Rajasthan Royals rides on the back of a couple of half-centuries by Rahane and Watson, and a brilliant four-for from Ajit Chandila to beat Pune by 45 runs.
Off-spinner Ajit Chandila claimed four wickets, including the first hat-trick of the season, in a sensational spin-bowling spell as Rajasthan Royals crushed Pune Warriors by 45 runs in a lop-sided Indian Premier League match here today.
Little-known Chandila claimed his four wickets for just 13 runs from four overs as he single-handedly demolished Pune, who were already out of play-offs contention. The Sri Lankan off-spinner needed just 17 balls to grab his four wickets.
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Chandila, who was playing in only his second match of the IPL, was though not getting prodigious turn from the Sawai Man Singh Stadium pitch and the batsmen were also partly to be blamed for their poor shots.
Ajit Chandila (left) is esctatic after taking a couple of Pune wickets. Pic/AFP
Steven Smith top-scored with 37 while Callum Fergusson and Angelo Mathews made identical 23. Smith and Mathews shared 39 runs from four overs for the sixth wicket to give a semblance of a fight before the former was out in the 15th over.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3), Mathews and Rahul Sharma (0) were out in the space of 11 balls with the latter two falling in the 18th over, both victims of Watson as Pune could only score 125 for nine in the end.
Other than Chandila, Watson and Johan Botha bagged two wickets each while pacer Shaun Tait took one wicket to complete the humiliation of Pune.u00a0
Earlier, Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane struck half centuries as Rajasthan Royals scored a challenging 170 for four in their Indian Premier League match here today.
The highlight of Rajasthan innings after choosing to bat first was the 94-run stand for the second wicket between Watson (58) and opener Rahane (61) after captain Rahul Dravid (21) departed early.
Watson threatened to take Rajasthan to a much bigger total with a flurry of boundaries in his 31-ball knock before he was out in the 15th over. He hit six fours and four sixes in his innings.
Rahane, on the other hand, was less adventurous and more intent to preserve his wicket before being out in the final over. He hit seven fours in his 47-ball knock. Rajasthan were 126 for two at the end of 15th over but they lost way towards the end as they could add just 44 runs in the last five overs with Brad Hodge (14) out in the 19th over.
Sourav Ganguly was back as Pune skipper. Pic/AFP
For Pune, Ashish Nehra was the most successful bowler with figures of three for 23 while Angelo Mathews got one wicket for 29 runs. Rajasthan, who need to win all of their remaining matches to keep their hopes of making it to the play-offs alive, began on a sedate note with captain Dravid and Rahane not taking too many risks. Not many boundaries came in the first powerplay.
Dravid was the first one to go in the fifth over with Pune wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa effecting a superb catch. Dravid wanted to launch an Ashish Nehra delivery but got an outside edge and Uthappa dived to his right to take a low one-handed catch.
Rajasthan were then 29 for one and they could score just 45 for one at the end of the first powerplay. One down Watson then began the fireworks as he hit Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a six as soon as he came out to the crease. He then smote Murali Kartik for two successive sixes in the 10th over at the end of which Rajasthan were 77 for one.
Pune captain Sourav Ganguly, who returned to lead the side after sitting out for one match, brought in part-timer Jesse Ryder in the 13th over but the burly New Zealander was hit for a six and two fours to concede 15 runs.
Watson reached his fifty with that six in the 26th ball he faced with four fours and as many sixes. Watson, however, fell in the 15th over to Nehra who returned for his second spell. The strong-built Australian edged a yorker-length delivery on to the stumps. His 31-ball knock was studded with six fours and four sixes.
Rahane reached his fifty in 40 balls with the help of five boundaries.u00a0
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