'Sehwag's absence a big loss'

Admitting that losing captain Virender Sehwag is a big blow for the struggling Delhi Daredevils, coach Greg Shipperd said they face an uphill task as they take on a formidable Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match on Thursday.

While Delhi struggled for a major part of the tournament, whatever little they achieved was due to Sehwag's brilliance, and the big-hitting opener's absence would surely be felt.

"Viru's absence will be a huge loss for us as he is the holder of Orange cap. He fired in each of the matches that we won. He would be missed both as a captain and a key player," said Shipperd in a pre-match media conference on Wednesday.

"It is going to be a very tough assignment for us to beat the Super Kings in their home ground. We know that they have got special skills in all three departments of the game. It would be tough for us to raise our game and play best cricket against a side, which is in great form at the moment. They will surely pose a big threat to us," he added.

The former Aussie player, however, said that James Hopes, who has been appointed captain after Sehwag suffered a shoulder injury for which he is set to undergo surgery in London, was an experienced campaigner.

"James Hopes is the new captain and he is an experienced campaigner. Behind the scenes we do not have a captain but we have a range of people who have been given leadership opportunities in making sure that we move as a squad. Hopes has got lot of experience. His determination and abilities could help us finish the tournament as well as we can."

He also said that the team still have plenty of options to choose from. "We have plenty of options. Next three games are very important for us. And we will have to figure out which players can handle the pressure well and accordingly be included in the side," said Shipperd.

Insisting that first six overs in a match would be crucial, irrespective of whether the Daredevils bat or bowl, Shipperd said it was important to lay a strong foundation.

"We must be able to lay a strong foundation whether it be with the bat or ball in the first six overs. This is an area where we have been lagging, particularly with the bat. We had difficulties with the bat against Mumbai Indians the other day but the team could still manage to register nearly 150 runs. "We have been a quite reactive team but we need to be proactive in the next three games," he said.

© PTI

Lehmann lashes out at Deccan batsmen

Deccan Chargers' coach Darren Lehmann on Tuesday lashed out at his side's batsmen for "irresponsible" batting in his side's six-wicket defeat to Pune Warriors in their Indian Premier League match.

Lehmann admitted that his team was completely outplayed by the visitors in all aspects of the game.

"Batting was poor, irresponsible. We were none for 50 in six overs and we could have got 150-160. All the credit should be given to Pune, they bowled reasonably well. We played some silly shots in the middle and players of calibre should not have played like that," said Lehmann.

Deccan openers Shikhar Dhawan and Ravi Teja had raised a half-century stand in six overs to set the tone for a competitive total.

But clever bowling coupled with some mindless batting by the home side batsmen helped the Warriors fight back into the match as Mitchell Marsh produced a clinical performance with the ball to restrict Deccan to 136 for eight.

Lehmann also hinted at some major changes in the side for the remaining matches.

"Change of team gives some other guys a chance. We will obviously change the team. We are out of the competition and we will change the team to give the others a chance.

"They are training very hard behind the scenes. At the end of the day, you have got to pick the best team but we will give chances to the other guys as well," he said.

© PTI

Gayle entry has changed RCB's fortunes: Vettori

Having registered five wins on the trot with Chris Gayle playing a significant role in their success, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori acknowledged that the explosive West Indian batsman's entry into the team has completely changed their fortunes.

"We had started badly, losing three opening games but with Gayle coming in and his opening partnerships with (Tillakaratne) Dilshan, we have been able to put pressure on the opposition. Gayle has been in tremendous form and has bowled well too," said Vettori at the match-eve press conference.

Gayle had destroyed rival bowling attacks with utter disdain with his power-hitting on more than one occasion in the tournament. He has helped the team post big scores. But Vettori disagreed that has shielded the bowlers.

"We had them (Kochi) out for 120 and the bowlers were tested in that match. In fact, they are tested in every match because of shorter boundaries and flat wickets."

Defending Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, whose performance has been below par in IPL 4 so far, the Bangalore skipper said "he bowls economically in the last overs".

"He is a key bowler for us and swung the match for us against Pune Warriors. He bowls economically in the last overs and he and I bear the brunt of the attack."

On his team's chances of reaching the play-offs, Vettori said RCB could reach the knock-out stage but need to improve their fielding.

"With four games remaining, three victories can push us to top two. The current form is satisfying but we need to improve on our fielding. It was fielding which had cost us the few initial matches but with our batting and bowling coming good the confidence has trickled down to fielding too, which has improved," said Vettori.

Speaking about their next match against Rajasthan, Vettori said: "It is an important match and we need to win against Rajasthan Royals to consolidate our position."

© PTI

Dilshan to leave IPL later than expected

Newly appointed Sri Lankan skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was reportedly considering leaving the Indian Premier League on Tuesday to join the England-bound national team, will play in Royal Challenger Bangalore's match against Rajasthan Royals here on Wednesday.

