IPL: Pune eke out third win, beat DD by 7 wickets
The Pune franchise won the game with five balls to spare.
Thisera Perera tonked a couple of maximums in the penultimate over to bring the required runs to 3 for the final six balls. A no-ball from Mohammad Shami leveled the score and the free-hit delivery was hit for a four by Rahane, thus handing his side a win.
Ajinkya Rahane batted with maturity and kept things going at one end. The Mumbaikar remained unbeaten at 63 runs off 48 balls, seven of which were dispatched for fours.
Starting the chase with a new partner, Ajinkya Rahane had some nervous moments with the debutant Usman Khwaja. The duo had some close shaves, but managed to weather things to post a fifty-run stand for the opening wicket.
After a brisk start, Khwaja finally departed for 30 runs off 27 balls. The Aussie opener hit two boundaries and a six.
Saurabh Tiwary, who walked in at number three, scored 21 off 18 balls. Though he looked tentative against Amit Mishra, the southpaw managed to hit him for a six. Tiwary also hit a four.
Pune skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni slapped a couple of sixes and hit a boundary in his innings of 27 off 20 balls.
Asked to bat first, the Daredevils batsmen put up 162 runs on the board for the loss of seven wickets.
After a slow start, losing Rishabh Pant for two runs, Karun Nair (32) and Sanju Samson (20) put up 35-runs for the second wicket to steady the innings.
The Delhi middle order, consisting of skipper JP Duminy, Sam Billings and Carlos Brathwaite, each got starts but failed to make it count.
Wile the Delhi skipper scored a steady 34 off 32 balls, hitting just the one four, Billins struck two sixes and a four in his 15-ball innings of 24.
Brathwaite looked ominous and was ready for a big one, but was cut short by a good running catch by Thisera Perera.
The big West Indian hit three sixes in his 8-ball innings of 20 runs.
A 19-run unbeaten innings from Pawan Negi helped his side get past the 160-run mark.
Rajat Bhatia and Scott Boland picked up two wickets each, while Ashok Dinda claimed a wicket.
Rahane was adjudged the player of the match.
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