Kings XI Punjab were comfortably placed at 67 for one in six overs in a rain-shortened match and looked set for a challenging total. But Vettori had different ideas and made impact from the very first delivery, which claimed Ravi Bopara's wicket, the batsman falling leg before.
Email this Page | Post a comment
His first over went for just one run; seven runs came off his next over but it also claimed the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara (8).
The Kiwi captain was not afraid to pitch the ball up; he challenged the batsmen to take him on, and, needless to say, they fell to his bait.
Yuvraj Singh tried to take him on in his third and final over, hitting a huge six off the second delivery, but was run-out off the next. The left-arm spinner then enticed Mahela Jayawardene with a full-pitched delivery. All that the batsman did was hit it straight to the long-off fielder and help Vettori finish with remarkable figures of three for 15 in three overs.
While Vettori operated, Punjab could only muster 31 runs in five overs and lost five wickets as Delhi grabbed the initiative. Quite deservedly, Delhi captain Virender Sehwag went on to rate Vettori as the best spinner in the world at the moment.