PBKS vs DC Ball by Ball Commentary

OUT! TAKEN! T Natarajan breaks through on his return to the attack! Wonder why he was taken off after a tidy first over. Natarajan starts from over the wicket and bangs it into the deck whilst taking pace off, on off, Priyansh Arya goes for the pull but gets a top edge that goes onto hit him on the helmet and balloons towards short third where Madhav Tiwari takes a dolly. The crowd rise as one to applaud a special knock from Arya. Priyansh falls for 70 (34). Punjab Kings are now 122/1.

Pulls the length back, drifting on the pads, worked wide of long on for a single. Halfway through the first innings, Punjab Kings are 122/0.

FIFTY FOR PRABHSIMRAN SINGH! His 8th in the IPL and his fourth consecutive fifty in this season! Flatter and on a length, around the leg stump line. Prabhsimran Singh hangs back and turns it to deep mid-wicket for a single. Sheer consistency from the PBKS opener as he continues his merry run this season!

FOUR! Neatly played! Just drifting outside off, on a yard behind fuller length, Prabhsimran Singh goes deep inside the crease and cuts it to the right of the diving point fielder for a classy boundary. 17 runs off this over already, off just 4 balls.

In the air...lands safe! Drags the length back, on top of the stumps, Priyansh Arya hangs back and goes for a pull shot, but ends up slicing it over mid on. It lands safe and a single taken.

SIX! Change of ball, but no change of result! In total control, is Arya! Drops it fuller again, a googly, on middle, Priyansh Arya charges down the track, and smacks it over the bowler for a huge six.

SIX! Goodness me! That is on the roof! Lands it fuller, does Kuldeep, around off and middle, Priyansh Arya shimmies down the track, swings through the line, and sails it over long on for a 96-meter towering six. That was six the moment he hit it.

Good save from Chameera in the deep there! Slower delivery outside off, on a fullish length, Prabhsimran Singh lets the ball arrive and cuts it along the ground, to the left of deep point. Dushmantha Chameera runs across, dives, and stops the ball. Two taken. Another expensive over for DC, 14 runs off it.

The 100 is up for Punjab Kings! Back of a length, angling across, Prabhsimran Singh leans back and cuts it wide of backward point for a couple of quick runs.

FOUR! Cut away! Across off, on a good length, Prabhsimran Singh plays it quite late, and cuts it to to left of the short third fielder for a boundary.

OUTSIDE EDGE, FOUR! Outside off, too full, Prabhsimran Singh tries to loft it over the off side, but gets a thick outside edge and the ball goes on the bounce to deep third for a boundary.

Speared in fuller, on off, Priyansh Arya heaves off the inner half of the bat, along the ground to deep mid-wicket for another single.

Madhav Tiwari is into the attack now. He begins with a length ball, angling on the pads, Prabhsimran Singh tucks it away to deep square leg for a single.

Slowish delivery, on middle, Priyansh Arya waits for it on the back foot and taps it to the left of the bowler. Another over that goes for 10 runs. 20 off the last two for PBKS!

FOUR! Arya is making merry here at Dharamsala! Flat and full, right on the middle stump, Priyansh Arya switches the stance and reverse sweeps it to widish deep third man for a boundary.

Just outside off, on length, cut away to deep point for one.

Flights it up nicely, does Kuldeep, on middle, it stays low on a fullish length, Priyansh Arya makes a slight charge towards the bowler, but is cramped to guide the ball to the off side. An inside edge is found and the ball rolls to short fine leg. One taken.

WIDE! Sprayed down the leg stump, Arya lets it pass. Wided.

Drags the length, outside off. Prabhsimran goes back and stabs it towards cover for one.

Could have been a better effort there! Slower through the air from Kuldeep, on a length, turning back on the pads, Prabhsimran Singh turns it towards the deep mid-wicket region. Runs the first one hard, but Madhav Tiwari makes a fumble and the batters take the second run quickly. The throw comes towards Kuldeep who collects it on the bounce and scores a direct hit at the bowling end. However, Priyansh has already made home by then. Two taken.

Slower through the air, drifting on the pads, nicely nudged to deep square leg for one.

FIFTY FOR PRIYANSH ARYA! He has looked effortless from the first ball itself! The length is pulled back by Axar, in the line of the stumps. Arya hangs back and steers it towards deep square leg for a single. Arya brings up his fifty off just 25 balls, at a strike rate of 200.

SIX! Just enough! Dragged length, just outside off, Priyansh Arya hangs back and lofts it magnificently, straight over long off. Mitchell Starc in the deep leaps, but the ball sails over his head. That is some shot from Priyansh.

On a length on middle and off. Prabhsimran eases it into the off side for a single.

A slight appeal for LBW, but not entertained. Floated fuller and on the leg stump line. Prabhsimran Singh switches his stance to play the reverse, but misses and the ball hits his pad.

Landed on a length, turning back into the batter, Priyansh Arya nudges it past square leg for a single.

Great effort from Madhav Tiwari, the debutant, as he saves a certain boundary! A low full toss from T Natarajan, on the stumps, Prabhsimran Singh smashes it straight down the ground. Tiwari from long on runs across to his left and intercepts the ball with a dive. The batters cross for the second run. Nonetheless, a fantastic over from Natarajan. Just 4 from it.

Bangs it short, taking pace off, angling across off, Prabhsimran Singh walks forward and pulls it along the ground, but straight to mid on.

