This was the match in which Dinesh Karthik and Manoj Tiwary finally justifiedthe exorbitant sums splashed out for them at the IPL auction in February
Cricinfo staff24-May-2008
Dinesh Karthik finally repaid the huge sum Delhi spent on him at the IPL auction (file photo) © Getty Images
It may have been Farveez Maharoof who struck the winning runs, but thiswas the match in which Dinesh Karthik and Manoj Tiwary finally justifiedthe exorbitant sums splashed out for them at the IPL auction in February.Tiwary and Karthik cost US$1.2 million between them, more thanthrice what was paid for the incomparable Glenn McGrath. Till Saturdaynight, neither had repaid the investment, with Tiwary aggregating68 from five innings, and Karthik 79 from six.When they came together, the Delhi Daredevil’s reply was in disarray. Dwayne Smith hadtaken two wickets in two balls, and the bulwarks of the batting – VirenderSehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan – were all pondering failureback in the dug-out. The middle order had been so unconvincing throughoutthe competition that even illustrious names like AB de Villiers and ShoaibMalik had been dumped, leaving the two Indians and two Sri Lankans to pulloff an arduous task.One of them, Tillakaratne Dilshan, lasted just one ball, but the otherthree were outstanding in a game that Delhi dared not lose. Tiwary andKarthik added 41 from 25 balls to keep the crowd on tenterhooks, andKarthik and Maharoof then smashed 49 from just 29 balls to see Delhi homewith one ball to spare.Tiwary’s 36 contained some lovely strokes, and only poor communication ina cauldron-like atmosphere ended the partnership. But instead of lettingthe situation get to him, Karthik knuckled down to play the sort ofinnings that he had at the Wanderers in India’s first Twenty20 game. Hisstrokeplay was magnificent. Sanath Jayasuriya and Dhawal Kulkarni wereclouted over square leg for six, and Andre Nel’s evening was ruined by aglorious straight loft.You had to feel for Kulkarni. One of Mumbai’s best bowlers in thecompetition, he had started with two tidy overs for 11 runs. But entrustedwith the task of bowling the 17th over, he wilted, and the 15 runs heconceded probably swung the game. After that, Karthik and Maharoof couldwork the ball around the field without taking undue risks.”It was one of my lucky days,” said Karthik after the game. “I got awaywith a lot of shots. Our middle order was struggling, and to have won thegame for the team is a fantastic feeling.”Mumbai will be left to reflect on a batting display that lost steam afterJayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar had set off like the Blue Streak. One ofthe great joys of the IPL is that it gives you the opportunity to watchsuch individuals on the same side. With their contrasting styles,Jayasuriya and Tendulkar were like Frazier and Ali, one the heavy sluggerand the other all timing and finesse.It was the slugger’s day today, and Delhi have Amit Mishra to thank fortheir continued interest in this competition. Having been smashed way overmidwicket in his previous over, Mishra showed great composure and skill tobeat Jayasuriya in flight and have him caught on the rope at long-off.With their contrasting styles,Jayasuriya and Tendulkar were like Frazier and Ali, one the heavy sluggerand the other all timing and finesse It was an excellent spell, supplemented beautifully by another strongshowing from Yo Mahesh, who came back from a 17-run pounding in hisopening over to scalp four wickets. On a day when McGrath took some stickand the other import, Brett Geeves, was pummelled, Yo Mahesh’s revival wascritical in limiting Mumbai to a middling total.Robin Uthappa played superbly for his 46, but you had to question thewisdom of including Geeves after he’d spent so many games out. “I decidedto give him a chance,” said Sehwag with typical insouciance later. “Ourfourth or fifth bowlers have been going for runs in every game, so Ithought I would try him. He took the crucial wicket of Abhishek Nayar.”He also went for 50 in four overs. Being Tasmania’s Player of the Year isone thing, but the IPL stage is far bigger, especially when you have tofront up to a monster like Jayasuriya. Through it all though, Geeves andthe others got fantastic support from a voluble crowd, and it wascertainly the first time that many of us had seen a Tendulkar dismissalcelebrated so fervently outside of Pakistan.Their Achilles heel of a middle order has kept the flames of hope burningin Delhi, and left Mumbai [or Chennai] on the verge of elimination.Neither of those teams has any margin for error now, and both will reflecton recent shoddiness that cost them winnable games.By the end, with the pressure unbearable and the humidity stifling,Karthik said he had to cope with some dizziness and vomiting. But thanksto his efforts and those of Maharoof and Tiwary, it was the Mumbai Indianswho left the Feroz Shah Kotla with that sick, sinking feeling.
