 Shoaib storm blows Delhi Daredevils
14th May 2008 09:00 IST
Agencies
Brushing aside controversies, Shoaib Akhtar made a sensational Indian Premier League debut by polishing off the Delhi Daredevils top-order in a hurricane opening spell to propel Kolkata Knight Riders to a 23-run victory in Kolkata Tuesday night.
Battered by the Rawalpindi Express, who picked up four wickets in his first three overs, the visitors were skittled out for 110 of 17.5 overs, in reply to the Kolkata Knight Riders' modest total of 133/6 at the Eden Gardens.
Akhtar, adjudged fit for the match only a few hours ago, matched up to the high expectations, claiming wickets in each of his first three overs, with his victims including the dreaded Delhi opening combination of skipper Virender Sehwag (0) and Gautam Gambhir (10).
Akhtar, playing at his favourite ground, finished with brilliant figures of 3-0-11-4 to walk away with the man of the match award.
Later, Laxmi Shukla, brought on to bowl the 18th over, finished off the Delhi innings by taking the last three wickets to finish with an analysis of 0.5-0-6-3.
Akhtar sent back Sehwag in only the second ball of the innings, as the Prince of Najafgarh failed to negotiate a fast outswinger, managing only an outside edge to the wicket keeper.
Drumming up a fierce pace, Akhtar then accounted for Gambhir in his second over with a short-pitched ball, which the in-form batsman played straight to David Hussey at backward point, as Delhi were reduced to 17/2.
There was more Akhtar magic in the next over as he poured his heart out to deal twin blows to be on a hat-trick, as the Daredevils were tottering at 28/4.
First AB de Villiers (7) top edged to Tatenda Taibu at square leg, while the next delivery angled in sharply found Manoj Tiwary (9) plumb before the stumps.
Tillakaratne Dilshan, however, averted the hat-trick.
Akhtar, who flew into the city last week after the Pakistan Cricket Board suspended for a month a five year ban slapped on him, seemed on song, and the effect was electric.
Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan was seen rushing towards the boundary line exuberantly as the gallery erupted in wild jubilation.
Inspired by the Akhtar, Ashok Dinda then castled Shikhar Dhawan (7) as the visitors had half their side back into the pavilion with only 43 on the board in 7.3 overs.
Though the asking rate never seemed steep, Delhi failed to recover from the initial jolts and despite some brave efforts by lower order batsmen Amit Mishra (31) and Dilshan (25), in the end the lack of wickets proved their downfall.
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