Dilshan was reportedly keen to travel to England early to be there before the first tour game on May 14 to create a bond with the team as some of the senior players are joining late, but RCB captain Daniel Vettori on Tuesday said the Sri Lankan opener would take the field tomorrow against Rajasthan Royals.

"I thought he is leaving before this match (for the Sri Lanka's tour of England later this month) but he would be available for tomorrow's match so any question of replacing him does not arise," Vettori said.

Sri Lanka Cricket last month allowed seven players from the 16-member squad to arrive in England before May 19, the day their second warm-up game, against England Lions, starts.

Sri Lanka Cricket had earlier asked the players to return on May 5 in order to prepare for the England tour but after talks between the BCCI and SLC it was agreed that they can leave IPL by May 18.

© PTI

It's probably the toughest day of my career: Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly, who announced his return to the Indian Premier League with a gutsy unbeaten 32 in Pune Warriors' win over Deccan Chargers, said it was the toughest day of his career and he came into the match with zero-confidence.

The former India captain was the cynosure of all eyes on Tuesday as he scored a gutsy run-a-ball 32 not out laced with a six and three boundaries to help Warriors beat Chargers by six wickets at Rajiv Gandhi stadium at Uppal here.

"I said it's probably the toughest day of my career. I have not picked a cricket bat for five months. I came into this game with zero-confidence," said Ganguly after the match.

Ganguly carried forward the good work done by the openers Jesse Ryder (35) and Manish Pandey (49) as the veteran left-hander helped the Warriors chase down the modest target of 137 runs with 10 balls to spare by holding one end as three wickets fell on the other side.

"It feels good (to score some runs). I haven't played for a long time and needed some hits in the middle. It's about anticipating which I haven't done for a while," he added.

The 38-year-old experienced campaigner proved a point or two to those who ignored him during IPL auction in January in the match that generated interests among cricket fans in anticipation of his comeback in the lucrative Twenty20 league.

Ganguly said he was not ready for the game against Mumbai Indians on May 4 after Warriors roped him in as a replacement for injured Ashish Nehra.

"I wasn't ready for the game on May 4th against Mumbai. I missed the game against Mohali also as I wanted to be get ready."

© PTI

BCCI clarifies pitch row

Stung by Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne's scathing attack on changing the pitch for their home match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday sought to put a lid on the controversy, saying selecting the playing surface is the prerogative of the curator and the teams have no choice in the matter.

A last-minute change of track at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur for the Rajasthan Royals' match against the Chennai Super Kings triggered off a controversy, with a livid Warne slamming the decision as "ridiculous" and saying that host teams have the right to extract the best out of home conditions.

Warne had expressed his displeasure at the post-match media conference on Monday, stating that never in these four years were they instructed on which surface to use. The Royals have always preferred a slowish track compared to the one that was selected by curator Venkat Sundaram.

The BCCI tried to douse the fire later in the day, as fingers were being pointed at CSK, which is owned by India Cements supremo and BCCI secretary N Srinivasan using their clout to influence the curator's decision.

IPL chairman Chirayu Amin issued a statement, saying it is the curator, in consultation with the BCCI's Ground and Pitches Committee, who decides the playing surface and there is nothing sinister about the change of pitch at Jaipur.

"The BCCI would like to confirm that its Ground and Pitches Committee sent recommendations for ground and pitch preparation to all host associations before the start of the IPL season. Included in the same was the advice that 'the pitches should have good pace and consistent bounce," the statement said.

"The committee members have visited a number of the IPL venues both before and, where necessary, during the season, and made appropriate recommendations, the priority being to ensure competitive and quality cricket," it said.

Amin, in his statement, also rubbished the concept that the home team is allowed to take a call on the playing strip.

"Neither of the playing teams has a choice of the wicket, on which to play the game. It is the curator, in consultation with the Ground and Pitches Committee Chairman, who prepares the wickets," he said.

"The BCCI wishes to clarify that the wicket used in the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, played at Jaipur on 9th May 2011, was as per the decision of the curator and the Ground and Pitches Committee. This decision was taken in the best interests of the game."

The statement also included a statement made by the chairman of BCCI's Grounds and Pitches committee, Venkat Sundaram.

"The IPL is being played at the end of the Indian domestic season, and after the World Cup. Therefore, the main pitches are bound to have wear-and-tear. The extreme heat prevailing all over the country has also taken its toll."

"Hence, it becomes necessary to change the pitches in some cases, as good playing conditions will result in good cricket," Sundaram stated.

RCA secretary Sanjay Dixit, who had hit out at the Mumbai Indians for criticising the pitch, on Tuesday said there was nothing wrong in the new strip used in Monday's IPL match between Rajasthan and Chennai.

Dixit said he was not aware in what context the Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne had made comments wondering how the pitch was ordered to be changed at a short notice.

"I should clarify that we abide by BCCI rules which are clear that it not in the purview of the host team to decide the strip to be played. The BCCI has also sent his guidelines regarding the controversy," Dixit said.

"I am not aware of Shane Warne's comments and what was the practice early on but now the pitch inspector and the curator have decide to new strip and we had to abide with them," he said.

