Bailey's luck, Ojha's redemption

In the fourth over of the match, RP Singh got a full ball to shape away from David Warner as he tried to carve it through covers. Both bowler and the wicketkeeper MS Dhoni went up instantly, and excitedly, in what was more a pre-emptive celebration than a caught-behind appeal. Virender Sharma pondered for half a second and then raised his finger. Warner walked off shaking his head, and replays weren't conclusive on whether he had edged the ball or not. There was a sound, but a fraction after the ball had passed bat.

In the fifth over of the Rising Pune Supergiants innings, George Bailey stepped out of his crease to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who bowled a back-of-a-length delivery in response. It swung away and bounced a touch more than Bailey expected, opening him up and prompting lengthy, hoarse, agonising appeals from Bhuvneshwar and Naman Ojha, the wicketkeeper. Virender pondered again, and stayed unmoved. This time, replays showed a clear nick, as did Ultra Edge - which, for some reason, the broadcaster had not summoned up after the Warner dismissal.

Bailey was still at the crease, batting on 30, at the start of the 11th over. When he came on strike, he steered Barinder Sran towards backward point and set off from his crease. Yuvraj Singh made a sprawling stop, and got on his feet quickly to fire a throw at the bowler's end. Bailey was well short when Sran bent to collect the ball, close to the top of the stumps, but the bowler fumbled, and the twice-lucky Bailey scrambled home.

In the over immediately after that run-out chance, R Ashwin went on the back foot to cut a shortish ball from Moises Henriques. It was a slower ball, however, and it died on Ashwin as it approached his flashing blade, and took his bottom edge. It bounced through for what should have been a simple stop by the wicketkeeper, but Ojha, failing to sink down in time, allowed it to roll away between his legs for a four.

Ojha's wicketkeeping isn't exactly easy on the eye. He doesn't crouch particularly low as the bowlers run in, is often slow in getting down to low chances, and tends to take the ball chest-on, with his gloves in front of his body, rather than use the Ian-Healy-approved method of taking the ball by his side, allowing it a bit more 'give'. Nonetheless he has shown that he is capable of eye-catching athleticism.

When Ashwin tickled Sran off his legs in the 14th over, he must have expected an easy boundary. The wicketkeeper had a lot of work to do and short fine leg had no chance. Ojha swooped to his left, and the palm of his gloves was pointing towards the ground as he dived, with the ball dying quickly on him. He caught the ball a couple of inches off the turf, and turned his wrist smartly to make sure he landed on the back of his glove.

Supergiants needed six to win and four to tie off the last ball of the innings when Adam Zampa walked in. He slashed at a full, wide ball from Ashish Nehra, and got a thick edge that flew quickly, low to Ojha's right. Once again, he threw himself horizontally, and ended up sprawled on the turf, with the ball lodged in his outstretched glove and a big smile on his face.