Bangalore crush Deccan by nine wickets

Royal Challengers Bangalore 86 for 1 (Dravid 35*) beat Deccan Chargers 82 (Kumble 4-16) by nine wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Anirudh Singh made nearly half of Deccan's runs © Indian Premier League
Related Links Players/Officials: Anirudh Singh | Anil Kumble Matches: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Deccan Chargers at Mumbai Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Deccan Chargers | India | Royal Challengers Bangalore

In a yawn-inducing crawl, Deccan Chargers meandered to 82, the lowest total of the season, and Royal Challengers Bangalore knocked it off without much fuss to book their spot in the next Champions League.

Not many people bothered to turn up for the game, nine Deccan batsmen scored less than five runs and a dull, almost anaesthetic, atmosphere prevailed through their innings. Adam Gilchrist's early dismissal set the tone for the innings: It was a slow gentle full toss from Anil Kumble and while it was in its trajectory you felt it was going to be smashed for a six but Gilchrist contrived to hit it to deep backward square-leg where Jacques Kallis took a neat catch.

It was that kind of a dull and dreary night. Perhaps the loss in semi-final had sapped Deccan, perhaps it was just one of those nights when nothing went right for them and it made for almost painful watching experience.

Bangalore ticked off all the boxes that were required of them: Kumble showed his intent by opening against Gilchrist, Praveen Kumar mixed his cutters with slower ones in a tight spell, and Dale Steyn, though not as pacy as he has been in this tournament so far, was accurate to keep the batsmen in check. Monish Mishra played all around a straight delivery from Praveen to be trapped in front and Rohit Sharma threw his wicket away with a lame pull shot to mid-on.

Match Meter RCB Adam Gilchrist combusts: It was a gentle full toss from Anil Kumble but Gilchrist swings it to deep backward square-leg fielder. It sets the tone for Deccan's abysmal batting performance RCB Rohit Sharma throws his wicket away: Rohit pulls a short-of-length delivery lamely to mid-on and the innings never recovered after that. RCB Andrew Symonds falls: Symonds had just been reprieved by Dale Steyn at the fine-leg boundary but he falls off the next delivery. He backed away to try thrash a Steyn delivery but ends up edging it behind Advantage Honours even

Much depended on Andrew Symonds at that stage and he even got a reprieve when Steyn ran in too much at fine-leg to drop a catch but he fell on the very next delivery. He backed away to try force Steyn through the off side but edged it behind to the keeper to leave Deccan struggling at 27 for 4 in 6.1 overs. And it soon turned to 35 for 5 when a clueless Dwayne Smith had his Richard Blakey moment against Kumble: It was a slider that came in from just outside off but Smith stabbed at thin air and looked slightly sheepish when he lost his off stump.

It was only due to Anirudh Singh, one of many changes in the Deccan set-up for this game, that Deccan avoided complete embarrassment. He probably would pick a sliced square-drive over backward point off Steyn as his top shot though a thumping drive over covers off a slower one from the same bowler too caught the eye. There was even a six against Nayan Doshi, who made an impressive IPL debut, but Anirudh mainly dealt in nudged singles. When he fell in the 16th over, bowled by Kallis, Deccan lost their only hope of reaching 100.

Rahul Dravid and Kallis ensured Bangalore got off to a solid start and once they achieved it, it was always going be a just a stroll in the park for them. Though Kallis fell in the eight over, Dravid guided Bangalore through in the company of Kevin Pietersen.

IPL players' salaries face taxman's scrutiny

	Ravindra Jadeja admitted to negotiating with two franchises to play IPL's third season for a fee of $450,000 © Getty Images
Related Links In Focus: The IPL Mess Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: India

The Indian taxman's scrutiny of the mess surrounding the IPL is not necessarily limited to the league's officials, franchise owners/managers and partner companies. It is understood the income-tax department is also acting on information of certain players receiving illegal payments from their employers.

A specific episode under assessment goes back to August 2009, when the IPL announced an amnesty scheme for players linked with the unauthorised Indian Cricket League (ICL). Former ICL players who had no international cricket experience were allowed to be signed on by IPL franchises for an annual fee of between Rs 8-20 lakh ($18,000-45,000).

