sixes off Maxwell. Trent Boult made sure he cut down the pace from his deliveries to make batting all the more difficult on such a placid wicket.
