Navi Mumbai: An audience poll at the start of the match asked if Kings XI Punjabwere the weakest team in the tournament. Around 64 percent said yes. Ten minutes into the game having elected to bat, Kings XI showed why.
Pune Warriors' new-ball pair of Alfonso Thomas and Shrikant Wagh reduced Kings XI to 9-4 in the fourth over. There was extra bounce and movement at the DYP Stadium wicket and there were a couple of bad shots. The chase for 112 was completed in the 14th over for the loss of three wickets. But the contest had already ended ten minutes into the match.
Yuvraj Singh's return to IPL captaincy and Pune Warriors' debut couldn't have been scripted better. Set 113 for the win, Pune lost three wickets in the process with Yuvraj and Robin Uthappa taking them home.
Alfonso bounced Gilchrist fourth ball of the game. Gilchrist gloved it to Robin Uthappa and then walked. In Wagh's first over, Shaun Marsh flicked a loose ball straight to fine leg.
In his next over, Alfonso bowled a short one to Paul Valthaty. The ball bounced higher than expected and Valthaty couldn't keep it down as the ball went for an easy catch to point. In the next over, Wagh bowled a short, wide one to Dinesh Karthik, who too couldn't control the upper-cut as it flew into third-man's lap for another easy catch. Wagh celebrated by pointing a finger to his head. He had outthought the batsman.
Ryan McLaren, the South African all-rounder, prolonged Kings XI's fight by making 51. The left-handed batsman and right-arm seamer had found no takers at the player auctions in January. But after Stuart Broad and Dmitri Mascarenhas pulled out of the IPL with injuries, Punjab bought him. For this game, it proved to be an invaluable move.
McLaren 35 with Piyush Chawla after they had slipped to 45-6. Some late big hitting took them into three-figures which had looked unlikely earlier.
Pune's chase began poorly when, first ball, Graeme Smith drove an out-swinging, full delivery fromPraveen Kumar to cover's hands. The only period where Pune were in some discomfort was during Abhishek Nayar's spell. The seamer was getting some movement and he had Mithun Manhas caught behind.
Punjab then dropped two catches off Nayar. Uthappa was put down in the cover by Nathan Rimmington. Yuvraj was missed by Karthik at slip. Having survived a couple of tight overs from Nayar, Yuvraj and Uthappa quickly completed the chase.
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