Big money Morris rescues Rajasthan for first IPL win

Chris Morris hit an unbeaten 36 off 18 balls to take Rajasthan Royals to an unlikely three-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League yesterday.
Chasing 148 for victory, Rajasthan, who lost key player Ben Stokes due to a broken finger in their opening defeat on Monday, were in trouble at 104-7 when David Miller got out after his blazing 62 in Mumbai.
But Morris took charge and put on an unbeaten 46-run stand with Jaydev Unadkat, who hit 11, to smash four big sixes including two in the final over off Tom Curran as Rajasthan won with two balls to spare.
“There are guys that get paid to bat and guys that get paid to slog, and I know which I am,” said Morris, who became the most expensive player in IPL history when Rajasthan bought him for $2.25 million in February’s auction.
“For us to get as close on the day, we took a lot out of that first game of ours. Nice to know we can win from anywhere after being down in the dumps.”
The South African all-rounder was at the non-striker’s end on Monday when skipper Sanju Samson hit a blistering 119 but got out on the final ball as Rajasthan lost by four runs to Punjab.
The 33-year-old Morris proved his worth with a wicket off his pace bowling and batting at number eight. Delhi’s Avesh Khan claimed three wickets while Chris Woakes and Kagiso Rabada took two each.
The pace trio had sent Rajasthan slipping to 42-5 before Miller’s 43-ball blitz. “We had Miller and Morris, but I thought it was tough,” admitted Samson. “I was praying inside, Morris can you please get one six.”
Earlier Unadkat claimed three wickets and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman took two to restrict Delhi to 147-8 despite a 32-ball 51 from skipper Rishabh Pant. “I think I have a lot of experience now. This was kind of a homecoming for me, I would like to bowl with the freedom I got with the new ball,” Unadkat said.
“This time I didn’t get the first game so I knew when the chances came, I’d have to take them. Worked out really well today. If you see the stats, I think I only bowled about 4 or 5 change of pace. It was the wickets I got that’s why it seemed like I bowled more, but it was about hitting the hard lengths today. There was moisture and I made use of it today. (Marriage) changes you as a person as whole, won the Ranji after I was engaged. I feel calmer, more settled. I think it’s working,” the pacer said.
Delhi captain Pant also praised his bowlers.
“I think the bowlers did a really good job in the start, but we let them get over us in the end. We could have bowled better. Dew got the better of us. I think we were 15-20 runs short. But there is something to gain from this match, the bowlers did well at the start. Hopefully in the future we can pull things off. I think in the second innings there was more dew than the first innings so we had to be doing our part, because the slower ball wasn’t stopping,” Pant said.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings face Punjab Kings in Mumbai today.

BRIEF SCORES
Delhi Capitals 147 for 8 (Pant 51, Unadkat 3-15) lost to Rajasthan Royals 150 for 7 (Miller 62, Morris 36*, Avesh 3-32) by three wickets.