Home boy spoils party

The last time Pankaj Singh had his share of the limelight was more than two years back,when the fast bowler was selected for Australia-bound national team.

The last time Pankaj Singh had his share of the limelight was more than two years back,when the fast bowler was selected for Australia-bound national team. Pankaj didnt see much action on that tour as he spent most of the time warming the bench or occasionally serving drinks.

He faded away after that. Though,he was part of the Rajasthan Royals side in the inaugural season of the IPL,he had nothing to show for in the wickets column after five matches. A switch to Royal Challengers Bangalore also didnt help him as he was reduced to a nets bowler in the third season.

But all that changed on Wednesday. Rising from the oblivion,the 24-year-old returned to the Sawai Man Singh Stadium his home ground in the Ranji Trophy to face his former employers. Thrown into the deep end of the do-or-die clash,Pankaj was instrumental in restricting the rival batsmen,while setting the tone for the rest of the bowling attack. Rajasthan never really got going,as Bangalore led by Pankaj stifled the batting. Chasing a modest 131 to win,Bangalore won by five wickets with 4.2 overs to spare.

Brought into the attack in the third over of the innings,Pankaj dismissed Rajasthans top-scorer of the season Naman Ojha (359) for seven runs (caught at mid-wicket by Manish Pandey) to end his first over in IPL III with a wicket-maiden. He bowled an economical second over as the home side crawled to 53/3 by the half way stage of their innings. Reintroduced for his second spell in the 12th over,Pankaj foxed Jhunjhunwala for his second wicket with a brilliantly delivered variation,caught at mid-off by a delighted skipper,Anil Kumble. At that stage,Pankajs figures read 3-1-15-2,but two consecutive boundaries in his fourth over by Adam Voges smudged his figures to 2/27.

Exactly four overs were bowled by each of the Bangalore bowlers,with the most expensive being Vinay Kumar (1/36) and the most economical being Dale Steyn (1/15). The most incredible statistic of the evening was Rajasthans lone six in the innings that came on the penultimate ball of the inning. If not for the seventh wicket stand of 58-run unbeaten stand,Rajasthan wouldve struggled to post 130/6 at the end of their stipulated 20 overs.

Pankaj & Cos performance gave the Bangalore top order the license to free their arms as Kevin Pietersen and Robin Uthappa made a mockery of the run-chase,destroying Rajasthan with 26 balls to spare. Walking into the middle at the fall of Jacques Kallis wicket in the second over for nought,Pietersen put on display a chanceless 29-ball 62.

At the other end,Uthappa gave Pietersen excellent support in the middle with his 21-ball 26,during which smashed one of the flattest sixes of Shane Warne (which hardly rose a few feet from the ground) while going on to become the highest six-hitter of the tournament with 25.

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Bangalore raced away to a six-wicket victory,taking them a step away from the semi-finals,while the loss has taken the semi-final equation out of Rajasthans hands. The crowd trickled out of the stands in disgust,as a little known cricketer from their state returned home to end their IPL party.