Some of the franchise owners have been vocal about how CSK has allegedly "flouting norms". Sources in the Chennai camp defended the decision, saying, "It was purely a BCCI decision to change the pitch and they had no say in it."

Earlier, during the auctions this year, some of the franchises complained that the sequence of the players' auction was planned at the behest of Srinivasan, which allowed CSK to retain some of the players who came up for auction late and by the time other teams had exhausted their purse.

Rajasthan lost by 63 runs to Chennai on Monday night, playing on the new surface and Warne was livid with the change.

"In the past four years we have never been told to play on any particular wicket. It is ridiculous to have instructions for pitch," Warne fumed.

Asked if these instructions meant losing the home advantage to some extent, Warne retorted, "I have no idea from where the instructions came. But never before there have been such things going on. It is right of every team to extract best out of home conditions.

"The wickets for earlier matches were fantastic. If you had been watching earlier matches here you can make out easily that today's wicket was different. It has come as a shock and surprise that we were being instructed to play on certain kind of wicket," he said.

Though he did not blame anybody in particular, Warne was indirectly referring to the unofficial complaint that was lodged by Mumbai Indians after they were restricted to 94 for eight on a slow track.

"I don't want that there should be headings tomorrow that Shane Warne blames the pitch because it was same for both teams and I concede that we were outplayed. We were up against a side which was pumped and eager to win," he added.

Marsh brothers catch the eye in IPL

Shaun Marsh hit 43 and Bhargav Bhatt bagged four wickets as bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab stunned table-toppers Mumbai Indians by 76 runs in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

In another match, Shaun's younger brother, Mitchell, took four wickets and Sourav Ganguly hit an unbeaten 32 on his comeback as Pune Warriors beat Deccan Chargers by six wickets.

Mumbai could never recover after losing three wickets for 27 runs and were bowled out for 87 in 12.5 overs chasing a 164-run target, with West Indies' Kieron Pollard top-scoring with 17 in a dismal batting show.

Seamer Praveen Kumar did the early damage when he took two of the first three wickets, including that of skipper Sachin Tendulkar (six). Left-arm spinner Bhatt finished with 4-22, including three wickets in one over.

Australians Shaun Marsh and Adam Gilchrist (28), and Dinesh Karthik (31) helped Punjab post a competitive total despite a five-wicket haul by seamer Munaf Patel (5-21).

Marsh, who put on 70 for the second wicket with skipper Gilchrist, hit five fours in his 34-ball knock before falling to a superb diving catch by Pollard in the deep off Patel.

Mumbai, who had already made sure of a place in the semi-finals, still lead with 16 points.

They are followed by Chennai (14), Kolkata (14), Bangalore (13), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Pune (eight), Delhi (eight), Punjab (eight) and Deccan (six).

Paceman Mitchell Marsh, 19, earlier finished with 4-25 as Pune restricted Deccan to 136-8 before achieving the target with 10 balls to spare.

Former India captain Ganguly, who went unsold at the player auction before being signed up by Pune as a replacement for injured seamer Ashish Nehra, looked impressive during his 32-ball knock, hitting one six and three fours.

Opener Manish Pandey top-scored for Pune with 49, while New Zealander Jesse Ryder smashed a 20-ball 35 with the help of two sixes and five fours.

Marsh, son of former Australian opener Geoff Marsh, and left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh (2-17) were instrumental in restricting Deccan.

Deccan made a strong start after electing to bat when Ravi Teja (30) and Shikhar Dhawan (24) put on 51 for the opening wicket.

Marsh got a wicket in his opening over when he bowled Teja before dismissing South African JP Duminy (30), Sunny Sohal and Amit Mishra in his last over.

Brief scores:

Deccan Chargers 136-8 in 20 overs (JP Duminy 30, R. Teja 30, S. Dhawan 24; M. Marsh 4-25, Yuvraj Singh 2-17) lost to Pune Warriors 137-4 in 18.2 overs (M. Pandey 49, J. Ryder 35, S. Ganguly 32 not out; D. Christian 2-21) by six wickets.

Kings XI Punjab 163-8 in 20 overs (S. Marsh 43, D. Karthik 31, A. Gilchrist 28; M. Patel 5-21, L. Malinga 2-24) beat Mumbai Indians 87 in 12.5 overs (B. Bhatt 4-22, P. Kumar 2-19) by 76 runs.

© AFP

Commonwealth Games to push for Twenty20 cricket inclusion

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is to approach the International Cricket Council (ICC) again to push for Twenty20 cricket's inclusion in future Games, the CGF said on Tuesday.

"It is fundamental that our sports programme continues to evolve in such a way as to sustain the Commonwealth Games as one of the world's leading multi-sport events," CGF sports review committee chairman Tunku Imran said in a statement.

"Given cricket's strong association with the Commonwealth, the CGF will have further dialogue with the ICC as to the possibility of 20/20 cricket being included as an option for future editions of the Games," the CGF vice-president said.

Organisers of last year's Delhi Commonwealth Games were keen to include Twenty20 cricket but the powerful Indian cricket board rejected the idea, saying it did not want to further encourage this format of the game.

India had sent a second-string squad when cricket featured in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games.

The CGF said it would also ask its 71 member countries to vote on whether to include beach volleyball from the 2018 Games.

© Reuters

Rayudu, Badrinath likely to earn call-up for WI tour

Young Ambati Rayudu and veteran Subramanium Badrinath are two players who are likely to be rewarded with national call-ups for their good show in the ongoing IPL when the selectors meet in Chennai on Friday to decide on the ODI squad for the tour of West Indies.

Pune Warriors leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, who has had an astonishing economy rate of less than six through 10 matches, is likely to be another beneficiary.

It is still not clear as to how many seniors apart from Virender Sehwag, who will undergo shoulder surgery, will be rested for the shorter version.

Sachin Tendulkar, who nowadays only plays selective matches in the shorter version and veteran speedster Zaheer Khan may want to give their tired bodies much needed rest after a rigorous World Cup and an equally arduous IPL campaign.

Even skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is reportedly keen to take a break before the Test series in the Windies followed by an important two and half month long tour of England.

Whatever be the scenario, Rayudu who has so far scored 349 runs from 10 games with a strike rate of nearly 120 has a good chance to board the flight to Caribbean.

"His (Rayudu) wicketkeeping abilities is another advantage for him. With Robin Uthappa not doing well, Rayudu's case is even more stronger. Whether Dhoni takes rest or not, Rayudu can be considered a second 'keeper in shorter versions as Indian teams over the years have always had a second option while touring the Caribbean," a BCCI source said.

For Badrinath who had a fantastic Ranji season scoring a whopping 922 runs at an average of 131 followed it up with 294 runs in the IPL so far at a strike-rate of 135.

The talking point in the cricket fraternity has been how Badrinath who was known for his dogged approach has brought an attacking flair in his style of batting. He along with Michael Hussey has been one of the batting mainstays.

Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary who is also in good form this year having scored 277 runs is another candidate but he can be termed as 'dark horse'. Manoj's selection however depends on how many among the seniors back out for the ODI and T20 series.

Among the bowlers Praveen Kumar is an automatic choice and if Ashish Nehra fails to recover in time, Ishant Sharma will form the core of the pace trio that will also have Munaf Patel.

While off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin select themselves, it is unlikely that leggie Piyush Chawla will be able to retain his place. Chawla's show in the IPL has been as disappointing as was his World Cup campaign.

The lanky Punjab lad Rahul who has been a revelation is the favourite after his big-hearted show against superior batsmen. His economy rate of 5.16 over 10 matches has been brilliant to say the least.

If the selectors prefer a left-arm spinner then pint-sized Iqbal Abdulla will fight it out with experienced Pragyan Ojha.

While Ojha has been disappointing in the IPL, Abdulla has carried his good all-round form for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy into the IPL with 13 wickets at an economy of 6.10 runs per over.

© PTI

I am all for UDRS: Gambhir

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni might have expressed his displeasure over the Umpire Decision Review System on quite a few occasions but Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said that he is in favour of the use of technology as it can reduce human errors.

The UDRS, which received a mixed response during the World Cup, is not in use in the ongoing Indian Premier League, but Gambhir was of the view that if it was available there was no harm in using technology.

"These (UDRS) are part and parcel of the game. It is good to have UDRS when you don't get a plumb lbw. In tight games, if you have technology rather use it. I am all for UDRS," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference after KKR beat Deccan Chargers by 20 runs to zoom to the top of the team standings.

The KKR captain also lauded his teammates for putting up a professional performance against Deccan and hoped to carry on the winning momentum in the remaining matches of the Twenty20 tournament.

"I have always said that momentum is very important. When you have that momentum, you have to keep continuing to play well. It was a good overall performance. The batsmen scored 170 and the bowlers backed it up. I think it was good professional effort.

"We have to take each game at a time. The last six games are history now and we have to concentrate on the next game. As a professional cricketer, you have to keep thinking of each and every game and keep thinking as it is first game of the tournament," Gambhir said.

The left-hander also said that he was enjoying his stint as KKR captain.

"I always enjoyed my captaincy whether it is for India, whether it is for Delhi or this one. You end up taking responsibility, you end up learning a lot, you feel happy when you end up winning," Gambhir said.

"I always believed that there were never great captains and there will be no great captain. There are only great teams. No captain can win you the game. It is the team that wins the game. So far, I am enjoying my captaincy."

Gambhir also brushed aside any bad feeling between him and Deccan Chargers all-rounder Daniel Christian after the duo engaged in an altercation during the KKR innings on Tuesday.

"That's part and parcel of the game. When you are playing professional sport, it keeps happening. That's history now. If you are playing such competitive cricket, such things are bound to happen. It's fine, nothing too serious," he said.

