By IANS,
Centurion (South Africa): Rajasthan Royals consolidated their place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) with a comprehensive seven-wicket win over Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Centurion Park here Thursday.
Rajasthan Royals’ skipper Shane Warne’s decision to bowl first proved spot on as his bowlers wrapped up Bangalore Royal Challengers at 105, their second lowest total in the tournament. Man of the Match Amit Singh picked up four for 19 while Ravindra Jadeja got three for 15.
Rajasthan Royals achieved the target in the 15th over with Naman Ojha scoring an unbeaten 52.
Rajasthan Royals are now perched on top of the points table with 11 points after their third win on the trot while Royal Challengers’s three-match winning streak came to a halt and now they are fifth with eight points.
Rajasthan’s bowlers made the optimum use of the bounce and the pace of the wicket, which had some moisture due to overnight rain. Amit came with another impressive spell and initiated the rot by picking up opener Wasim Jaffer (8) in the third over.
Royal Challengers failed to recover from the faulty start and failed to put up a decent partnership, losing wickets at regular intervals.
Jacques Kallis (10) followed Jaffer soon when he top edged Munaf Patel to Niraj Patel. Rahul Dravid, who was playing his first match after a brief break to India for the birth of his second child, survived only two deliveries and was back for a duck when he nicked Lee Carseldine to wicket-keeper Ojha.
In reply, Rajasthan Royals got off to a slow but a steady start. The Royal Challengers saw a sleek hope when Kallis bowled out compatriot Graeme Smith (20) in the sixth over just when the South African skipper was looking to accelerate.
Carseldine’s bizarre run out after a mix up with Ojha in the ninth over reduced the defending champions to 48 for two. But Yusuf Pathan (22) steadied the scoring with Ojha, who produced another mature innings.
Ojha’s 38-ball innings was studded with three fours and as many sixes. Pathan left in the 14th over after he holed a catch to Jaffer off Dillon du Preez but by then the team was on safe shores.