There are reports that at least two franchises breached this salary cap and paid individual players in excess of IPL stipulations. The extra payment was made in cash. It is believed in some cases the quantum of 'black money' payments was substantial and almost doubled the cricketer's fee.

The IPL imposes salary caps on various categories of cricketers. The ICL amnesty scheme is one example. Players from the Indian squad that won the 2008 ICC Under-19 World Cup were also restricted in what they could earn in a season, depending on their first-class or international experience.

Yet, as became evident during the recent Ravindra Jadeja investigation, this regulation was not considered sacrosanct. The Rajasthan Royals cricketer admitted to negotiating with two franchises to play IPL's third season for a fee of Rs 2 crore ($450,000). Under the IPL rules, he was entitled to only Rs 40 lakh ($90,000). It is unclear how the incremental payment would have been made, had the deal gone through.

Suspicions of a tax dodge by cricketers, with the active collaboration of their franchises, may only be the tip of the iceberg. The issue of salaries and salary ceilings is likely to enmesh the IPL in greater controversy in the coming months. In some respects, it is a microcosm of all that is wrong with the manner in which the league has been run. There are perceptions of the law having been broken - as in the case of the cricketers under scrutiny - as well as conflict of interest issues. Whether irregularities or merely angularities, the IPL will need to address these.

When the IPL began in 2008, each team was allowed to spend $5 million a year to hire cricketers. For the 2011 season - and beginning with the big auction planned for October 2010, which will see franchises populate their squads for the 2011-13 period - this limit has been raised to $7 million.

The idea behind a salary cap was to equalise competition and not give an opportunity to any one franchise, with extensive cash resources, to buy out the best players and use money power to dominate the tournament.

The logic was strong and the precedent of the English Premier League (EPL) was there to learn from. In the EPL, teams like Aston Villa and Fulham tend to do well and finish in the first half of the table - but they never win. On the other hand, a Manchester United and a Chelsea are in serious contention for the title year after year. The difference between the two sets of teams is their bank balance.

At least in the early years of the IPL, the league authorities were concerned about games or even a full season becoming lopsided and final positions predictable. Today this 'equalisation' principle is in danger of being subverted by not just cash payments - over and beyond official salaries - but also other perquisites offered by some franchises to key cricketers. This has been particularly so in case of franchises wholly or largely owned by business corporations.

BCCI officials have been worried about instances of regular 'jobs' being offered to cricketers by the mother company of their franchise. Earlier this week, another conundrum was thrown up when England batsman Kevin Pietersen was announced as the ambassador of the Whyte & Mackay brand of whiskeys.

At one level, this is a perfectly understandable endorsement arrangement. Pietersen is one of the finest cricketers in the world. He has name recall in India, is of South African origin and plays for England. All of these are markets Whyte & Mackay executives said they were focused on, and the Pietersen stamp would help.

However, Pietersen bats for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL. The Bangalore IPL franchise has been bought by the same business group that owns Whyte & Mackay. Is there a conflict of interest here?

It's a tricky question and it is plausible that the two motivations - hiring Pietersen as a player for a cricket team and as an ambassador for a whisky brand - are different.

Nevertheless the IPL is also at the cusp of fervid inter-season lobbying and negotiation as teams try and retain talent and persuade star cricketers to possibly drop out of the October auction and stay on with the old franchise. Salaries will be discussed; the equivalent of loyalty bonuses and golden handcuffs could figure in the conversation.

How does Pietersen's endorsement of a sister brand of the Royal Challengers fit into this? Will it give other cricketers and other franchises ideas? How does it square up with IPL's 'equalisation' norm? At some stage before Season IV, those questions will have to be clarified.

PCA investigates claim that players took call to play

	The bomb blast did not lead to the game being called off © Associated Press
Related Links News : IPL semi-finals moved to Mumbai News : Eight injured in blasts outside Chinnaswamy stadium Players/Officials: Eoin Morgan | Kevin Pietersen Matches: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Mumbai Indians at Bangalore Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League

The Professional Cricketers' Association is investigating claims that players were left to take the decision to go ahead with Saturday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians following two low-intensity bomb blasts outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.

The Daily Telegraph quoted Ian Smith, the PCA's legal adviser, as saying the PCA were looking for more details about what led to Saturday's match going ahead, and were looking at a claim from a non-Indian player that the decision was left to the players themselves.

