IPL: Dinda, Zampa help Pune restrict Delhi to 121/6

Medium pacer Ashok Dinda (3-20) and leg-spinner Adam Zampa (3-21) helped Rising Pune Supergiants restrict Delhi Daredevils to 121 for six in 20 overs during their Indian Premier League (IPL) tie at the VCA Stadium here on Tuesday.

Asked to bat, Delhi struggled as Dinda and Zampa continued their impressive performance to leave the visitors struggle for runs.

Karun Nair (41 off 43 deliveries) anchored Delhi's innings, while South African all-rounder Chris Morris made a quick-fire 38 in just 20 balls towards the end to help his side cross 120-run mark.

Delhi got off to a bad start, losing openers Quinton de Kock (2) and Shreyas Iyer (8) inside five overs to Dinda. While left-hander de Kock was plumb in front of the stumps, Iyer attempted a bad pull as he was caught at deep square leg by Usman Khawaja.

Even though fellow seamers, Deepak Chahar (13-0) Irfan Pathan (17-0) and Thisara Perera (27-0) struck to their task and kept a tight line and length as Delhi struggled to up the slowish run rate.

Nair provided some calmness in the middle but the pressure exerted by the seamers followed by the spinners -- Zampa and Ravichandran Ashwin -- took toll on the rest of the batsmen.

Sanju Samson (10) was stumped by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off leg-spinner Zampa, while Rishabh Pant (4) was caught by Perera at long off in the bowling of off-spinner Ashwin as Delhi reeled at 62/4 in 13 overs.

Later, Nair also fell in trying to be overly inventive as his sweep missed the line off Zampa and kissed the front pad and the umpire didn't hesitate to rule him out leg before wicket (LBW) -- with the score at 70/5 in 14.3 overs. Nair hit five fours.

Dinda returned to dismiss Jean-Paul Duminy (14) to put a check on Delhi's scoring even at the death.

Morris hit two sixes and a four in the final over bowled by Perera to help his side reach 121/6.

Brief scors: Delhi Daredevils: 121/6 (Karun Nair 41, Chris Morris 38; Ashok Dinda 3-20, Adam Zampa 3-21) vs Rising Pune Supergiants.

--IANS

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