Win-win for Kolkata
With the Pune Warriors India 55/5, Sourav Ganguly came in to bat finally. Steve Smith got a bad decision and was adjudged leg before wicket by Shavir Tarapore when he had inside-edged a Sunil Narine delivery. Chasing 151 to win, Pune were already in the mire, having lost their top-half inside nine overs. Ganguly, in spite of an average IPL season, raised hopes of a fightback. The former India skipper had unexpectedly dropped himself to No.7 in the batting line-up. He perhaps believed that he had the best chance of turning the match around in the final stretch.
When Ganguly walked into the middle, Gautam Gambhir promptly brought into play a slip and a silly point. Ganguly played out the first over he faced from Sunil Narine, the mystery off-spinner. The expectation in the air was palpable. Ganguly looked determined.
His batting partner Angelo Mathews flicked the second ball he faced from Jacques Kallis to fine leg to bring on strike Ganguly. The moment of truth beckoned. The battle-hardened Kallis may not possess the pace of Dale Steyn but can surprise with an odd-bouncer. Ganguly received a shorter ball from Kallis, one that he swung at and missed by a distance. A run was yet to be come off Ganguly's bat.
The next ball pitched on a good length and was dispatched by Ganguly to the long off boundary. Kallis resorted to the bouncer again. The left-hander swayed slightly and executed the deftest of upper-cuts
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