This loss will be tough to handle: Rahul Dravid

Rajasthan came to Delhi’s den on Sunday as the clear underdogs and nearly pulled off a stunning upset, going down by just one run. Skipper Rahul Dravid, though, was at a loss for words while explaining the defeat, says a report in The Times Of India.

“It is really disappointing but I must give credit to Morne Morkel for bowling a superb 19th over. He bowled right into the blockhole. On hindsight though, we shouldn’t have left the game drift so far. There is no doubt that this loss will be tough to handle,” Dravid said after the loss on Sunday.

Meanwhile, despite his side registering a five-wicket victory over Deccan Chargers in an IPL match here, Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh was critical of the Wankhede Stadium pitch, saying that "it was not a proper Twenty20 wicket", says a report in The Indian Express.

"A different wicket from what we have played at the Wankhede. Not good for T20 cricket. I came today and saw the pitch and said wow what to expect here, we never know what to expect from this track ever," Harbhajan said after the match.

"From next time, I think we have to ensure that we know what kind of wicket we are going to play," he added.

A report in Hindustan Times says that it was as if Harbhajan Singh took it as a warning to him when Deccan Chargers dropped captain Kumar Sangakkara for poor form. By the same yardstick, the Mumbai Indians’ skipper was also under the scanner, having claimed just one wicket in eight games.

“Till now shaky and lacking rhythm, it was a different Harbhajan who took the ground. He was clear in his decision making and gave nothing away in his bowling. On a wicket which offered more assistance to the pacers, he was equally effective to lead Mumbai to their fifth win in nine games. Harbhajan, who has been reluctant to bowl himself in some games, showed the right intent when he opened the bowling. Though he didn’t get the early breakthrough, he kept the Chargers left-hand combination quiet. His then struck twice in the middle overs to finish with impressive figures of 4-0-13-2.”

Meanwhile describing the match between Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, The Hindu writes that the script could not have gone better for a cricket fan.

“The Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals clash in the IPL at the Ferozeshah Kotla had more twists and turns than a Hollywood potboiler. In its fifth home match, which started with some rabble-rousing strokeplay and drifted to a predictable path before closing as a humdinger, Daredevils, which made 152 for six, held its nerve to pip Rajasthan by one run on Sunday,” writes the paper.