The three-man relay
Plays of the day from the match between Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings at the Kotla
Karthik Krishnaswamy
05-May-2014
Mohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja were part of a relay run-out • BCCI
The three-man relay throw
Quinton de Kock was flying. He had smashed two sixes in the fourth over to move to 24 off 16, and Delhi Daredevils had reached 34 for 0. M Vijay dabbed the first ball of the fifth behind point, and the two fielders in the circle gave chase. Suresh Raina slid, stopped the ball well short of the boundary and passed it to Ravindra Jadeja.
Quinton de Kock was flying. He had smashed two sixes in the fourth over to move to 24 off 16, and Delhi Daredevils had reached 34 for 0. M Vijay dabbed the first ball of the fifth behind point, and the two fielders in the circle gave chase. Suresh Raina slid, stopped the ball well short of the boundary and passed it to Ravindra Jadeja.
The batsmen completed two. De Kock, no doubt desperate to get back on strike, wanted a third; Vijay did not. With both batsmen at handshaking distance near the wicketkeeper's end, Jadeja threw to the bowler Mohit Sharma, who was a good five yards from the stumps and had to aim a strong overarm throw at the stumps to complete the run-out. Mohit made a direct hit; if he wanted, he could have lobbed it to Faf du Plessis, who had backed up behind him, to complete what would have been a unique run-out involving four fielders.
The switch-hit
Dinesh Karthik entered in the fifth over and exited in the 13th, after scoring 51 off 36 deliveries. Vijay, who had been batting since the start of Delhi's innings, was on 26 off 25 at that point. He had not really got going, and R Ashwin was niggling away with his round-the-wicket, wide-outside-leg angle. Third ball of the over, Vijay decided he would not let Ashwin keep dictating terms. Opening his body up, he quickly switched his hands around, gripped the bat like a left-hander, and swatted it high over the cover-point boundary.
Dinesh Karthik entered in the fifth over and exited in the 13th, after scoring 51 off 36 deliveries. Vijay, who had been batting since the start of Delhi's innings, was on 26 off 25 at that point. He had not really got going, and R Ashwin was niggling away with his round-the-wicket, wide-outside-leg angle. Third ball of the over, Vijay decided he would not let Ashwin keep dictating terms. Opening his body up, he quickly switched his hands around, gripped the bat like a left-hander, and swatted it high over the cover-point boundary.
The dummy
After a big partnership between Karthik and Vijay, Super Kings had taken three wickets in nine balls. JP Duminy, having just walked in, tickled Ravindra Jadeja to short fine leg and set off for a single. Realising he had hit it straight to the fielder, Dwayne Smith, Duminy quickly turned back. Smith threw, low and flat. MS Dhoni, realising he was standing between the stumps and the throw, moved his gloves as if he was collecting it, before withdrawing them and letting the ball slip between his legs. The ball hit the stumps but Duminy had made his ground.
After a big partnership between Karthik and Vijay, Super Kings had taken three wickets in nine balls. JP Duminy, having just walked in, tickled Ravindra Jadeja to short fine leg and set off for a single. Realising he had hit it straight to the fielder, Dwayne Smith, Duminy quickly turned back. Smith threw, low and flat. MS Dhoni, realising he was standing between the stumps and the throw, moved his gloves as if he was collecting it, before withdrawing them and letting the ball slip between his legs. The ball hit the stumps but Duminy had made his ground.
The scrabbling outfielder
With fine leg inside the circle, Duminy was eyeing the scoop over that fielder. Mohit Sharma knew this, and bowled it wide outside off. Duminy went all the way across his stumps, and didn't quite time his shot. The short fine-leg fielder, Mithun Manhas, turned around and chased desperately to try and take the catch as it dropped over his shoulder, but let it fall through his hands. The momentum brought Manhas to his knees, and he scrabbled desperately to stop the ball as it bounced towards the boundary. He got on his feet for an instant, but the balance wasn't quite right and he fell down again, and was reduced to a desperate crawl as the ball rolled over the boundary.
With fine leg inside the circle, Duminy was eyeing the scoop over that fielder. Mohit Sharma knew this, and bowled it wide outside off. Duminy went all the way across his stumps, and didn't quite time his shot. The short fine-leg fielder, Mithun Manhas, turned around and chased desperately to try and take the catch as it dropped over his shoulder, but let it fall through his hands. The momentum brought Manhas to his knees, and he scrabbled desperately to stop the ball as it bounced towards the boundary. He got on his feet for an instant, but the balance wasn't quite right and he fell down again, and was reduced to a desperate crawl as the ball rolled over the boundary.
Swinging Suresh
Super Kings had just lost Brendon McCullum, and Laxmi Shukla was in the middle of an unexpectedly tight spell, having given away just eight runs in 2.2 overs. In walked Suresh Raina. He hit the first ball straight back to Shukla, who did well to bend low and field it on his follow-through, before unleashing a shot that Shukla did even better to not get in the way of.
Super Kings had just lost Brendon McCullum, and Laxmi Shukla was in the middle of an unexpectedly tight spell, having given away just eight runs in 2.2 overs. In walked Suresh Raina. He hit the first ball straight back to Shukla, who did well to bend low and field it on his follow-through, before unleashing a shot that Shukla did even better to not get in the way of.
It was a straight, length ball. Raina moved his front foot out of the way and swung meatily through the line. Shukla jumped out of the way, so did the umpire. Replays showed that the ball swung in the air just as it approached the umpire, as if it were a tennis ball struck by a topspin-imparting racquet.
Karthik Krishnaswamy is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo