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IPL 2017 DD vs RPS: Delhi Daredevils extend Rising Pune Supergiant’s wait for play-off spot with seven-run win
YB WEB DESK. Dated: 5/13/2017 2:48:41 AM
Pune fell-short of the 169-run target by eight runs against Delhi Daredevils to make their chances of qualifying to play-offs difficult.
Rising Pune Supergiant could not have made their road to the play-offs tougher. Chasing a target of 169 runs to confirm their place in the play-offs, Pune suffered a seven-run defeat against Delhi Daredevils to remain at third position with 16 points from 13 matches. They still need to one more win to confirm a spot in the knockouts.
Delhi have managed to lose matches from unthinkable positions but on Friday, they were led by Zaheer Khan and he made sure that they manage to defend 52 runs from the final five overs.
If Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Gujarat Lions on Saturday, Pune need to beat Kings XI Punjab in their final game to qualify. If Hyderabad win and Kings XI beat Pune, the net run-rate between Pune and Kings XI will decide the fourth team in play-offs.
Mumbai Indians have already booked a spot and they play Kolkata Knight Riders, who are second with 16 points, in their final game. If Kolkata lose, their qualification will also be done by net run-rate.
Manoj Tiwary led the chase for Pune after the fall of Steve Smith and Ben Stokes, both of whom looked in top form. He tried hard and scored 64 runs off the chase but could not take his team over the line and was even bowled off the final delivery.
At a slow surface at Feroz Shah Kotla, Zaheer won the toss and elected to bat, a decision that seemed to go wrong in the first over itself. He Delhi lost Sanju Samson in that over and had Shreyas Iyer caught behind in the third.
It was only the 74-run stand between Rishabh Pant and Karun Nair that brought them out of trouble. Both batsmen took the attack to the Pune bowlers and scored quick runs. Nair punished Washington Sundar in particular while Pant scored 36 runs. By the time Pant fell, off the fifth ball of the ninth over, Delhi had made 83 runs and lost only three wickets.
Maron Samuels looked threatening in his stay at the crease but it came to premature end when MS Dhoni pulled off a blinder behind the stumps.
Pune bowlers Jaydev Unadkar and Ben Stokes brought their team back into the game as they both took two wickets each. Delhi slipped and managed only 168 for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs.
Pune’s chase began in an even poor manner than Delhi. Zaheer bowled a first ball first up which swung back and went through Ajinkya Rahane’s bat and pad. Rahul Tripathi was the next to go in the fifth over with team’s score reading only 36.
It was then Steve Smith with Tiwary to stable the innings as they shared a 38-run stand but Smith was trapped leg-before wicket. Stokes joined Tiwary and carried the team before he also fell at a crucial moment in the 16th over with Pune’s score at 125.
Mohammed Shami dismissed Stokes, then affected the run-out of Dhoni with a furious throw from short fine-leg and finally removed Dan Christian to choke Pune.
Tiwary did try to make the 25 runs needed of the final over but after two consecutive sixes off the first two balls, got three dot ball and could not get the 12 off 2 balls.