Deadly duel: It’s Shane vs Sachin

We thought, and subsequently rued, that we had seen the last of it. That only memory and those nostalgic classic DVDs will help us relive those moments that famously compelled the peerless Sir Donald Bradman to realise that, yes, he just might have a parallel in modern day cricket, while forcing similar confession out of Richie Benaud, former Australian captain and leg-spinner.
The sight of Shane Warne slumping disconsolately on his haunches after Sachin Tendulkar had collared him for a "it's gone miles" maximum with effortless ease in the unforgiving dust of Sharjah, or Tendulkar being teased, lulled, deceived and eventually snared by the master leg-spinner in the extravagance of Melbourne Cricket Ground and the cauldron of Chennai has not only enthralled the connoisseurs, but also the commoners.
Tendulkar vs Warne has been more than a mere contest, it has been a battle, a battle of mind as much as of body, of craft as much as of graft, of flair as much as of attrition, of silk as much as of steel; a rivalry lacking the obviousness of the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman one, but none of its intrigue and skill. What has added to its allure is the fact that there has been no outright winner. Surely, Tendulkar has had the edge over his charismatic adversary, but Warne's absence from India's 2004 and 2008 Down Under forays due to a drugs ban and retirement has ensured that the jury is not out just yet on this one.
And even the sporting Gods are keen on another dance. That is why on Monday, they have provided both of them with a chance for a final hurrah, something which was inconceivable even six months back, when IPL was yet to be launched.
In Jaipur, the two talented and driven men will square off once again, but this time in a format their bodies might loathe, but the mind certainly relishes. Two individuals well in their professional dotage, past their prime—Warne is "happily retired" now— full of mutual admiration, eager to land one final, decisive blow.
Warne is certainly roused up for this one, even willing to ignore the call of his "battered" body. After beating Chennai, when asked by this correspondent when he would take a break as he had been playing in every game, Warne said he would sit out the next one. But when told he would be up against Sachin, he promptly changed his stance, saying, "then I'll probably sit out against Mohali!" That comment itself lays bare the desire and his eagerness to get back at a man whom he describes as "his favourite cricketer", and the one who gave him "nightmares". Sachin too was effusive in his praise on Sunday.
"He is a great bowler, it'll be a fantastic challenge. Which I am looking forward to," the Master said. It's been eight years since they last faced-off. High time they duelled again.

Sourav guides Kolkata to stunning win

Skipper Sourav Ganguly led from the front with an unbeaten knock of 86 as the Kolkata Knight Riders snatched an unbelievable three-wicket win with two balls to spare against the formidable Kings XI Punjab to finish their below-par campaign in the Indian Premier League on a high on Sunday.Replying to the Kings XI's competitive score of 174 for 6, the Knight Riders reached their winning target of 175 losing seven wickets in 19.4 overs in a nail-biting finish before a crowd of 30,000 at the Eden Gardens.Man of the match Umar Gul (24; 11 balls, 1x4, 3x6), who also shone with the ball with figures of 4/23, turned the game upside down during a hurricane 49-run seventh wicket stand with Ganguly after the Knight Riders seemed headed towards yet another defeat at 106 for 6.As Irfan Pathan set out to bowl the last over, the hosts needed 15 runs, but Ganguly finished off the proceedings in a destructive manner, with a six, two, six and one to hand out the Kings XI their fourth defeat.The Punjab side, already in the semi-finals, remained on 18 points after 13 games.

Bangalore beat Chargers by 5 wickets

The top order of the Bangalore Royal Challengers clicked in unison as Rahul Dravid's men chalked out a five-wicket win with one over to spare against lowly Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League battle between the laggards on Sunday. With this win, the Bangalore side avoided the ignominy of finishing last in the IPL, while the Deccan Chargers could not avoid the wooden spoon. Chasing 166 to win, Jacques Kallis (31), Misbah-ul-Haq (34), Dravid (31), Cameron White (31 not out) and B Akhil (27 not out) came up with timely cameos as the side reached 171 for five in 19 overs. Akhil smashed three sixes in the 19th over, bowled by Chamara Silva, en route to his unbeaten 27 off just seven balls to seal the issue. Bangalore's reply got off to a poor start as Wasim Jaffer (5) fell early but Kallis and Misbah stemmed the rot, scoring at a lively rate. Misbah was more impressive of the two but like Kallis, who was run out, the Pakistani too could not convert the start and fell to Ravi Teja after a 28-ball 34 that included four boundaries and a six. Next man in Dravid too looked in good nick as he went after the hosts bowlers and by the time he fell to Sanjay Bangar, the Bangalore captain had contributed 31 off 21 balls that kept the side right on course. Down the order, White and Akhil completed the formality without much ado to carve out a win with one over to go. Earlier, deciding to bat first, the Gilchrist-Gibbs duo overcame a subdued start and came down hard on the Bangalore attack. But once they departed in a space of seven balls, the home team witnessed a batting collapse with only Y Venugopal Rao (26) and Rohit Sharma (17) managing double figures. Dravid sprang a surprise by opening the attack with Anil Kumble and the leggie didn't disappoint either, as he kept it tight, while Dale Steyn too proved a miser. But once they were taken off, Gilchrist and Gibbs imposed them on the visitors. Vinay Kumar and B Akhil came in for some harsh treatment from the duo as the Deccan Chargers reached the 100-mark in the 11th overs without losing a wicket. On his return, Kumble drew first blood when Sreevats Goswami stumped Gibbs and in the next over, Gilchrist fell to Vinay Kumar to join his opening partner in the hut. Gibbs' 34-ball 47 included six fours and two sixes, while Gilchrist hit four boundaries and two sixes en route to his 37-ball 46. Wickets kept tumbling and Rohit's exit further complicated things for the Deccan Chargers. Venugopal hit Kumble for two sixes and a boundary in his last over before Vinay Kumar cut short his stay. The Deccan Chargers in fact lost their last nine wickets for just 56 runs in less than eight overs.

Daredevils beat Mumbai by 5 wickets

The famed top order crumbled but Dinesh Karthik's bravura unbeaten 56 and Manoj Tiwary's (36) gutsy cameo enabled Delhi Daredevils eke out a thrilling five-wicket win against Mumbai Indians to cling on to their semifinal hopes in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.For once, the Daredevils middle order took the onus on itself to pull off an improbable win with Karthik being the architect of the victory that helped them stay afloat in the tournament.Karthiks match-winning unbeaten 56 came off 32 balls and was studded with three sixes, besides four fours.Needing 177 to cling on to their semi-final dreams, the Daredevils required eight runs off the last over, sent down by Ashish Nehra. Karthik and Ferveez Maharoof (20 not out) kept their cool as the Daredevils overhauled the target with one ball to spare