Punjab ride on Karthik assault

Kings XI Punjab beat the Kochi Tuskers Kerala by six wickets in a boundary-rich encounter at the IPL's newest venue, Indore, keeping their hopes of making the play-offs alive. Emphatic batting from Dinesh Karthik and Shaun Marsh, who put on a 111-run stand for the third-wicket, made the difference on a surface that was good for batting, in a stadium with short boundaries and a quick outfield.

Karthik and Marsh's bruising combination nullified the earlier efforts of Mahela Jayawardene. The Kochi captain had played a classy innings of 76 in which he alternated effortlessly between elegant flicks, casual lofted strokes and crunching blows to propel the Kochi ship to 178.

Karthik and Marsh weren't pushed into a shell by the early dismissals of Paul Valthaty and Adam Gilchrist. They took on the bowling and managed at least one boundary off every over they faced together. Some overs were more profitable than others. Marsh was feeding off the full delivery, getting under them and driving aerially, while Karthik cashed in on the short balls. He hit them particularly furiously and brought up his 50 with a blistering swipe through midwicket.

Karthik had come in when the asking rate was more than nine-and-a-half an over. By the time he got out to RP Singh, his assault had brought it down to almost a run a ball. David Hussey and Mandeep Singh ensured Punjab didn't let Karthik's effort go in vain.