Captain's Knock For Losing Cause

It was the captain of the Rajasthan Royals-Shane Warne with a last moment aggression when he scored 21 runs off just 11 deliveries equipped with 1 six and two hits to the fence. But, this was only to cross the 140 run mark and in the process maintain s run rate of just over 7.0 an over. And what more can Shane Warne do when the rest of the team deceive him so badly? The top scorer for the Rajasthan Royals-Greame Smith scored 30 runs but with a strike rate of just 90. And then there were Asnodkar and Ravindra Jadeja who saw to it that their team didn't lose out on their face.

The target never looked to trouble the Chennai Super Kings and neither did the opponents-Rajasthan Royals seem to be a cause of concern for the Chennai team despite losing to them in the finals of the first edition of the Indian Premier League. For the second time in this tournament, the Chennai Super Kings defeated the Rajasthan Royals and this time victory was even more convincing one. I just could not stop watching the orange cap holder- Mathew Hayden swing his bat to loft the ball all over the ground. This was the continuation of the punishing mood where he had left in the last match against Kings XI Punjab.

The spinners from the Rajasthan Royals viz Shane Warne and Yousuf Pathan were found getting some turn. There was a ball from Shane Warne that spun so much that the umpire had no other choice but to term it as a wide ball. This showed that there was much scope for the spinners in the game. But, none of the spinners could make use of the advantage. The Rajasthan Royals' bowlers made no impact on the Chennai batsmen. Mathew Hayden was found repeatedly stepping out of his crease in an attempt to loft the ball. May be that he was not able to connect it everytime. But, what difference does it make when they show no signs of pressure on their faces?

This time there are five contenders for the semis berth viz Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab. Out of these five, the Rajasthan & the Chennai team are found playing good cricket. Despite a respctful class, the Kings XI Punjab jave lost 3 of their last 4 games. And the Deccan Chargers & the Daredevils are found winning only when the day favors them. Or else no.