"The immediate worry for us, and I have heard this direct from one of the players, is that after the initial explosion and a sweep of the stadium, the decision that the game should go ahead was taken by the players," Smith said. "From what I have been told, the Indian guys said very quickly that they felt unfazed. But the foreign guys then felt under pressure to agree with their colleagues. The idea that you can determine whether conditions are safe by a referendum of the players is outrageous.

"They were out in the middle warming up when the bomb went off. We don't know who provided them with the information on which they made their decision."

JP Duminy, who plays for Mumbai, told Cape Times that Bangalore "were upset with the situation". "We were told to go back into the change rooms [after the blasts], and the security tried to keep everything low-key," he said. "They said everything was fine and that the game will go ahead. Bangalore were upset with the situation and had to be convinced to play the game. My team was always going to play."

Smith said he hadn't been able to speak to any of the six English players - Paul Collingwood, Eoin Morgan, Owais Shah, Michael Lumb, Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Bopara - involved in the IPL, but had been in email communication and advised them wait for a full report from the ICC's security experts Nicholls Steyn Associates and Reg Dickason, security adviser to the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations.

The semi-finals of the IPL have now been moved out of Bangalore and will be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai instead. While pleased with the shift, the PCA said it wasn't happy about the relocation being announced before the players had left Bangalore.

"Players I have spoken to today are experiencing quite a few problems and some are currently caught up in traffic trying to reach the airport, which isn't ideal," Angus Porter, the PCA chief executive, told Cricinfo. "We are pleased that the semi-finals have been moved to Mumbai, but making it public before the players have left Bangalore has left us a little uneasy. We will be very glad when they reach Mumbai.

When asked if the events of the last 48 hours went against pre-tournament agreements, Porter said, "The security plans have varied with how they have been implemented and we are concerned with how some aspects have been delivered.

"But what I do want to add is that this isn't a time to hit the panic button about the 2011 World Cup. Security around international teams is generally easier to deliver, rather than when individual players are out there representing sides such as at the IPL."

Kolkata get consolation win against second-string Mumbai

Kolkata Knight Riders 135 for 1 (McCullum 57*, Ganguly 42) beat Mumbai Indians 133 for 8 (Tiwary 46, Kartik 2-20, Bond 2-24) by nine wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Brendon McCullum starred with an unbeaten 57 © Indian Premier League
Related Links Features : Kolkata fail to live up to promise Matches: Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians at Kolkata Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: India | Kolkata Knight Riders | Mumbai Indians

As soon as Dwayne Bravo, leading Mumbai Indians in the absence of a resting Sachin Tendulkar, chose to bat Kolkata Knight Riders were officially knocked out, the only team to have not made the semi-finals in any of the IPLs. If they had batted first and beaten Mumbai by around 175 runs, Kolkata could have improved their net run-rate and entered the last four. In their last league match, with little to play for, Kolkata produced their biggest win of the season, smartly using the slow pitch to keep Mumbai to a below-par target. Sourav Ganguly then played the cleanest innings on the tricky surface to take them home without hiccups.

In the only dead rubber of the 56-match league, Mumbai rested five first-choice players, and their second-rung side struggled right from the first over. Shane Bond removed the openers for not much, and the back-up bowlers assumed control with clever variations of pace. Saurabh Tiwary's 37-ball 46 and Ambati Rayudu's 15-ball 27 were exceptions in the general go-slow innings that struggled to stay above six runs an over.

Bond's extra bounce consumed Aditya Tare and Shikhar Dhawan in the first three overs, both batsmen edging while going for the upper-cut. In partnership with JP Duminy, who struggled against the slower cutters, Tiwary provided some momentum. Yet Duminy's struggle meant only 63 runs came in 10 overs while Tiwary was at the wicket. After Murali Kartik's spin, Jaydev Unadkat and Ashok Dinda harassed Duminy with slower ones. Finally in the 13th over, with the score on 77, Duminy swung wildly and was cleaned up by Unadkat.

