No getting away from AB
Plays of the Day from the match between Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore
Abhishek Purohit
26-Apr-2015
Starc's first-ball ripper
Young Shreyas Iyer is the highest run-getter for Delhi Daredevils this season, but he could do nothing about the ripper Mitchell Starc served up to him first ball. Full, fast, swinging in, beating him for pace and movement, and crashing into the pad. Umpire Marais Erasmus raised the finger right away. Replays suggested it may have optimistically been grazing leg stump, and probably missing it, but Iyer's game was over.
Young Shreyas Iyer is the highest run-getter for Delhi Daredevils this season, but he could do nothing about the ripper Mitchell Starc served up to him first ball. Full, fast, swinging in, beating him for pace and movement, and crashing into the pad. Umpire Marais Erasmus raised the finger right away. Replays suggested it may have optimistically been grazing leg stump, and probably missing it, but Iyer's game was over.
Jadhav's blows
Starc was to cause plenty more trouble for Daredevils on his way to 3 for 20. There were only three fours hit off him, and two came off Kedar Jadhav's bat. In the 15th over, Starc missed the yorker outside off and Jadhav lashed at the full delivery so hard Virat Kohli had no time to react at short extra cover as it sped past him. Starc missed the yorker again next ball - this was a full toss - and Jadhav neatly guided it to the square third man boundary.
Starc was to cause plenty more trouble for Daredevils on his way to 3 for 20. There were only three fours hit off him, and two came off Kedar Jadhav's bat. In the 15th over, Starc missed the yorker outside off and Jadhav lashed at the full delivery so hard Virat Kohli had no time to react at short extra cover as it sped past him. Starc missed the yorker again next ball - this was a full toss - and Jadhav neatly guided it to the square third man boundary.
De Villiers' direct hit
AB de Villiers had had little to do on the field apart from taking a dolly off Angelo Mathews. He ended the Daredevils innings in a manner true to his image as someone who can pull off almost anything on a cricket field. Domnic Joseph tapped one to point and ran. Seeing Chris Gayle getting to the ball, he stopped and turned. Gayle's throw missed. The backing-up fielder at midwicket let the ball slip through. Both batsmen ran this time. De Villiers reached the ball from long-on, and even from that distance, hit the stumps at the non-striker's end. Joseph was a long way out.
AB de Villiers had had little to do on the field apart from taking a dolly off Angelo Mathews. He ended the Daredevils innings in a manner true to his image as someone who can pull off almost anything on a cricket field. Domnic Joseph tapped one to point and ran. Seeing Chris Gayle getting to the ball, he stopped and turned. Gayle's throw missed. The backing-up fielder at midwicket let the ball slip through. Both batsmen ran this time. De Villiers reached the ball from long-on, and even from that distance, hit the stumps at the non-striker's end. Joseph was a long way out.
Kohli's versatility
Amit Mishra has shown conventional legspin can be successful in T20s but Virat Kohli displayed some superb skill against him in the seventh over of the chase. He first skipped out to a tossed up ball and drilled it with the spin through extra cover for four. Knowing that the next ball would probably be flatter, Kohli hung back in the crease. The ball was indeed flatter, but not short. Still Kohli treated it like one, whipping it with such power off the back foot he easily bisected deep midwicket and long-on.
Amit Mishra has shown conventional legspin can be successful in T20s but Virat Kohli displayed some superb skill against him in the seventh over of the chase. He first skipped out to a tossed up ball and drilled it with the spin through extra cover for four. Knowing that the next ball would probably be flatter, Kohli hung back in the crease. The ball was indeed flatter, but not short. Still Kohli treated it like one, whipping it with such power off the back foot he easily bisected deep midwicket and long-on.
Abhishek Purohit is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo