Tewatia's reaction and Maxwell's intervention
Plays of the Day from the match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab
Abhishek Purohit
21-Apr-2015
The relief after punishment
Young offspinner Shivam Sharma had been drafted in for his first game of the season. Shane Watson had taken him apart in his first over, which went for 19 and included four successive boundaries. Brought back a few overs later, Shivam had already leaked 13 when Deepak Hooda decided to play a delicate sweep to a delivery flighted from round the stumps. The ball dipped, pitched just beside the bat and went on to rattle leg stump.
Young offspinner Shivam Sharma had been drafted in for his first game of the season. Shane Watson had taken him apart in his first over, which went for 19 and included four successive boundaries. Brought back a few overs later, Shivam had already leaked 13 when Deepak Hooda decided to play a delicate sweep to a delivery flighted from round the stumps. The ball dipped, pitched just beside the bat and went on to rattle leg stump.
The high and the low
Steven Smith arrived in the 16th over with Rajasthan Royals a good shot of clearing 200. He received a long hop first ball from Axar Patel. Smith duly opened his stance and pulled hard. The sound of bat on ball suggested a mighty connection. So did the manner in which the ball went soaring. All of that turned out to be deceptive, as Glenn Maxwell took it at the deep midwicket boundary.
Steven Smith arrived in the 16th over with Rajasthan Royals a good shot of clearing 200. He received a long hop first ball from Axar Patel. Smith duly opened his stance and pulled hard. The sound of bat on ball suggested a mighty connection. So did the manner in which the ball went soaring. All of that turned out to be deceptive, as Glenn Maxwell took it at the deep midwicket boundary.
The intervention
Maxwell was to deal another big blow to Royals. The famous finisher James Faulkner was in with two overs to go. He swung Sandeep Sharma powerfully down the ground, and seemed to have fetched his first six when Maxwell decided to intervene. He jumped high at long-on and came down with the ball safely in his hands.
Maxwell was to deal another big blow to Royals. The famous finisher James Faulkner was in with two overs to go. He swung Sandeep Sharma powerfully down the ground, and seemed to have fetched his first six when Maxwell decided to intervene. He jumped high at long-on and came down with the ball safely in his hands.
The presence of mind
Shaun Marsh got a long hop from Rahul Tewatia but ended up mis-hitting it straight back to the legspinner. Not only did Tewatia stop it cleanly on the bounce, he also noticed that M Vijay had backed up too far, and calmly popped the ball backwards to disturb the non-striker's stumps.
Shaun Marsh got a long hop from Rahul Tewatia but ended up mis-hitting it straight back to the legspinner. Not only did Tewatia stop it cleanly on the bounce, he also noticed that M Vijay had backed up too far, and calmly popped the ball backwards to disturb the non-striker's stumps.
Abhishek Purohit is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo