Sehwag & Co finish Kochi

Sehwag hit 5 sixes in a magnificent display of batting as he amassed 80 against a hapless Kochi. 157/7 is not a bad score and Delhi achieved this with Sehwag's brilliance.

Sreeshant bowled with fire and struck twice and when V Rao, another hitter in from, was out, Delhi was tottering at 35/3. Then a good partnership between Sehwag and Yogesh Nagar helped Delhi to amass 157.

Sehwag began sedately and was on 31 runs off 32 balls ! Then he broke loose, slamming Jadeja for two consecutive sixes. The shots he is capable of came to the surface and his innings was a treat to watch. Hooks, cuts and pulls of a high calibre ruled over a hapless Kochi attack. Vinay Kumar was hit for 15 in the 15th over and Akhil for 18 in the next. Then Sehwag lofted Pawar for six and out to V Kumar, trying to repeat the shot. His belligerence lifted Delhi to 157, after being at one stage 62/3 off 13 overs !

On that treacherous wicket, Kochi's only hope was to fire with their top order. Which never came off. M Klinger, making his debut in the IPL, was out cheap to Morne Morkel Then Irfan Pathan shattered the middle stump of impact player, Brendon McCullum and Kochi never recovered after that ! P Patel was bowled by Irfan Pathan ( who is now back in ominous form ). Kochi were 28/3 and Mahela and Hodge tried to do the repair work.

Mahela holed out to Agarkar. Hodge was dropped by Pathan when on 15 but then he could not capitalise on that chance as he was out to Morne Morkel. Jadeja did indulge in some huge hits but then that could not pull off a win for Kochi.

Incidentally, Yuvraj hit his 300th six in the 34th IPL match !