Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Deccan Chargers beat Chennai by 31 runs

Last updated on: March 14, 2010 23:35 IST

Scorecard:

Deccan Chargers followed their impressive batting performance with an equally impressive bowling effort to beat Chennai Super Kings by 31 runs in their Indian Premier League match on Sunday.

The defending champions were back to winning ways after dropping their opener against Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday.

Chasing 191 to win, the home team managed to score just 159 for nine.

Captain MS Dhoni and Albie Morkel were the top scorers for Chennai, both scoring 42 each.

Chaminda Vaas was the pick of the bowlers for the Chargers, finishing with figures of three for 221.

Pragyan Ojha and Andrew Symonds took two wickets apiece.

The Chennai innings began in a disastrous fashion. After six overs, the home side had been reduced to 34 for four.

Vaas made the first breakthrough in his second over when he cleaned up Murali Vijay (3).

Suresh Raina came, hit the second ball he faced for a massive six over midwicket and edged the third to Gilchrist behind the stumps.

The next Chennai wicket to fall was that of Matthew Hayden (17).

The Australian, winner of the Orange Cap last season, hit a six each of Rohit Sharma and RP Singh before Vaas returned to have him caught by RP at short fine.

Chennai had lost three wickets within five overs and Gilchrist introduced Pragyan Ojha in the sixth.

The left-arm spinner made an immediate impact, having S Badrinath (5) caught by RP at long-off. 

Justin Kemp made 22 before Ojha had him stumped.

Dhoni played an aggressive 29-ball innings before he was cleaned up by Symonds.

And once he was out the writing was on the wall for Chennai.

Morkel waged a lone battle remaining unbeaten on a defiant 42.

Earlier, a vital 95-run stand for the third wicket between Andrew Symonds (50) and Herschelle Gibbs (45) helped defending champions Deccan Chargers post a formidable total of 190 for four.

Gilchrist started proceedings in a by-now-expected belligerent manner, making a 17-ball 38 before he was cleaned up by R Ashwin. 

The Australian got into the groove almost immediately, taking 19 runs off the second over by Sudeep Tyagi.

Gilchrist first latched on to a length ball outside the off stump and hit it for a flat six over the extra cover boundary.

The next ball was dispatched with utter disdain over long-off for another maximum.

And the third went to the fine leg fence.

The shot helped Gilchrist become the first batsman in the IPL to surpass the 1000-run mark.

The Australian got another couple of boundaries in Albie Morkel's next over and then cleared the midwicket for his third maximum.

The Gilchrist blitzkrieg forced the Chennai captain to introduce Muttiah Muralitharan as early as the fourth over. 

R Ashwin came in to bowl in the fifth and foxed Gilchrist in his fourth ball.

VVS Laxman (12) was run out in the very next ball.

After a 55-run opening stand, Deccan Chargers suddenly found themselves two down.  

However, Gibbs and Symonds ressurrected the Chargers' innings with a 95-run third wicket stand and ensured their team build on its impressive start.

The partnership came to an end when the South African was run out by compatriot Morkel in what was a brilliant fielding effort off his own bowling.

Gibbs' 36-ball 45 was inclusive of five hits to the fence and one over it.  

Symonds, who began his innings on a tentative note (scoring just two off the first 13 balls he faced), eventually finished as the highest scorer for his side, making an impressive 50 off just 43 balls.

The maverick Australian's knock consisted of three hits to the fence and three over it.

Rohit Sharma was batting on 19 and giving him company was T Suman on 10 when the Chargers' innings came to a close, the duo scoring a whopping 30 runs off the last 11 balls.

Sudeep Tyagi's conceded 21 in the last over of the Chargers' innings and wasn't allowed to complete it - following a second no-ball for height.

Justin Kemp bowled the last ball of the innings, giving away just a single run. 

Earlier, captain Gilchrist called correctly and had had no hesitation in opting to bat first.

There was no change in the Chargers' squad that was beaten by the Kolkata Knight Riders in the tournament opener on Friday.

Teams:

Deccan Chargers: Adam Gilchrist (captain), Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds, VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma, Anirudh Singh, T Suman, Jaskaran Singh, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha.

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (C), Matthew Hayden, S Badrinath, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Justin Kemp, Albie Morkel, Manpreet Gony, Muttiah Muralitharan, Sudeep Tyagi, L Balaji, R Ashiwn.