Match Meter KKR Bond takes two in two overs: On a slow pitch, Bond beats the Mumbai openers for the bounce, sending them both back inside three overs. KKR Duminy, Saurabh fall quickly : After a steady partnership, both Duminy and Saurabh Tiwary fail to push the run-rate and are dismissed in the 13th and 14th overs. KKR Wickets fall at the death: In the last three overs, Kolkata manage to get three wickets, which means Mumbai never get the fillip they are looking for. KKR Ganguly, McCullum finish it off: With a 97-run first-wicket stand, Ganguly and McCullum ensue their season finishes on a high. Advantage Honours even

Saurabh, though, managed to get power and timing behind his shots and had adjusted to the pace of the pitch. But with the run-rate still hovering at six, he tried to go for the big hit, and hit Kartik straight to midwicket. The score was still 77. Bravo didn't make much of the opportunity, and was stumped soon.

The way Rayudu responded to 89 for 5 after 15.4 overs belied the way other batsmen, except for Saurabh, had made the pitch look difficult. He clipped, cut, chipped and lofted with ease, but the lower order struggled around him, and Mumbai were still defending a below-par total.

It was Ganguly, though, who played the ideal innings on the sluggish surface. He committed early to few shots, and made sure all poor deliveries were scored off. And Ali Murtaza helped him with one in the first over of the chase: a long hop that Ganguly hoisted for six. With Harbhajan Singh absent, Mumbai went to quicker bowlers in the Powerplay overs. In the fourth over, Ganguly played his trademark inside-out lofts off Dilhara Fernando, one for a four over extra cover, the next for six over mid-off.

Ganguly was once again at his best when he chipped Duminy for two inside-out fours over extra cover in the 10th over, moving to 38 off 27, taking Kolkata to 71. Brendon McCullum, 30 off 29 by then, hadn't looked comfortable, struggling to get the timing right. Yet he slugged it out, never mind an inconsequential match, and after Ganguly got out in the 14th over, McCullum made sure he was there till the end, getting only his third IPL fifty since that 158 in the first-ever IPL match.

Ganguly may have not seen Kolkata all the way, but it was his positive innings that set up the tricky chase, and he got a healthy applause when he walked back. He took a moment to raise his bat to his beloved crowd. Could this be his last innings for Kolkata Knight Riders?

The adulation and fame can get to you - Uthappa

	Robin Uthappa: "It can get to you; it can hit you in the face and get you straight back to the ground and then you start wondering..." © Indian Premier League
Related Links Audio: 'Sometimes the adulation is too much to handle' Players/Officials: Robin Uthappa Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: India | Royal Challengers Bangalore

Robin Uthappa, the Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman, has said that while the IPL provides a great opportunity for youngsters to make a mark, it also requires the ability to deal with the high pressure, expectation and instant stardom.

"It depends on how level-headed the individual is. Sometimes the whole adulation and the atmosphere is too much to handle," Uthappa said on Cricinfo's audio show with Harsha Bhogle, Time Out.

"It can get to you; it can hit you in the face and get you straight back to the ground and then you start wondering: is this the way to go about it or should I actually take some time. It takes you a while to understand whether you can go after the bowling immediately to hang in there and wait for a while and then go after the bowling," he said.

Uthappa, who was a part of India's successful 2007 World Twenty20 campaign, drew from his personal experience to emphasise the point. His exploits in the shorter versions of the game won him an $800,000 contract with Mumbai Indians in the first IPL auction in 2008, pitch-forking him into the big league. However, he was unable to sustain his form on the field, following which he quickly receded from the limelight and was transferred to the Bangalore franchise. After an eventless 2009 season, he has come into his own in the third edition of the IPL, where he has been a smash hit. Uthappa believes that the inability to handle the pressures of instant stardom had a major impact on his performance.

"It did affect my cricket initially because I hadn't even factored in the amount of money I was earning. It was a new concept and no one had an idea that cricketers could actually earn this much. Initially it did affect me but thanks to my upbringing and the fact that I have a certain amount of education behind me really helped me stay grounded and made me realise that this is just a part and parcel of how cricket is going to be in the future and I needed to still focus and do my hard work," Uthappa said.

While the IPL offered a chance to create an instant impact, Uthappa cautioned that it also created the pressures of having to consistently deliver to private owners. "I may have been luckier than few cricketers in the past but I still needed to work hard and give 100%. Cricket is played differently as far as the franchises are concerned. You owe something to the franchises that you are owned by and you are responsible for whatever you are being paid for. So you can't think this is an easy way out and just go out there and play slam-bang cricket. You need to certain amount or responsibility long with the fact that you are earning a lot of money," he said.

