Delhi Capitals remained stubborn in their pursuit of victory. Mitchell Marsh and David Warner made it a one-sided contest as Capitals easily chased down 161, registering an eight-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday. In full bloom, it was an all-round show by Marsh who first returned figures of 3-0-25-2 before excelling with the bat to bring his first half-century of the IPL. En route his 89 off 62 balls, Marsh was accompanied by Warner (52 not out off 41 balls), who, for a change, played second fiddle. The Aussie duo stitched a 144-run partnership. AS IT HAPPENED | SCORECARD | POINTS TABLEThe win takes Capitals to 12 points, giving a big boost to their playoff chances. Royals, despite appearing to be a strong contender, now find themselves dependent on the result of their remaining two matches. From missed opportunities to dropped catches and luck evading Royals, nothing went in their favour. It is at this stage of the tournament that Royals need their skipper Sanju Samson to lead from the front. But the wait is only getting longer. Earlier, in the face of quality bowling by Capitals seamers - Chetan Sakariya, Anrich Nortje, Mitchell Marsh and Shardul Thakur - Ravichandran Ashwin did not muck up and instead responded with clarity of mind. Not a recognised batter in the T20s, Ashwin's 50 off 38 balls while batting at one down is proof enough of his versatility. At 35, the off-spinner continues to experiment, innovate and upgrade himself to add value to the team.