Gambhir, who came in at the fall of Eoin Morgan's wicket in the sixth over, collided with Christian while going for single off the last delivery of the ninth over and no sooner had it happened, the duo engaged in a heated argument.

Both Gambhir and Christian came menacingly close to each other before Deccan skipper Kumar Sangakkara and the on-field umpires -- Sudhir Asnani and Rod Tucker -- intervened to separate the duo.

© PTI

Happy for Ganguly, says Dravid

Rahul Dravid welcomed long-time team-mate and fellow Test debutant Sourav Ganguly's entry to the IPL. Dravid and Ganguly had enjoyed a memorable debut with the latter getting to a century and Dravid walking for a snick when he was on 95 at Lord's, and Dravid said he was happy to see his old team-mate playing. "I am happy for him," Dravid said. "He has got the opportunity to play in the IPL like he wanted and I hope it goes well for him."

On the other hot topic in Indian cricket - the appointment of Duncan Fletcher as the new coach - Dravid welcomed the decision and looked forward to interacting with him.

"He obviously comes with a great record, having coached international teams and a lot of great international players also. So I am looking forward to catching up with him when I get the opportunity.

"I haven't had the chance to interact one on one with him at any stage. I will soon interact with him and see what his thoughts are and how we can take it forward," said Dravid at a pre-match conference ahead of Rajasthan Royals' clash against Chennai Super Kings.

Dravid is playing under an opponent he has had many battles with - most memorably in the unforgettable 2001 series between India and Australia - in Shane Warne for the Rajasthan Royals, and said he had "never dreamt" of playing along side the spin legend in the same team.

"I never dreamt it would happen. I never imagined. But that's the beauty of the IPL. It gives this opportunity to play with the guys you have really competed hard against.

"We have discussed (the 2001) series over a few times in the course of the last four weeks. Being together so much you know, we've discussed a lot of other series too. I really enjoy my time playing under Warne and I think he brings an infectious enthusiasm to our side.

"He sets very good fields, shows very good leadership. It's been fun, as I said it's the beauty of the IPL that you play with some guys you've had some fantastic battles with," he said.

Regarding tomorrow's clash, Dravid, whose team have won three successive matches, said, "If the law of averages catch up with us I hope they catch up with Chennai as well. They've also won three in a row. (But) it's good to have momentum, especially in Twenty20.

"We're coming into this game with a bit of momentum behind us and obviously when playing a team like Chennai, who are the defending champions, you want to have a bit of confidence behind you. I think we've had a good week, hopefully we can play some good cricket."

Dravid said he was comfortable with the Twenty20 format.

"I've always been at peace with this format. I think I was totally taken out of context. My comment was that if I was 20 or 21 year old, I would've looked at this format and realised there's a future in this format and this was something I needed to master.

"It's just that for lot of us this format came at a later stage. It was like 50 overs. When I was 20, 21 I knew that I'd have to well in 50 overs because it was going to play a significant part in my life.

"Any kid today who's 20, 21 has got to recognize the fact that T20 is going to be a significant part of his life whether he likes it or not. That was the basis of my comment. I don't know how it got misinterpreted. I always liked this format. I get to travel across the country, share the dressing room with great players. I also enjoy the fact that it seems to capture the imagination of the country for six weeks, which is nice for a domestic tournament to be able to do that," he stated.

© Cricbuzz (with inputs from agencies)

Sangakkara hints at changes in DC squad

The Deccan Chargers have put themselves in a situation that required them to win each of their remaining five matches and captain Kumar Sangakkara hinted that the playing eleven would be changed for their crucial match against Delhi Daredevils on Thursday.

Deccan are currently sitting in the seventh position on the points table and Sangakkara said "calculated and intelligent changes" are the need of the hour.

"Changes have to happen in the team at any stage, especially in a tournament like the IPL because you have to get certain kind of rhythm. At the same time, to break bad habits you cannot keep going with an unchanged side," he said.

"Sometimes, the induction of a new player might kick-start what we need. So changes at any time are necessary.

"We have been making changes in the team according to the opposition and the wicket. This is going to be no different but drastic changes is not the way to go about it. Calculated and intelligent changes are the way to go," Sangakkara added.

He also admitted that from here on every match is a do-or-die battle for Deccan.

"Yeah, we have our backs to the walls. We have to win all the matches that we play now," Sangakkara said.

The skipper added that though the team has competent players at its disposal, they have not been able to come up with a collective effort so far in the tournament. He said that irrespective of their position, the team needs to believe in themselves and play with confidence in their remaining matches.

"We are a good team. Unfortunately, we have not able to convert that into winning performances regularly on the ground. We have probably the best bowling attack in IPL when it comes to pace and spin. We also have some very good local and international batsmen," he said.

"The only area where we lacked is all-round overall performance on regular basis. In T20, mistakes on the field can turn games and I think these are the areas we need to work on."

