Zaheer Khan, Shreyas Iyer give DD comprehensive win against CSK

He had a plan for each batsman he bowled to. Against McCullum, who is prone to move around the crease, he usually angled it away and also varied the pace smartly. Against Dwayne Smith, he got the ball to jag back in to pose severe problems. It was a rewind to his heyday in many ways. The reading of the pitch, the skill to carry out his specific plans for batsmen and the overall mastery. It was a slow pitch where the ball stopped a bit on the batsmen and Zaheer exploited it perfectly.

It was interesting to see his battle with McCullum in the fifth over of the game. The first one skidded across from back of a length and was squirted to gully. McCullum decided to move across for the next, and readied himself for the reverse scoop he plays, but Zaheer pushed it across wider outside off, away from the reach. Next, McCullum charged down the track but a tad too early and Zaheer hurled it fuller and again out of reach outside off. The left-arm pacer slanted the next one across from a length and McCullum couldn’t clear point. The fifth delivery was fuller and outside off, and it was sliced to point. Tired of being tied up, McCullum tried to create something out of nothing off the final delivery. He retreated inside the crease even as he moved towards off stump and Zaheer picked a full delivery this time. McCullum wasn’t in any position for a drive but he tried. He was caught at mid-off.

Smith didn’t try as painfully hard as McCullum but he too didn’t have a solution against Zaheer. Troubled by the incoming deliveries, he jabbed and stabbed his way. Zaheer had just one delivery against Dhoni, but it was a special delivery. It was the 19th over, the first over of Zaheer’s second spell, and Dhoni was on 27 and looking to swing away. From round the stumps came a slower one that gripped the surface and stopped a bit on Dhoni who was so far into his shot that he couldn’t pull out of it in time. The resultant miscue was pouched at mid-off.

What also caught the eye was Zaheer’s eagerness in helping out the other bowlers. The involvement stood out. There he was whispering into Sandhu’s ears, a word with Albie Morkel and often he took over from JP Duminy the role of setting the field. Standing at mid-off, he would have a word with the bowler and start adjusting the field. All in all, it was a perfect outing for Zaheer.

Impressive discipline

While Zaheer did sparkle, without Shabaaz Nadeem’s support, who knows whether he could have been as effective? It was the left-arm spinner Nadeem who took the new ball and bowled with such precision and control that the aggressive opening duo of McCullum and Smith couldn’t find any outlet to escape.

Nadeem’s plan was simple but effective: ball after ball, he got it to curve back in with the arm, cramping up the pair and the length was spot on, too. Only once did he toss the ball up, which was promptly hit by Smith for a big six over long-on. In the rest of the time, he tied up the batsmen with his claustrophobia-inducing arm balls. He bowled out his quota of four overs at a go, giving away only 18 runs. Delhi owe a lot to Nadeem’s disciplined effort for this win.

Iyer-and-Yuvraj show

They also owe it to some composed batting by the young Shreyas Iyer and the veretan Yuvraj Singh. Chasing a modest but still tricky target of 120, the Daredevils, who are already out of contention, lost two quick wickets to be reduced to 24 for two in the fifth over. Last match’s half-centurion Quinton de Kock (3) and captain Jean-Paul Duminy (6) fell to Ishwar Pandey, who bowled impressively on a pitch that was difficult to play on.

The memories of Delhi’s opening game loss to Chennai must have returned to haunt the dugout. Then, as now, there were chasing a none-too-daunting target. Then, as now, they had lost two early wickets on their way to a one-run loss.

However, any such fears were quickly banished by Iyer and Yuvraj, who added 69 runs for the third wicket to put the ‘home team’ on track.

The 20-year-old Iyer, who was dropped on 32 in the ninth over, hit 10 fours and a six in his 49-ball unbeaten knock while Yuvraj, who was out in the 14th over, struck four boundaries and a six in his 28-ball 32. Iyer hit the winning runs, a single, as the Daredevils reached 120 for 4 in 16.4 overs. The result didn’t change anything on the points table, but DD must have proved a point to themselves.