Michael Clarke impressed with 41 runs in his belated Indian Premier League debut but was overshadowed by a blistering half-century from fellow former Australian Twenty20 skipper Cameron White.
The scene at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack was geographically and symbolically a world away from Australia’s Test series success in the West Indies four days earlier as Clarke strode out to play his first T20 game since October 2010.
The Australian Test and one-day captain finally ended his resistance to the cashed-up Indian competition when he signed up in March for its fifth season.
He showed little trouble adjusting to the short format as he combined with Pune Warriors captain Sourav Ganguly to take 17 runs off South African speedster Dale Steyn’s second over and hit seven boundaries off his 31 balls before being run out.
However, it was to no avail as Pune fell to a 13-run defeat by cellar dwellers Deccan Warriors, thanks largely to a whirlwind innings by White.
Dumped in January from the Australian T20 side he’d led, White began making his case for a recall for the world T20 championship in Sri Lanka when he blasted 75 off 45 balls – with four sixes and six fours.
He combined with Kumar Sangakkara for a 157-run partnership in Deccan’s 4-186 before Pune made 5-173.
Following Clarke’s dismissal, Ganguly (45) and Australian allrounder Steven Smith (47 not out) kept their team in contention but with 23 needed off the last over there was too much work to do.
Meanwhile, Australian veteran Brad Hogg continued his bid for a likely berth at the world T20 championship with figures of 2-32 in the Delhi Daredevils’ six-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals.
Hogg was unable to curb the power hitting of Virender Sehwag (73) and Kevin Pietersen (36) as their side coasted to victory in the 16th over after being set 142 to win.
Shane Watson (eight) and Brad Hodge (one) failed to fire in the Royals’ total of 6-141, while Watson returned figures of 1-29.
Sehwag became the first batsman to hit five consecutive Twenty20 half-centuries.
