A brilliant last over from Kevon Cooper and a dazzling innings from Rahul Dravid helped the Rajasthan Royals to a thrilling five-run victory over Delhi Daredevils in another humdinger of an IPL 2013 match at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
The Daredevils were in cruise mode with David Warner (77) seemingly guiding the home side to a comfortable victory, before the Australian's wicket and a stunning last over from Cooper turned things around dramatically.
Dravid, at 40-years-young, had earlier played a brilliant 65 to help the Royals a strong total of 165 for seven from 20 overs, which eventually proved to be just enough, as Delhi could only manage 160 for six.
The last time DD opened the innings, Unmukt Chand got out off the first ball to a ripper from Brett Lee. David Warner ensured it wouldn't happen this time as the Australian took strike, and easily enough negotiated the opening delivery.
A couple of expansive shots -- a little too cross-batted for one's liking -- from Chand (23 in 19) followed as the Daredevils chugged along nicely.
Warner, knowing the onus was on him to take the mantle in the absence of Virender Sehwag, took his time before unleashing a couple of his wonderful drives. He was lucky to survive early on though as Dravid dropped a comfortable chance at short fine leg off the impressive S Sreesanth's bowling.
Sreesanth, however, did eventually get his wicket as a wonderful in-swinger went through Chand's gate to crash into middle stump.
Warner and Mahela Jayawardene were looking as comfortable at the crease as a teenager would on his PS3, creating that platform before a moment of individual brilliance saw Jayawardene having to walk back to the pavilion.
Ajinkya Rahane pulled off a brilliant catch, off the bowling of Rahul Shula, at point, diving full stretch and at quite a height, like a leopard jumping to catch its prey, as the Delhi skipper watched in disbelief.
Warner, though, did not let the wicket bother him as he continued to take the ones and twos, waiting patiently to put the bad balls away. There was little risk being taken by the normally swashbuckling left-hander, before the opener just flicked on that attacking switch with the Daredevils needing 66 runs from the last seven overs; Warner did get a second life, though, as substitute Chava dropped the left-hander in the deep of Samuel Badree's bowling.
Manprit Juneja gave the more experienced Warner good company at the other end, even smashing a couple of boundaries in the process. With four overs remaining, Delhi were in the ascendancy, needing just 35 runs from the last four overs. The 17th over yielded 13 runs, with Warner smashing Siddharth Trivedi for a four and a six, as the Daredevils went into cruise mode.
However, the Royals refused to give up as Juneja and then crucially Warner - a brilliant run out from Brad Hodge - got out in the next couple of overs. The game went into the final over, with Delhi needing nine runs, and Kevon Cooper bowled a brilliant over to give Rajasthan a win out of nowhere.
The West Indian picked up two wickets - that of Johan Botha and Andre Russell - while conceding just an amazing three runs.
Earlier, Dravid turned back the clock with a brilliant 65 from just 51 balls, an innings which included six fours and a couple of maximums.
Sri Lankan Kusal Perera and Ajinkya Rahane opened the batting and gave the Royals a decent start of 22 runs from just under three overs, before the former lost his wicket off. Yadav picked up the first of his four with a nice slower delivery, with Perera (14 from 12) only managing to find Irfan Pathan at extra cover.
That brought Dravid to the crease, and it took the Royals skipper a while to get used to the conditions and the hurly-burly T20 game. However, once he got his eye in, the class shone through as drives, cuts and flicks came out in droves.
Someone watching Dravid would never have guessed they were witnessing a player who has retired from all forms of cricket. Rahane(28 in 24), who had played second foil to Dravid, was also looking solid at the other end, before he gave his wicket away, caught and bowled by Shahbaz Nadeem, with the scores reading 87 for two from 11.3 overs.
The real impetus was given following the wicket, as Dravid's statemate Stuart Binny caught fire with a blistering innings. The Royals all-rounder needed just 20 balls for his 40, smashing two fours and three sixes in the process, with the third wicket alliance worth 55 runs in just 4.4 overs.
After Binny got out, Royals were still looking on course for a score above 180 when Dravid's wicket in the penultimate ball of the 19th over proved to be the catalyst for a collapse.
The last two overs yielded just six runs, with four Royals wickets falling in the process, two each for Yadav and Ashish Nehra.