Uthappa reiterated the importance of education and upbringing in ensuring youngsters did not get carried away by the instant adulation. "Sachin [Tendulkar] had a fantastic upbringing; the family he came from gave him a sense of grounding. It is important for the parents and the people who know the cricketers well enough to keep their feet on the ground.

"I am a graduate but when all this happened it was too much for me to handle and it took me six months or so to realise I was losing myself and that I needed to pull back and understand. I sat myself down one day to understand that all of this is a part and parcel of how cricket is going to be played for a very long time and I need to accept that this is how it is and still have my work ethics in place. There is one thing about having self respect and there is another thing about having ego. If you pick up an ego then you are going downhill," Uthappa said.

I have worked really hard for comeback - Piyush Chawla

	Piyush Chawla: "Now that the selectors have chosen me for the job, I need to deliver the goods and make a long-lasting impression" © Indian Premier League
Related Links Players/Officials: Piyush Chawla Series/Tournaments: ICC World Twenty20 | Indian Premier League Teams: India | Kings XI Punjab

Piyush Chawla, the Kings XI Punjab legspinner who has made a comeback into the Indian team for the World Twenty20 in the West Indies, is eager to grab the opportunity and cement his place in the national side.

"I have worked really hard during the last one-and-a-half years to earn my comeback. Now that the selectors have chosen me for the job, I need to deliver the goods and make a long-lasting impression. I want to be part of the Indian team for a longer period and for that the World Twenty20 will be the most important tournament for me. The competition is tough but I need to stand out," Chawla told PTI.

Chawla was pleased with his form in the IPL, where he picked 12 wickets in Punjab's 14 league games. "I enjoyed bowling on the Indian tracks as I was able to extract turn from the wickets and was happy to deceive the batsmen in the air. I am in fine form and bowling with rhythm. The IPL was only a dress-rehearsal for the World Twenty20," he said.

Chawla was confident that the pitches in the West Indies would aid spin. "I have never played in the West Indies. But I have been told that the Caribbean wickets are quite similar to the Indian ones. So, I am quite keen on bowling there. I have had a good domestic seasons but my IPL form will give me the required boost and confidence," he said.

Chawla was excited by the prospect of playing a support role to first-choice spinner Harbhajan Singh during the tournament. "I have had the opportunity of bowling with Harbhajan Singh on several occasions. I remember bowling alongside him in Australia in 2008. I was selected with Bhajji paaji when we won the first World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007, but unfortunately got injured. I hope the combination can work for India."

The World Twenty20 begins five days after the finals of the IPL, raising the issue of fatigue, but Chawla believed that it would not be a problem. "I don't think so [that fatigue will have an impact]. Our top players like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan are in top form so I think this will help them in the West Indies because we won't have to start from the scratch. Also we have had closer look at our opposition players, so it will help us in a big way," Chawla said.

Bangalore aim to ward off Deccan threat

Match facts

Deccan v Bangalore, Nagpur
Monday, April 12
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)

	Anil Kumble has been magnificent with the ball and has led from the front. © Associated Press
Related Links Matches: Deccan Chargers v Royal Challengers Bangalore at Nagpur Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Deccan Chargers | India | Royal Challengers Bangalore

Big Picture

Deccan Chargers refuse to fade away. Just when you thought they were slipping away, they bounced back with a win. Just when you thought they were over-reliant on big names, T Suman led from front. Just when you thought they were really poor while bowling in the end overs, they produced a near-perfect end game against Chennai Super Kings.

The clarity over each player's role, so well defined during last year's winning campaign, is gradually coming to the fore. Andrew Symonds is the finisher, Rohit Sharma the engine of the batting, Suman provides the momentum and Monish Mishra the much-needed blast at the top.

Deccan will hope Adam Gilchrist fires in the upcoming pressure games. It isn't as if he has looked out of touch, but he has rarely converted any of his starts. The bowling, despite their good showing against Chennai, has not looked completely reliable.

Things won't be as easy against Royal Challengers Bangalore, as was the case with Chennai. Bangalore, too, were appearing to lose the plot after they lost four out of five games, but roared back with a commanding performance against Kolkata Knight Riders.