Hard length, around off, Arya works it to the mid on region for a single.

Swing and a miss! Hard length, just outside off, nipping away, Priyansh Arya walks forward and tries to swing across the line, but misses.

An appeal from Porel, but nothing from Natarajan and he just starts to walk back to his bowling mark. A seam-up delivery, fuller and just outside off, in that uncertain corridor, Priyansh Arya has a poke at it and gets beaten past the outside edge.

Starts off with a length ball, on the pads, Prabhsimran Singh tickles it to short fine leg for a single.

SIX! Priyansh Arya is dealing in sixes! Fired in, full and on the pads, Priyansh Arya gets down on a knee quickly and slogs it over deep backward square leg for a six. 15 runs off Axar Patel's first over.

Slower and shorter, on middle, Priyansh Arya sets up for the pull but is early into the shot and gets beaten on the inside edge.

Edged away! Slower through the air, fuller and on off, Prabhsimran Singh lunges to defend but the ball straightens a bit to catch the outside edge. No slip and it races away past short third. Dushmantha Chameera goes after it and puts in the slide but is late to get up and release the throw, allowing the third run to be taken.

FOUR! Lovely shot! Floated up, full and wide on off, Prabhsimran Singh leans into the drive and hits it all along the ground through covers for a boundary.

On off, flat and short, Priyansh Arya nudges it in the vacant mid-wicket region for one.

Speared in from around the wicket, on a nagging length, on the pads, Prabhsimran Singh tucks it wide of mid-wicket for a single.

SIX! 50 UP FOR PBKS! Dushmantha Chameera tries to go short but fails to get it high enough to trouble the batter, around off. Priyansh Arya gets the width and the length he needs and flat bats it over long on for a six.

On middle and leg, on a short of a length, defended off the back foot by Arya.

FOUR! Lucky boundary! On any other day, that would have crashed into the stumps. On off, on a good length, Priyansh Arya just hangs his bat out a bit away from his body to defend. Gets an inside edge onto the back thigh and sneaks through between the keeper and short third for a boundary.

On a back of a length, on off, Priyansh Arya stands tall and punches it past cover for a couple of runs.

SIX! Dispatched! Dushmantha Chameera does not get it short enough, on middle and leg. This sits up to be hit and Priyansh Arya does not miss out. Shovels it with ease over square leg for a six.

Superb effort! On a back of a length, on middle, Priyansh Arya jabs it towards mid-wicket where Sameer Rizvi flings himself to his left on the edge of the ring at mid-wicket and makes the stop.

FOUR! Threads it through! Another yorker from Starc that tails back in, on middle, Prabhsimran Singh is equal to the task as he angles the bat face to drive it between cover and mid off for a boundary. Another expensive over from Starc. 12 runs off it.

Mitchell Starc switches to around the wicket and gets the yorker in, at the toes, Prabhsimran Singh jams it out.

FOUR! Streaky but they all count! At 145.2 kph, full again, on off, Prabhsimran Singh swings to go down the ground with a cross bat. The ball swings back in late to catch the inside edge. It sneaks past the stumps and beats short fine leg to his right.

Shaping back in, full in length, around off. Not that wide but Singh throws his hands at it and looks to go through the off side with a horizontal bat. Gets beaten on the inside edge.

Good response from Starc! Dug in short and this zips through, on middle, Prabhsimran Singh thinks about playing the ramp but then bails out as he sways away.

FOUR! Easy as you like! Starc lands it on a length, on middle and leg, Prabhsimran Singh picks it up cleanly and uses his wrists to shovel it over mid-wicket for a boundary.

FOUR! Yes, he can! Pitched up, on off, Priyansh Arya does not move his feet much and holds his shape to carve it over cover for a boundary. The over is spoiled due to the Free Hit and ends up going for 9 runs.

NO BALL! Seaming away, in the channel on off, on a good length, Prabhsimran Singh steers it with an open bat face to deep third for one more. Uh, oh, Dushmantha Chameera has overstepped. Free Hit coming up. Can Arya make Chameera pay?

On a nagging length at the stumps, Arya takes a step across the stumps and whips it on the bounce to deep backward square leg. Mitchell Starc mops it up by moving to his right. A single taken.

Play and a miss! Angling across, on a short of a good length, Priyansh Arya flays at the delivery but fails to connect.

Hits the hard length, on off, Prabhsimran Singh rides the bounce and dabs it to backward point for one more.

Drags the length back, on middle, Priyansh Arya turns it through square leg for a single.

Chameera is on the money straight away! Seaming away to leave the left-hander from over the wicket, on a good length, Arya fiddles at the delivery and gets beaten on the outside edge.

Sliding onto the pads, on the fuller side, Priyansh Arya knocks it wide of mid on for a single. A good first over for the home side.

On middle and leg, on a back of a length, tucked to deep backward square leg by Singh to get off the mark.

Fuller in length and a hint of away shape, on off, Priyansh guides it towards backward point where KL Rahul cuts it off with a slide to his right. They cross.

Hits the bat hard, does Starc, on a hard length, on middle and leg, Priyansh Arya hangs back and stabs it down the deck.

FOUR! Width offered and Arya cashes in! Starc gets the line wrong again. Short and wide on off, Priyansh Arya stands tall and lifts it over cover-point for four more.

FOUR! Easy pickings for Priyansh Arya! A loosener first up from Starc, on the pads, on a short of a length, Arya just glances it off his hips down to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary.