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IPL: Mayank, Yuvraj help Delhi Daredevils end losing streak

April 15, 2015 23:53 IST

Delhi Daredevils player Yuvraj Singh and Mayank Agarwal during their Indian Premier League match in Pune. Photograph: BCCI

Delhi Daredevils beat Kings XI Punjab by five wickets in their Indian Premier League match in Pune on Wednesday.

It was Delhi's first win in 12 matches over two seasons. They had lost their last nine matches of the previous edition last year before starting this season with two losses.

It was also their first against Punjab after four straight defeats. 

- Scorecard

Mayank Agarwal (68) and Yuvraj Singh (55) stitched in an efficient stand for the third wicket to set Delhi on course. Mayank's 48-ball innings was inclusive of seven hits to the fence and two over it. He was dropped on 42 by Sandeep Sharma of the bowling of Mitchell Johnson.

Yuvraj, the costliest buy this season at 16-crore, hit five boundaries and three sixes in his 39-ball knock.

Virender Sehwag of Kings XI Punjab bats against Delhi Daredevils in their Indian Premier League match. Photograph: BCCI

Earlier, Virender Sehwag top-scored with a 41-ball 47 as Kings XI Punjab posted a competitive 165 for seven.

The highlight of the Kings XI innings was the 71-run partnership for the second wicket between opener Sehwag and Wriddhiman Saha (39) after Murali Vijay was out for 19 after the Punjab side opted to bat first at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. 

Sehwag hit four boundaries and two sixes in his useful knock. He hit a six and two fours off successive balls bowled by Delhi premier spinner Imran Tahir in the ninth over. 

Sehwag was out in the 15th over after he went for his second six in as many balls off Delhi captain Jean Paul Duminy only to hole out to Coulter-Nile. 

Amit Mishra of Delhi Daredevils celebrates the wicket of Wriddhiman Saha of Kings XI Punjab during the Indian Premier League. Photograph: BCCI

Kings XI were 73 for one at the halfway mark and they added 92 runs from the second 10 overs for the loss of six wickets.

Their middle-order batsmen did not have big scores nor any substantial partnership but each of them made quick and useful runs even as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Big hitter Glenn Maxwell made 15 from just five balls with the help of two sixes while captain George Bailey contributed 19 off 11 deliveries. Young Axar Patel scored 13 from 10 balls.

Delhi Daredevils player Imran Tahir celebrates the wicket of Kings XI Punjab's Glenn Maxwell. Photograph: BCCI

For Delhi, leg-spinner Tahir grabbed three wickets though he was expensive by conceding 43 runs while captain Jean-Paul Duminy got two wickets. 

The South African gave away 18 runs in his first over, and another 16 in his second, but came back well giving away just nine in his final two overs. 

In fact, two of his three wickets came in his final over. Tahir first had Punjab captain Bailey (19) caught by Iyer at long-on and followed it up by having Axar Patel (13) caught by Angelo Mathews at long-off.

Amit Mishra and Angelo Mathews took a wicket each. Duminy used as many as seven bowlers in the Kings XI innings. 

Yuvraj Singh and Mayank Agarwal of Delhi Daredevils chat during the Pepsi IPL match against Kings XI Punjab. Photograph: BCCI

Chasing a healthy total, the Delhi innings was built on a 106-run partnership for the third wicket between Mayank and Yuvraj. The same happened in just 11 overs. 

Coming together in the eighth over at team score of 53 for two when captain Jean-Paul Duminy (21) was run out in a bizarre way, Yuvraj and Aggarwal hit some lusty blows against Kings XI bowlers after getting themselves in.

Delhi had a nervous finish though, losing both the set batsmen in an Anureet Singh over. Kedar Jadhav (3) was also snapped up by Axar Patel. 

However, Angelo Mathews (6 not out) kept his cool, sealing it on the penultimate ball, with a boundary off Axar.

It's the highest successful chase ever in Pune. It was a confidence boosting victory and couldn't have come at a better time.