Rajasthan Royals IPL Pepsi began their 2015 campaign on a winning note as they outscored the hosts Kings XI Punjab by 26 runs at the International Stadium MCA in Pune. After posting 162 for 7 in a green and lively surface, bowlers Rajasthan Royals KXIP never allowed to get your foot in the run chase, eventually restricts them to 136-8.
Faced with an asking rate of 8.15, KXIP began with the worst possible start. Virender Sehwag They lost out the first ball, he chased a wide delivery and the outer edge is pouched by wicket-keeper Sanju Samson diving full stretch to his right. The RR wicket-keeper had a hand in the dismissal of Wriddhiman Saha and Murali Vijay soon after also scoring direct hits to catch both short hitters of his land.
Batting at number five seven, Axar Patel and George Bailey did not get too many gifts and struggled to find the limits, despite the rate necessary projection mounting with every passing delivery. Patel died at 18 have made 24 of 28 balls while Bailey died at 19 on 24 (18 balls). KXIP finally ended their allotted 20 overs with 136 runs on the board.
Faulkner ended his night to play a role in returning the dangerous Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Mitchell Johnson and George Bailey. He picked up the windows of Maxwell, Johnson and Bailey. We were in deep thirdman, then happily accepted a return catch to send Miller. While Faulkner (3-26) returned the most successful bowler night, the 43-year-old leg-spinner – Pravin Tambe – also impressed. In an area more suitable for players of pace and where KXIP spinners had leaked 77 runs in eight credits bowling, Tambe rolled his three overs and conceded just 15 runs.
In early afternoon, RR had a poor start losing both their openers in the first three overs. Steve Smith, who captained the team on the day due to an injury to regular captain Shane Watson, and Karun Nair stabilized entries. Left arm spinner Axar Patel was introduced into the attack in the sixth over and both batsmen RR pounced on him immediately; Smith hit consecutive boundaries, while Karun deposited one in the stands. But the bowler had the last laugh as he ran over and broke past the defenses of Karun. The promising partnership 21 runs chewed.
Smith continued to accumulate runs regularly picking apart singles hitting the odd boundary before it was done in a quick short pitched delivery compatriot Mitchell Johnson and holed to thirdman. Captain RR made 33 of 23 balls.
RR also slipped two balls later when Stuart Binny exceeded one to wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha. RR were placed at 76 for five after 11 overs and seemed to have trouble hitting the 20 overs. But the 19-year-old Deepak Hooda and James Faulkner put new entries into the rails with some sensible and conservative batting. They took calculated risks – that paid off in the day, and when the time came to cut loose, they did just that at the end. Anureet Singh Hooda hit for four one six consecutive deliveries, but had his leg stump tied behind the fourth ball of the 17th time. Faulkner hit the final delivery of the next over in the stands and then got stuck in Johnson (possibly due to its familiarity to play in networks Team Australia) in the following. He hit two fours and one six in the 19th over. Although he was dismissed in the final over – after scoring 46 from 33 balls, he had done his work well enough to lead the team to a competitive 162 for seven.
For KXIP, Anureet Singh (3-23) was the most successful player bowling, while Sandeep Sharma, who took the new ball for the first time, bowled out his four overs unchanged and finished with figures of 04/01/19 -1. Mitchell Johnson, used in the day as the fifth bowler, ran disk and did not hold back; its fastest delivery was recorded at a speed of 149.2 kilometers per hour and the average speed was 142.3 mph. His first spell figures read 2-0-8-2, with 7 of his 8 races comes through wides.
Rajasthan Royals 162-7 in 20.0 overs (James Faulkner 46, Anureet Singh 3-23) beat Kings XI Punjab 136-8 in 20.0 overs (Murali Vijay 37, James Faulkner 3-26)
Man of the Match: James Faulkner, who scored 46 and then took 3-26.
