Having been surprisingly overpowered by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening encounter of the tournament, Deccan Chargers needed to win against the Chennai Super Kings, to be in a positive frame of mind for the remainder of the tournament. Another loss and things would have got slightly tricky for Adam Gilchrist and co. And they ensured that such a situation did not befall on them with a superb all-round showing against Chennai, who were playing on their home ground. Be it batting, bowling or fielding, Deccan Chargers outclassed Chennai in every department in what turned out to be a disappointingly one-sided game. The skipper Gilchrist himself led from the front after Deccan decided to bat first. The Aussie super star was in destructive form, and followed up his half-century in the first game with yet another scintillating batting effort to get his side off to a great start. Chennai’s weak bowling was exposed as the out of form Albie Morkel and Sudeep Tyagi were taken for plenty in their opening bursts. The bowlers themselves did not help the team’s cause. A number of deliveries were pitched wide and short, allowing Gilchrist to free his arms with consummate ease. And once he got off to a blistering start, there was no stopping him. Following Deccan’s great beginning, Chennai needed something special to pull things back. That came in the form of an impressive spell from off-spinner R. Ashwin. While the pitch had nothing to offers for the pacers, the spinners looked a lot more threatening. It was one such delivery from Ashwin that turned away from an advancing Gilchrist that did the trick. To his credit, Ashwin did not hesitate to flight the ball and was suitably rewarded for taking the gamble. The loss of Gilchrist was immediately followed by VVS Laxman’s dismissal, the wristy Indian proving once again that when it comes to running between the wickets, he is far from swift. With a couple of quick wickets, Chennai could have comeback strongly into the match. But, the experience of veterans Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Symonds did not allow them to do so. Judging the situation appropriately, the duo went about accumulating runs for a few overs. Of course, it helped a great deal that Gilchrist had given the side the cushion of a great start. And once they made sure that the wicket rut had stopped, the runs started flowing again. Both batters found the gaps with precision and, when needed, cleared the field with a powerful array of strokes. And though neither could hang around till the final over, MS Dhoni’s decision to give Tyagi the final over proved to be ultra beneficial for the batting side.
Having been badly battered in the field, the Chennai batsmen succumbed to the pressure of some accurate bowling. Chaminda Vaas was exceptional for the second game in a row. His dismissals of Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina and the dangerous Matthew Hayden in his first spell all but put paid to Chennai’s chances. Dhoni and Albie Morkel, towards the end, came up with some lusty blows. But, it was all after the result was a foregone conclusion. |