© PTI

Jakati's catch the game changer: Warne

Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne said Shadab Jakati's stunning catch off his own bowling to dismiss Shane Watson turned the game in Chennai Super Kings' favour in their Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

Jakati produced a brilliant effort to put the breaks on Royal's scoring rate, which saw them score 81 runs for the opening wicket in just 10 overs.

"We actually bowled pretty well. It was a good wicket, it was a 160-175 wicket. I thought we could've got more, if Watson had stayed in there a couple of overs. Jakati's caught and bowled was probably the turning point of the game. It was a very good catch. He absolutely creamed it," Warne said after his team's eight-wicket defeat at the MA Chidambaram stadium.

"We know what Watson can do, and it was probably the game changer, but we still should've been good enough to have got 160-170," he added.

Warne expressed disappointed with what the team achieved despite getting a flying start.

"I thought we were 15 or 20 short, I said it at the toss. I said it was a 160-170 wicket. I thought we could make it up in the field but a couple of errors in the field, a couple of silly things. We gave away nine or ten runs in a couple of overs. 86-1 off 10 overs... we've got to make 160 for me. And that's run a ball. Run a ball is 150. I was disappointed."

The Royals captain, however, was all praise for Rahul Dravid, who played a fluent knock of 66.

"I think Rahul Dravid played beautifully. He's such a class player. I love playing with him. It's great to have him in the team, but fair play to Raina and Hussey."

"(We had) too many dot balls, the batsmen that came in, took too long to get in. I thought we let ourselves down (in the field). Fielding has always been one of our hallmarks."

Asked if he thought matches in Chennai should be played at night due to the extreme heat, Warne said "I would've thought you play the day games you can play in April here in Chennai and in May, maybe at night, wouldn't you? But we knew that before the tournament. The heat was the same for both teams and it didn't really play a part for any of the teams. No issue there whatsoever."

We've got a pretty tough run: Hussey

Despite registering their fifth straight win at home in the ongoing Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings batsman Michael Hussey did not agree that his side were the favourites.

Chennai rode on Hussey's swashbuckling 79 to beat Rajasthan Royals by eights wickets and record their fifth win at the MA Chidambaram stadium, and fourth on the trot in the tournament.

"No, I wouldn't say that. We gotta get a few more wins here before we can even get into the final. It's a pretty close and tight competition. And we've got a pretty tough run actually," Hussey said.

"We're away for three games I think. We have to continue to play a good brand of cricket, and hopefully, get enough wins to get into the final," he added after winning the Man-of-the-Match award.

Hussey agreed with Royals skipper Shane Warne that Shadab Jakati's caught and bowled effort to dismiss Shane Watson was the most crucial moment of the match.

"(I) definitely agree. They had a really good partnership going. They were scoring at will. Even Dravid was outscoring Watson but you know how damaging Watson can be. He can clear the boundaries even with the field back. That was an unbelievable catch really. He hit it very hard and (Jakati) had to hang on to that."

"And then the spinners went to work and made it difficult for the Rajasthan batters," Hussey said.

Asked what made CSK so formidable at home, Hussey thought it was the familiarity with conditions.

"I think we know the conditions quite well, we practice here all the time so we know how it gets harder as the 20 overs wears on. And it is tough to get used to the conditions when you come in for a one-off game. It can be tough to adapt. Probably that's why," he said.

Hussey was satisfied with the pitch and felt it was firmer than the last two tracks.

"I think it was an excellent pitch. It was probably a bit more firmer than the last two pitches we played on. Probably 160-170 is a good score. Having said that, the conditions were very oppressive and it's hard for the fielding team but it's also hard from a batting point of view if you have to run up and down the field a few time, it can drain you," he said.

About the team's spin attack, the Australian was all praise. "They have done a great job consistently for us. We know those conditions well, they've bowled well in those conditions. They really pulled us back into the game in the last two games. Both (DC and RR) got off to a fantastic start against us but they tied them down in the middle and picked up wickets. They are key to our team and that's why it's gonna be a real loss to lose (Suraj) Randiv during the Sri Lankan series."

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Don't know what is happening: Yuvraj

Yuvraj Singh has no clue what the reason is behind Pune Warriors' unending misery in the Indian Premier League as they suffered their seventh consecutive defeat and their hopes of making it to the play-offs are almost over.

Pune lost by 21 runs to Mumbai Indians and continue to be at the bottom of the points table.

The positives for Yuvraj from Wednesday's game was that he dismissed the in-form Mumbai skipper Sachin Tendulkar and the outstanding performance of leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, who gave away just seven runs in four overs and two wickets.

"I got Sachin out. That was great but unfortunately lost the game. I really don't know what's happening. I think we bowled decent enough. May be 10 runs extra but 160 was gettable," Yuvraj said after the match.

"We played too many dot balls. You need power hitters in the end to finish the game. Unfortunately we got too bogged down. We have nothing to lose now; so I am sure we will cut somebody (some team) out," Yuvraj added.

Mumbai have returned to the top of the points table but for Tendulkar the job is not yet complete.

"Ya, knocking at the door but the door hasn't opened yet. We would love to get in," he said when asked about their almost certain place in the play-offs.

