Moments from Match 27

8th May 2008

A little too much of honesty

Graeme Smith, the Rajasthan Royals' opener, had in the very first over of the match made his intentions clear, when he charged down the track to Shaun Pollock. The smart operator that he is, Pollock soon asked his wicketkeeper to stand up to the stumps. Second ball of the third over, and Smith again walked down the track to a delivery, which this time pitched on the leg stump and tried to push it down the ground. The ball swung a bit, he was beaten all ends up, and was way down the wicket, but though the wicketkeeper failed to gather the ball cleanly, Smith did not even make the faintest effort to regain his ground. Was it the assumption that he was already stumped, which prompted him to not even look at the wicketkeeper, let alone look at the umpire? Only Smith can tell.

Reckless shot of the day

From a rather precarious 21 for 2 in the fourth over, the Rajasthan Royals had recovered to 74 for 2 in the ninth over, thanks to Swapnil Asnodkar and Shane Watson. With the duo looking well in control of things, Dwayne Bravo decided to change the angle and came round the stumps to Watson. That change of angle immediately worked to the benefit of the Mumbai Indians. A sudden rush of blood saw Shane Watson slog across the line, only for the ball to take the inside edge of the bat and crash onto his stumps. That silly moment opened the floodgates, and the Rajasthan Royals would lose their next seven wickets for only 29 runs.

Catch of the day

Already in dire straits at 82 for 4, Ravindra Jadeja decided the best way to get out of the mess his team was in was by taking on the opposition bowlers. And he tried to chance his arm off the very first ball he faced; Dhawal Kulkarni banged it in short, Jadeja went after it, only managed a top edge that sent the ball high and over the wicketkeeper. Yogesh Takawale, the Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper, kept his eyes on the ball even as he ran towards the edge of the thirty-yard circle, dived forward as the ball dipped on him, and came up with a clean catch.

Ball of the day

It took Shane Warne ten overs to bring himself into the attack, but the champion leg-spinner struck with his very first delivery. A well-set Yogesh Takawale went back in an attempt to cut the ball through the vacant point region, but Shane Warne's first delivery - the flipper - was just too good for him. It came off Warne's hand, pitched and zipped off the wicket, and Takawale's bat was nowhere near the ball. The ball brushed his back pad before crashing into his off stump. It was the only moment where the Royals' captain could afford a smile, in what was otherwise a forgettable day at the office.