Rahane makes it count this time

Having fallen short by two runs earlier,the opener hits IPL 2012s first ton as Royals thrash Challengers by 59 runs

In Rajasthan Royals season opener against Kings XI Punjab,Ajinkya Rahane fell two short of his hundred when he was dismissed in the final over of the innings. On Sunday,Rahane was still seven short of the landmark when Vinay Kumar ran in to bowl the 20th over and it looked like the opener might miss out again.

The first ball was smashed over the bowler8217;s head for four,but when Vinay Kumar8217;s next delivery sneaked past the bat,it seemed Rahane had just backed himself into a corner.

Even the bowler seemed to know it. Rahane jumped out of his crease and Vinay Kumar,expecting it,dropped the ball short. Unlike against Punjab,Rahane made contact with his swish and Virat Kohli at long on misjudged a possible chance running in,allowing the ball to go over him and fall short of the fence for a four.

The culprit

Rahane8217;s unbeaten hundred 103 off 60 balls consigned Royal Challengers Bangalore to their third loss on the bounce. And for the second match in a row,it was perhaps their fifth bowler that cost the side the match. Against Chennai Super Kings,Raju Bhatkal and Virat Kohli were collared for 71 runs in the four overs they floated down and on Sunday,it was their replacements Sreenath Aravind and Chris Gayle who were taken apart four overs for 69 runs.

After Zaheer Khan8217;s ball-on-a-string spell during the powerplay saw Rahul Dravid and Rahane play out 14 dots of the 18 he bowled, Aravind,from the other end,went for 24 in two overs. In the second such phase where Bangalore let go of the reins,Aravind was brought back in the 14th with Rajasthan still scoring at only 6.3 an over. Rahane promptly smashed him for six successive fours and from there on,Bangalore slipped steadily.

93 in 5 overs

Rahane and Owais Shah,who managed to outscore his partner during his 26-ball 60,pulverised the bowling for 93 runs in five overs from the 14th,taking the side to 195.

Later,Pankaj Singh two for 18 and Siddharth Trivedi four for 23,ensured it was a happy homecoming for Rahul Dravid,who got a rousing reception from the Bangalore crowd when he walked out for the toss. The 59-run win sent Rajasthan to the top of the table.

4,4,4,4,4,4: Carpet bombing in 14th ov

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13.1: Four! A length ball from Sreenath Aravind and Rahane steps out and hits it back with full power towards the bowler,who gets little time to react. The ball thuds against the long-on boundary.

13.2: Four! A similar delivery and a similar outcome. The only difference is that Rahane hits it straighter with much better timing.

13.3: Four! A rattled Aravind digs in short for a slower bouncer. Rahane smartly shuffles outside off and scoops it towards the fine-leg boundary.

13.4: Four! Another slower delivery,almost like a leg-break and Rahane slams it towards the midwicket boundary.

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13.5: Four! Aravind gifts this one to Rahane. The nervous bowler bowls a fulltoss,the batsman obliges and hits it past covers with minimal effort.

13.6: Four! Another back of the hand slower delivery and Rahane waits on the ball and diverts it safely away from short third-man.