After Rahul Dravid joined the form men with a delightful fifty in that match, Bangalore's batting looks solid. The bowling has been iffy; they conceded 180-plus totals in the three consecutive games before improving against Kolkata, keeping them to 160. Despite that performance, the bowling will remain a headache and Deccan have the batting firepower, on their day, to take full toll.

If Bangalore win on Monday, they will move a step closer to qualifying for the semi-finals with 14 points and two games to play. Deccan are currently placed seventh, and are in a tougher situation with a poor net run-rate of -0.539. If they win, though, they will be level on points with three other teams and climb, depending upon the margin of victory, at least two places up.

Form guide (most recent first)

Bangalore Royal Challengers WLLWL
Deccan Chargers WWLLL

Team talk

Who will partner Jacques Kallis in the opening slot? Sridharan Sriram, who can slip in couple of overs, or will Bangalore return to Manish Pandey?

Deccan seem a settled unit, finally, on the batting front, but the bowling remains a problem area. It says a lot about RP Singh's skills on flat tracks when Symonds looks a much better option to complete the quota of four overs. The bright spot for Deccan in their bowling has been Ryan Harris, who, chosen over Chaminda Vaas, was the Man of the Match in the last game.

Previously

Deccan 3, Chennai 2
In the previous game between the teams, Suman played a responsible hand to steer Deccan to a seven-wicket win at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

In the spotlight

Anil Kumble has been a treat to watch. The two-fingered googlies have worked like a charm and he has shown mastery in varying his pace. He has never been shy to take on the toughest batsmen and continues to be Bangalore's best bowler.

Andrew Symonds may not have been at his brutal best, be but he is playing his role to perfection. In the last few games, he has showcased his great skill of knowing exactly when to play the big shot and has backed his instincts.

Prime numbers

• With 61 fours, Jacques Kallis is way ahead of Andrew Symonds (27 fours), the nearest competitor from the opposition. With 21 sixes, Robin Uthappa has six more than Adam Gilchrist, the man with the most sixes for Deccan.

• Uthappa's 179.74 is the best strike-rate among those who have scored 200 or more in this IPL.

• Both Vinay Kumar (4 for 40) and Anil Kumble (3 for 9) feature in the list of the top five bowling figures in an innings. There is no one from Deccan in the top ten..

The chatter

"We're still in the mix now. We are improving our performances though I wouldn't say we are at our best. If we can secure some wins by not playing at our best, it's a good sign."
Adam Gilchrist, after the win against Chennai

"The balance and depth of our side can be judged by the fact that someone like Kevin Pietersen has to sit out. But that's how it is. You can only play four foreigners and rightly so. This is the Indian Premier League.
Rahul Dravid speaks his mind

Sriram Veera is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Delhi crumble on crumbling Kotla pitch

Kings XI Punjab 112 for 3 (Jayawardene 38, Collingwood 2-19) beat Delhi Daredevils 111 (Irfan 3-24, Chawla 2-16) by seven wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Piyush Chawla was Man of the Match for his terrific spell © Indian Premier League
Related Links Players/Officials: Piyush Chawla | Irfan Pathan Matches: Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab at Delhi Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Delhi Daredevils | India | Kings XI Punjab

If the batsmen were looking for trouble, boy, they came to the right place. The Feroz Shah Kotla track was back to its Champions League shenanigans, and Kings XI Punjab, having seen Delhi Daredevils fail to read its nature soon enough, kept their heads in what seemed a meagre chase on paper, also keeping alive their remotest of outside chance to make it to the semis. Only 21 boundaries were hit in 38.2 overs on a pitch that offered variable bounce and appreciable turn right from the first ball, and whose slowness made it hard to time shots.

The Punjab bowlers were smart and accurate, two of Delhi's big three were consumed by silly running, the others collapsed, and hence the below-par total. While Punjab were sensible in the chase, they couldn't create a comfortable gap between their run rate and the required rate until Yuvraj Singh hit a four and a six in the 14th over.

The nature of the pitch was not so apparent in the first four overs of the afternoon. Delhi had got off to another flier when madness struck: Gautam Gambhir and David Warner were run out within three balls of each other, and only 69 runs came in 15.5 overs after that. The spinners bowled 12 overs between them for 55 runs - four of them inside the Powerplay, and Juan Theron, the specialist pace bowler, was used only for two overs, that too at the death.

