Karthik, Finch secure win for Gujarat

The match in a tweet: Karthik marshals a calm run-chase for Gujarat, taking them to the top of the standings as the Knight Riders falter on home soil

The Aussies: Aaron Finch's switch away from the opening position continued, coming in at No.5 for Gujarat and quickly showcasing why he could still be batting higher up in the order, smacking 29 off just 10 balls. He was in a hurry to finish off proceedings and it cost him his wicket as Ravindra Jadeja failed to respond to his call for a quick single late in the innings, leaving the Victorian well short. Brad Hogg was the other Aussie in action overnight and he was handled admirably by Dinesh Karthik in the middle stages, giving away 19 in his two overs. He did manage to get the batsman stumped towards the end of the match, after wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa had fluffed an earlier chance.

The reaction: Finch was not best pleased when he was dismissed and he might find himself in hot water for his reaction to losing his wicket. Finch was well short after Jadeja failed to respond to his call for a quick single and the Victorian tossed his helmet and bat to the ground in frustration when he returned to the dugout. It was hardly the crime of the century, but history shows that this sort of action may trigger a sanction or at least a warning from IPL officials. In any case, Finch was quick to forgive his teammate for the mid-wicket confusion.

Sensational swing: This has been a good weekend for swing bowlers in the IPL and one of the best proponents of this craft in Indian cricket, Praveen Kumar, took centre stage on Sunday evening. Kumar swung into action instantly, bowling a sensational three-over opening spell of 2-7. It included a maiden as well as a double blow to the Knight Riders in the third over of the innings when he removed both Gautam Gambhir (bowled around his legs for 5) and Manish Pandey (caught behind for a two-ball duck). He got ample support from Dhawal Kulkarni (1-30) and Dwayne Smith (1-14), who used the moving ball well to blow away the Knight Riders’ top-order.

The catch: Gujarat captain Suresh Raina continued his side's early dominance, taking a stunning leaping catch to send Surya Kumar Yadav on his way and reducing KKR to 4-24 in the sixth over. Standing at a wide first slip, Raina threw himself to his left and stuck his right arm in the air, the ball nestling in his hand to start raucous celebrations from the Lions.

The drop and the recovery: Kolkata's slow start could have been even worse if third man Pravin Tambe had held on to a catch offered by Shakib al Hasan early in the Bangladeshi's innings. He was on just 3 then and went on to score 66 not out off 49 balls, adding an unbeaten 134 off 85 balls with Yusuf Pathan, who scored 63no from 41. The big-hitting all-rounders helped dig Kolkata out of the massive hole and went about their business in style. They were calm in the first half of their partnership as they rebuilt the innings before they fetched 101 off 60 balls in the final 10 overs, including eight fours and four sixes. 

Early storm: Gujarat's Brendon McCullum survived a caught behind appeal when he was yet to get off the mark and he used this to his advantage to score a crucial 29 off 23 balls. At the other end, Smith too got going with 27 off 18 and the pair returned to their free-scoring ways from earlier in the tournament, putting on 42 off 33, including seven fours and three sixes.

Karthik’s calm: Raina (14 off 18) was sedate in his stay at the crease and thus Gujarat once again depended on Karthik to get going. He has been the mainstay of their season with two half-centuries before tonight and he duly added a third to his account. It came in good time too, the keeper-batsman scoring 51 off 29 as he put on 49 with Raina and shepherded the chase with some deft touch and well-placed shots, never once looking out of control. While Raina was out to a short-ball again, Karthik departed after scoring his fifty with only four runs left to win. 

The wash-up: After three consecutive losses, Gujarat Lions needed this win to re-affirm their early form in the season. They now have moved top of the standings with 14 points from 11 games, and need another victory to virtually guarantee qualification for the knockouts. Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders have dropped out of the top-two in the table, down to third with 12 points from 10 matches, trailing the Sunrisers on run-rate. 

The next stop: The Lions next move on to Bangalore and will take on the Royal Challengers on Saturday afternoon. The Knight Riders too play their next game on Saturday, hosting Rising Pune Supergiants in Kolkata that evening.