Tendulkar said there was still room for improvement in his side and also praised Rahul, who was adjudged man of the match for his brilliant bowling.

"We could always do better. I thought Rahul Sharma bowled brilliantly. He has bowled a few good spells and this was one of them. Suman and Pollard batted well. If we go too hard, we can get out for 95 also. We have to decide based on the track," he said.

Tendulkar was satisfied that his move to promote Suman up the order, yielded desired result.

Suman played a fiery 16-ball 36 to lead the team's recovery after a not so good start.

"Suman batted really well. It wasn't wild slogging; it was clean hitting. I am happy that I took the decision to promote him ahead of Pollard and Symonds. We should continue to play like this, the rest will follow," Tendulkar said.

Man-of-the-Match Rahul is eyeing a berth in the national cricket team after putting up yet another good performance.

"I vary my pace and the bounce I extract is my key because of my height. The figures look good. it's difficult not to give seven runs in a over leave alone in four (overs)."

"I am happy. I have to continue to work hard - I have done well in the domestic cricket - and I want to turn out for India. God willing and with blessing of my parents and well-wishers I will get there," the tall leg-spinner, who plays for the Punjab Ranji team, said.

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Rival teams will take us more seriously: Mahela

Debutantes Kochi Tuskers Kerela roared back into the Indian Premier League with an upset victory over Mumbai Indians and skipper Mahela Jayawardene hoped the rivals team will take them more seriously now.

The Kochi tuskers chased down an imposing 182-2, set by Mumbai Indians, to open their account in the tournament and Jayawardene said it was a big win against the IPL 3 runners-up team.

"It was a good win. We were pretty close in the last two games. It is good to finish the game off and it is a big win against Mumbai Indians," the Sri Lankan told reporters after his team notched up their maiden eight-wicket victory.

"It (win) means a lot. All the guys are working really hard. We had an extra session at the nets after the loss against Pune, we showed a lot of character even in the games we had lost."

"We have to keep fighting till the last. I think the rival teams will take us a little more seriously now following this victory. It gives us confidence as well," he added.

Jayawardene said it was important to see off his Sri Lankan teammate Lasith Malinga who has been in rocking form in the Indian Premier League.

"We knew we had the talent, we had an extra batsman today. The wicket was wet, they had a few dangerous bowlers, we had to negotiate them. The start against Malinga was crucial.

They are really a very good team but we were better today," he said.

Asked about his dismissal by Malinga, Jayawardene said, "I knew what was coming. I knew how to play it but I missed it. It was a crucial moment of the match."

Asked if the negative reports about the Kochi outfit in the run-up to the IPL affect them, Jayawardene said, "I don't try to control things which I can't control, my only focus was to control the team."

On a lighter vein when asked about the bright colours of their jersey, Jayawardene said the team chose this colour as it stands out.

"I like the colour, it stands out. It brings out the best in you. We didn't have many options as most of the teams had chosen their colour, we went for the brightest. It suits Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and a lot of other guys in the team," he said.

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Fielding laspes cost us the match: Tendulkar

Fielding lapses, including a first-ball dropped catch off Brendon McCullum who smashed his way to 81, cost Mumbai Indians the match against IPL debutants Kochi Tuskers Kerala, said Sachin Tendulkar.

"They fielded better. In bowling and batting we matched each other, but in the fielding department they were better as they held on to whatever catches they got. We missed those opportunities. All we need to do is to make sure we don't repeat those mistakes," Tendulkar said after Kochi chased down Mumbai's imposing 182 for 2 with eight wickets and six balls to spare.

"When we started earlier we thought anywhere between 160-165 was a good total as the ball seamed around a bit initially and later on it was a good track to bat on."

"But I thought if we had hit the right areas in bowling - though at times we did manage it - and those important catches... McCullum was dropped 1st ball (by Rohit Sharma off Lasith Malinga). These things happen and that's why you say catches win matches," added the champion batsman, who hit his maiden IPL century, a 66-ball 100.

Tendulkar said the game was still alive when Malinga got rid off McCullum but a few fielding lapses saw the match slip through in the end.

"The game was very much alive. If Malinga could get McCullum out and put the pressure back on them it would have been wonderful. The first half we managed and was wonderful, but in the second half a few lapses in fielding cost us the match," he said.

"I thought we played competitive cricket in today's match but when it mattered we faltered in fielding. I would blame this only on fielding and nothing else," he added.

He also defended the move to bring on left arm spinner Ali Murtaza for the 19th over when Brad Hodge and Ravindra Jadeja were at the crease and the move proved costly as the bowler was slammed for two sixes and a four by Jadeja to power his side to a sensational maiden win.

"If you had seen the previous over, Brad Hodge had hit the fast bowler (Pollard) for boundaries. The idea was not to give him pace. Ali had really bowled well earlier. If we had more than ten runs to be scored in the last over, Munaf (Patel's) experience would have helped. That was the only reason Ali was brought in," he explained.

