Five-star Kumble slays IPL champions
Anil Kumble has Kamran Khan caught behind to complete figures of 5-5 and a 75-run win for Kevin Pietersen's side
Anil Kumble destroyed the Indian Premier League’s defending champions Rajasthan Royals as he bowled the Bangalore Royal Challengers to an emphatic 75-run victory in Cape Town.
The former India spinner claimed 5-5 as his side, who were defending a below-par 134, bowled the 2008 winners out for a paltry 58 in just 15.1 overs.
Earlier, Kevin Pietersen, who was making his IPL debut, made a brisk 32 and together with Rahul Dravid (66) helped Bangalore recover from a poor start to post 133 for eight.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the England batsman may have been ruing his decision early on when Dimitri Mascarenhas (3-20) had Jesse Ryder caught behind by Mahesh Rawat and bowled Ross Taylor off the second and third deliveries respectively – the New Zealand pair gone without troubling the scorers.
Pietersen then came in and survived the hat-trick ball from his countryman, before Mascarenhas got rid of Uthappa (three) in his third over to leave Bangalore at 17 for three.
But the captain and Dravid began the repair work, putting on 35 before the former mistimed a pull straight to Niraj Patel, who took an excellent catch diving forward at midwicket.
Shane Warne (2-18) then introduced himself and struck in his first over, bowling Virat Kohli (three), followed by the dismissal of Balachandra Akhil (nine) in his third over.
Dimitri Mascarenhas is mobbed after bowling Ross Taylor behind his legs to leave Bangalore nought for two today
Bangalore eventually brought up their hundred in the 18th over, followed by Dravid’s 42-ball 50.
Munaf Patel got rid of Praveen Kumar and Dravid in the final over, but only after the pair had helped their side reach a respectable 133.
Bangalore’s chase began equally poorly and they were 14 for three midway through the seventh over, with Swapnil Asnodkar (nought), chipping Kumar to Kohli at point, followed by the big wicket of Graeme Smith (two), edging the same bowler to Dravid at first slip.
Ryder then made his presence felt by sending Niraj Patel (four) on his way, caught by Kumble at mid-on, and then cleaning up Tyron Henderson (11)
Mascarenhas was run out off the next delivery leaving Rajasthan in serious trouble at 28 for five.
Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja tried their best to rescue the situation, but Kumble’s second over really floored the defending champions when he had both batsmen caught in the deep for 11.
The next over from the India spinner saw the dismissal of Warne (three) and Munaf (nought), followed by the scalp of Kamran Khan to leave Rajasthan all out with almost five overs to spare.
