Watson stars as Rajasthan Royals advance to IPL final

Shane Watson starred with bat and ball as Rajasthan Royals overwhelmed Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in the first semi-finals of the Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Friday night. The Royals will now face the winner of the second semi-finals between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings on Saturday night in Sunday's final.

Watson and Yusuf Pathan scored half-centuries each as the Royals, who were asked to bat first, amassed 192 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs as none of the Daredevils' bowlers made an impression. The Royals were given a steady start by Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar as the duo put on 65 runs for the first wicket in just under seven overs.

Smith, who was hampered by a hamstring injury and had Mohammad Kaif running for him mid-way through his knock, started slowly, but then shifted gears as he hit five boundaries enroute to scoring 25 in 21 balls. Asnodkar was the more aggressive of the opening duo as he hit six boundaries and a massive six in his 21-ball knock of 39 runs. Farveez Maharoof then got the much-needed breakthroughs for the Daredevils as he dismissed Smith and Asnodkar in the space of three balls, and then accounted for pinch-hitter Sohail Tanvir (5) in the ninth over of the Royals' innings to finish with figures of 3-34 in the match.

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The Royals had to consolidate after the fall of three quick wickets, and man-of-the match Watson and Mohammad Kaif did that by adding 52 runs for the fourth wicket in under five over. Watson took the initiative back for his team as he hit two consecutive sixes in the 11th over of the innings bowled by V Yo Mahesh, who took a couple of wickets but conceded 50 runs in his four overs. Kaif's contribution to the partnership was only 12 runs and he was the fourth wicket to fall when he was clean bowled by Amit Mishra (2-37).

Watson and Pathan then stepped up the ante and the partnership was just starting to look dangerous when Mishra had the Australian all-rounder stumped by Dinesh Karthik as the Royals lost their fifth wicket with 155 runs on the board after 16 overs. Watson made 52 runs in only 29 balls, and his knock contained four hits to the fence and three over it. Yusuf who was named in India's squad for the Bangladesh tri-series and Asia Cup earlier in the day celebrated his call-up by hitting three boundaries and four massive sixes in his 21-ball knock of 45 runs before he was run out with only two balls left in the Royals' innings.

The Daredevils were never in the hunt as they lost wickets at regular intervals to be bundled out for 87 in 16.2 overs. Tillakratne Dilshan (33) was the only batsman to take the fight to the Royals even as wickets kept falling like nine pins at the other end.

Watson (3-10) started the slide by dismissing the Daredevils in-form top three batsmen -- Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Shikhar Dhawan -- to leave the Delhi team reeling at 24 for 3 after 5.2 overs. Sehwag was well-caught by Tanvir in the deep, while substitute fielder Taruwar Kohli took a blinder to get rid of Gambhir (11) and Dhawan offered a straightforward catch to Ravindra Jadeja to leave the run-chase in shambles.

Munaf Patel then joined the party as he had Manoj Tiwary caught by Asnodkar at mid-on to reduce the Daredevils to 28 for 4. Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik then put together the best partnership of the innings -- 27 runs for the fifth wicket -- before the latter was caught by Mohammad Kaif to give Siddarth Trivedi his only wicket of the match. Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne (2-21) then dismissed Maharoof and Dilshan in the space of four balls to reduce the Daredevils to 76 for 7 in the 13th over.

Patel then returned to dismiss Mishra and Yo Mahesh in quick succession to finish with figures of 3-17 in his allotted four overs, before a smart piece of thinking by wicket-keeper Mahesh Rawat led to the run-out of Mohammad Asif to set off scenes of celebration in the Rajasthan Royals' dug-out.