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Home conditions give us an edge: Fleming

The defeat at the hands of Kings XI Punjab the other day, notwithstanding, Chennai Super Kings, backed by a vociferous home crowd, would still hold an edge over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Saturday's Indian Premier League match, coach Stephen Fleming said on Friday.

After two consecutive wins, defending champions CSK slumped to a surprise six-wicket defeat against Kings XI Punjab in an away match.

But Fleming believes home support and their set of core players from previous IPLs, gives them an advantage over other teams in the ongoing Twenty20 event.

"We still have an edge tomorrow because we are playing at home. But we still have to be on top of our game, we have to be sharp and accurate in what we do," the former New Zealand captain told reporters on the eve of the match here.

"I said from the start that we have a small advantage because we have core players from the previous editions. But that advantage is slowly running out," Fleming added.

Although the disappointment of the loss against Kings XI is still fresh in his mind, Fleming said it was one man's show -- Paul Valthaty -- which made the difference.

Chasing a mammoth 188 for four, a little-known Kings XI batsman Valthaty spoiled CSK's party with a blistering 63-ball unbeaten 120 to see the Punjab side home.

"Disappointed to lose the last game but you have to give credit where it is due. The other night, we saw the unearthing of a talent Valthaty. It was an innings full of flair. The first six over of the match produced five runs an over but the remaining 14 went for 10 an over," the CSK coach said.

"IPL is a great advantage for young Indian players as they get the chance to share the dressing room with experienced international players. It was disappointing to be at the receiving end but it was a nice story, the type of fairytale story that IPL is made of.

"We will take 188 every day. We saw a great innings against the other day. When you make 180-190 consistently, you usually win more matches than you lose," Fleming added.

He said CSK has been bolstered by the return of Michael Hussey and Doug Bollinger.

"Hussey and Bollinger are great additions to our squad and it's good to have them back. It's nice to have options, and now we have the headache of selecting the right team," Fleming said.

The CSK coach also hinted that Hussey might play tomorrow against RCB.

"Hussey has a pretty good chance of playing. He has always been a keen member for us. We generally choose all-rounders because Albie is our star player. Usually we go in with three overseas bowling options because the quality of Indian batting gives us the option of doing that," he said.

Asked about the importance of toss in Saturday's game, he said, "In a night game, toss is probably not as vital. It's a pitch that's very hard to read. It has tended to be slow but suddenly it gets its pace back."

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Inexperience cost us against KKR: Warne

Inspirational Rajasthan Royals' captain Shane Warne on Friday blamed inexperience and bad luck responsible for his side's humiliating nine-wicket loss against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League here.

After two easy wins over Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan was mauled by Knight Riders at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

"We couldn't executive our plans and luck too was not in our favour. A few edges could have flown straight to fielders. A little inexperience, like Nayan Doshi running into the circle too cost us dearly," Warne told reporters after the match.

He said slow batting in the middle overs let the side down.

"We were bogged in the middle overs and perhaps landed 15 run short. But a score of 159 was at par with our expectations but I thought 15 more was possible," the former Australian leg-spinner said.

"Our plan was to get Watson and Taylor out there around the 12th over after laying down a decent base. But Watson got bogged down a bit," added Warne, who is also the coach of Rajasthan outfit.

Warne also defended his decision to pick Botha ahead of tearaway pacer Shaun Tait.

"Anybody can select a better team after the match but we had certain plans which did not come off today. This can happen in Twenty20 cricket," he insisted.

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Gilchrist's wicket is the key: Lehman

Deccan Chargers' coach Darren Lehmann is hoping that his former Australian teammate Adam Gilchrist doesn't fire on all cylinders when they face Kings XI Punjab in their Indian Premier League match on Saturday.

Gilchrist had captained the Chargers in the first three editions of the league, before being bought by the Punjab franchise early this year.

The former Australia wicketkeeper was also instrumental in guiding his team to the title in the second edition, held in South Africa.

"Obviously, he is a good player. One of the greats of the game. Hopefully he doesn't go off like he did for Deccan. We have to get him early because he can score at a good rate," coach Darren Lehmann said at a pre-match press conference.

Lehmann said that Gilchrist's previous stint as captain of the Chargers would not have any bearing on Saturday's game.

He, however, felt that his own skipper Kumar Sangakkara would know a lot about their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. The Sri Lankan had led Punjab in the last two editions.

Lehmann said that his team would not just focus on Gilchrist and that it has a plan for every player.

"We have a plan for the batsmen and the bowlers. But it all boils down to who executes the plans better on the day," he added.

He indicated that the team would go in with three seamers for the second consecutive game considering the conditions and the balance of the playing XI.

"It depends on the wicket and whom we are playing. We just felt that there was a better balance last night to go in with three quicks. Manpreet did a good job and Ishant Sharma bowled beautifully again. That was last night. I am not sure how I will go on Saturday. But, more or less, we will play three quicks again," he said.

Meanwhile, light showers in the afternoon forced the teams to cancel their scheduled practice.

© PTI