Rajasthan Royals vs. Delhi Daredevils - OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein - 17th May, 2009 SET MAX (8:15 PM IST)
- 14:45 GMT
IPL 2009 has been about twists and turns and shifts and movements in the points tally. With matches closely fought, teams have had to work hard to earn those 2 points which can make or break a team's progress to the semis. While the teams are closely packed in the points tally, there is one that stands above all – the Delhi Daredevils (DD). Winning 8 of their 10 matches, it is safe to say DD have had a near perfect tournament.
Ironically DD have seemed more and more like the Rajasthan Royals (RR) which won the inaugural IPL edition. While RR have been an iota of their winning self in 2009, they are still capable of inflicting severe damage on the opposition. DD are akin to the Romans of the IPL and RR the 'Barbarians' and while the Romans squashed the Barbarians history may not repeat itself again.
Shane Warne ever so intriguing and flexible in his thought process has been one of the best captains in the IPL so far. His captaincy, his trust in his bowlers and batters, to make their efforts count has kept the flame of reaching the semi-finals alive and burning. His guerrilla tactics have proved useful in RR's victories though if there is a captain who can counter Warne – captain to captain – it is Virender Sehwag. The street smart captain has returned to the DD side after a finger injury and is likely to press forward his campaign by winning the next few matches. Warne, having watched Sehwag and played against the man, would know the chinks in his gameplay. Warne has the experience while Sehwag has the youthful exuberance and both lead a side of youngsters, spirited and hungry for victory.
RR played their cards right in their last encounter choosing Rob Quiney to open who provided them with a splendid platform and later Ravindra 'Rockstar' Jadeja capitalised on the start. Warne's men ably utilised the conditions to their advantage and were able to snatch victory from the Mumbai Indians (MI). This victory provides a great boost to the RR squad which is in the hunt for another win to possibly cement its position in the semis.
The RR batting is in good form and is clicking when the team needs it the most. The bowling department hasn't lost its sheen either, striking at the opposition with vengeance. Both teams have the depth in the batting line-up and yet are opposites of each other. While Delhi prefers the specialist route RR have gone with all-rounders who proved undeniably useful in crunch situations. Delhi seems to have the upper hand but with RR sniffing at the semi-final spot it will not be easy going for DD.
The match boils down to the team that is hungrier for victory. The team that plays its cards right will be rewarded.
Watch out: Rob Quiney flourished on the slow pitch at Durban. He would be required to play a crucial knock along with Graeme Smith at Bloemfontein. Yusuf Pathan hasn't fired in a while. The DD bowling may be what he requires to get back into the groove.
RR bowlers Munaf Patel and Shane Warne will play a crucial role in the match. Picking up wickets and maintaining pressure will be their primary objective.
Above all, the battle of the brains – Shane Warne vs. Virender Sehwag – will be an interesting one to watch.
RR Squad: Shane Warne, Robert Quiney, Abhishek Raut, Morne Morkel, Paul Valthaty, Kamran Khan, Niraj Patel, Mahesh Rawat, Shane Harwood, Siddharth Trivedi, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Munaf patel, Graeme Smith, Tyron Henderson, Johan Botha.
Halla Bol!!!
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