Gilchrist,Rohit power Deccan Chargers to 2nd win

Deccan Chargers 184-6 (20 overs) beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 160-8 (20 overs) by 24 runs.

Adam’s Evening

If the IPL — so far bereft of its much-vaunted and publicised big-hitting — ever needed an energy boost,it was now. And they couldn’t have asked for anyone better than Adam Gilchrist to inject it. Gilly’s former opening partner-in-crime Matthew Hayden had threatened to blow the Royal Challengers away with his 35-ball 65 a couple of days back. And unfortunately for Kevin Pietersen,his team were at the receiving end again,as the Deccan Chargers captain unleashed himself on the hapless bowlers and smashed them to every corner of Newlands — with a special preference for the point and mid-wicket boundaries.

As if Gilchrist wasn’t fired up enough,Praveen Kumar provided him a perfect warm-up in the first over of the innings — three short-pitched deliveries,each conveniently dispatched to the fence,and the destructive left-hander was on his way. Dale Steyn was deposited over the long-off fence,while Jacques Kallis and Jesse Ryder too got the treatment,as Gilchrist ended up with five sixes and six fours in his 45-ball 71 — the highest individual score in IPL2.

It has been over a year since he hung up his boots from international cricket,but Gilchrist proved he was as intimidating as ever.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Captain Kevin Pietersen did manage to be the game-breaker again though,as he snared Gilchrist’s wicket in his second over. But things got worse for the Englishman,as Rohit Sharma continued where his captain left off,and hit five sixes himself,three of which came in one over off Anil Kumble,and reached his half-century in 28 balls — three less than what Gilchrist took for his. A total of 11 sixes were hit in the Deccan Chargers’ effort,the most in an innings in IPL-2 so far.

DEFLATED START

The Bangalore chase got off to a terrible start again,as they lost a wicket in their first over again as Fidel Edwards knocked Jesse Ryder’s off-stump off with a pacy in-swinging yorker first up. This was the third time in as many matches they were reduced to 0 for 1,and Pietersen must be scratching his head. They never really recovered from the start,and after 10 overs were 57-3.

But a charged-up Rahul Dravid,who went back on top of the run-scoring charts,gave some respectability to the Royal Challengers with a 27-ball 48,but Bangalore were never in with a shout.

FORGET THEM NOT

* RP Singh bowled a tight opening spell,and ended up with 2-17 from his four overs.

* The Chargers’ fielding was electric again,with the likes of Gibbs,Rohit Sharma and Ravi Teja pulling off a number of fabulous saves.

* Pragyan Ojha continued to impress,bowling with guile to get his third stumping of the tournament when Pietersen gave him the charge.