Match Meter DD Gambhir's dream start: Delhi's captain follows up Sehwag's wicket with five crunchy boundaries in only 12 balls to take Delhi to 39 for 1 in just 3.4 overs. KXIP Gambhir, Warner are run out: Within three deliveries, Gambhir is sold down the river by Warner, and Warner gets the treatment from Collingwood, and 39 for 1 becomes 41 for 3. KXIP Karthik holes out: With all big guns gone, Karthik, a good player of spin, is Delhi's big hope, but he holes out in the 14th over, for a 35-ball 17. KXIP DD Jayawardene leaves the task unfinished: Jayawardene carries on with his golden run, scoring at more than a run a ball, but falls in the 11th over, with 47 still required. The next two overs yield just six. KXIP Yuvraj hits Bhatia around: With 41 required off 42, Yuvraj hits Bhatia for a four and a six in a 14-run 14th over, and after that the equation is manageable. Advantage Honours even

Even after Virender Sehwag's dismissal to the first ball he faced, Punjab would have been disappointed with the first 3.4 overs: without hitting even one shot in the air, Delhi raced away to 39, including two sets of five wides. The next delivery, though, Gambhir cut straight to short third man, was called for a single by Warner, and then sent back with no chance to get in. Either way there would have been a run-out: there was no single available. Two balls later, Warner played a similar shot, and Paul Collingwood responded in similar manner.

From there on, Punjab spinners employed a vicious vice grip on the batsmen: only two boundaries came in the rest of the innings. Following Powar's opening act, Piyush Chawla feasted. Collingwood's lbw wasn't as bad as it looked; it was worse. He sat back and intended to read Chawla off the pitch, and was caught dead plumb to a straight topspinner. Daniel Vettori was defeated by a perfect Chawla googly. Thirty-nine for 1 in 3.3 had become 58 for 4 in 10 overs, and it was down to Dinesh Karthik to take Delhi to a fighting total.

Karthik tried various tricks to get quick runs, sweeps, reverse-sweeps, moving in the crease, but could never get away. When he tried to force the pace off the coming-back Irfan Pathan, he holed out to long-on, for 17 off 35. Mithun Manhas, Delhi's middle-order mainstay for years in Ranji Trophy, played sensibly after that, and managed to go at about run a ball for his 26, an effort that took Delhi beyond 100.

Mahela Jayawardene walked out to open with Irfan, sent presumably to get some quick runs, but it was the classier batsman who made sure Punjab didn't crumble in the chase. While Irfan holed out to deep midwicket, Jayawardene kept playing the orthodox shots and scored at a run a ball, which was better than the rate required.

In the fourth over of the chase, he scored a lovely inside-out boundary and followed it up with the first six of the match, a clean strike over long-on. Still even Jayawardene found it difficult to time the ball, a few of his attempted big shots ended up inside the infield, and on this pitch a collapse couldn't have been too many corners away.

When Jayawardene fell at the end of the 11th over, for a 35-ball 38, he had left Punjab 47 to get off 54, which soon became 41 off 42. In the 14th over, though, Yuvraj managed two clean hits in quick succession, a cluster by the standards of this match. He guided Rajat Bhatia past short fine, followed by a heaved six over midwicket. After that the equation was manageable, and the late hiccup through Kumar Sangakkara's wicket only teased Delhi for having over-aimed during their innings.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

Dominant Tendulkar boosts Mumbai

Mumbai Indians 174 for 5 (Tendulkar 89*, Watson 3-37) beat Rajasthan Royals 137 for 8 (Dole 30, Zaheer 2-17) by 37 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

	Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 89 was the defining feature of Mumbai's comprehensive win © Indian Premier League
Related Links Players/Officials: Jean-Paul Duminy | Kieron Pollard | Sachin Tendulkar Matches: Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians at Jaipur Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: India | Mumbai Indians | Rajasthan Royals

Sachin Tendulkar shored up Mumbai Indians yet again with his fifth half-century of the IPL that all but guaranteed them a place in the semi-final and took him to the top of the run-charts in the tournament. He overcame Rajasthan Royals' strong start by building two partnerships: the first with JP Duminy to lead Mumbai's recovery after the loss of three early wickets, and the second with Kieron Pollard to accelerate at the end. That effort was backed up by a clinical performance from Mumbai's bowlers, which left Rajasthan battling in a mid-table scrap at fourth place, and inflicted on them their first defeat in Jaipur.

While their chase seemed doomed to fail after four wickets in the first seven overs, Rajasthan will look back at two phases where Mumbai could have been restricted. They grabbed three wickets in the Powerplay, but failed to keep up the pressure during a rebuilding endeavour by Tendulkar and Duminy. And they performed poorly in the field, with Adam Voges missing an easy opportunity to run out Pollard off his first ball, and Aditya Dole dropping a sitter off Tendulkar when on 45. The lapses cost Rajasthan dearly, as the pair helped plunder 68 off the last five overs to lift Mumbai to a score that proved out of Rajasthan's reach.

Tendulkar faced just 12 deliveries in Mumbai's Powerplay, but adapted superbly, restraining himself while ensuring a healthy rate after the early setbacks, and taking off with ease at the death against Rajasthan's seamers. Shane Watson removed Sanath Jayasuriya in his first over, and followed up by dismissing Ambati Rayudu and Saurabh Tiwary with the bouncer, a weapon used successfully against local batsmen. But Duminy proved a suitable foil for Tendulkar, and the pair worked the field, picked the singles by calling well and accumulated 30 runs in five overs after the Powerplay.

Match Meter RR Watson's triple-strike: Watson snares Jayasuriya, and bounces out Rayudu and Tiwary to leave Mumbai at 30 for 3 in the fourth over. RR MI Tendulkar steps up: Tendulkar smacks Warne for three fours in the 12th over and, with Duminy, leads Mumbai's recovery. MI Missed chances: Voges fails to run Pollard out in the 13th over, and Dole drops a sitter off Tendulkar in the 15th; the lapses cost Rajasthan dearly. MI Tendulkar boosts Mumbai: Mumbai score 68 off the last five overs, and Tendulkar snatches 20 off the final over to lift Mumbai to 174. MI The early collapse: Lumb goes in the first over, and Ojha and Watson follow in the third as Rajasthan falter badly in their chase. MI The final nail: No miracles from Yusuf this time, as he's dismissed for 10 in the 14th over and Rajasthan's fate is sealed. Advantage Honours even

There was hardly anything for the Jaipur crowd to cheer thereafter, but franchise loyalties mattered little in a Shane Warne v Tendulkar contest that fans were deprived of in the previous encounter. Tendulkar prevailed today, with three boundaries in one over against his counterpart. Warne was the only Rajasthan spinner to rely on flight, and Tendulkar improvised twice by striking him inside-out through extra cover. And when Warne dropped one short, Tendulkar made room to cut him through point.

Rajasthan had a chance once they broke the 63-run stand between Duminy and Tendulkar in the 13th over, but paid the price for mistakes in the field and some indisciplined bowling at the death. The seamers often bowled too short and when varying their pace, pitched the ball on a length which Tendulkar and Pollard were able to feed off with ease. Pollard began the surge with a slapped four off Dole in the 16th over and clipping Watson through fine leg in the next. He singled out Dole for treatment, smashing him for a six and a four off consecutive deliveries before being bowled to end a 50-run stand.

Tendulkar's acceleration was more calculated. He had picked out his spots in the field and it didn't help Rajasthan that their bowlers gave him ample opportunity to find them. With a mid-on inside the circle in the penultimate over, Watson bowled short and was hammered over that fielder for two consecutive fours. When Siddharth Trivedi came on next, Tendulkar targeted the wide long-on region for two successive sixes and finished off with 20 in the final over.

The only moment of promise in Rajasthan's chase was when Michael Lumb struck Dhawal Kulkarni for two fours in the second over, before slashing one straight to point. Zaheer Khan was the best of the Mumbai bowlers, nipping the ball away from the batsmen and clocking in excess of 140 kph, and earned his reward when opener Naman Ojha edged to slip.

While Rajasthan were generous in the field, Mumbai didn't waste their chances and Shane Watson and Faiz Fazal were run out after responding late to calls from their partners. All hopes rested on Yusuf Pathan but there were no miracles this time, and when he was caught in the 14th over with the score on 85, Rajasthan's fate was sealed.

Siddhartha Talya is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo