Sport

Daredevils brings Super Kings’ run to a halt

— Photo: K. Pichumani

SCINTILLATING STUFF: Delhi Daredevils’ skipper Virender Sehwag was his usual hard-hitting self, taking the game away from Chennai Super Kings.

Chennai: Chennai Super Kings was blown away by the Virender Sehwag-Gautam Gambhir blitz. The opening pair settled the issue at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.

Delhi Daredevils, chasing 170, romped home by eight wickets and an over to spare to clinch a crucial DLF-IPL contest here on Friday. The Super Kings, missing Matthew Hayden in particular, suffered its first defeat of the competition.

The result leaves three sides, Super Kings, Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals with four wins and eight points from five games.

Man of the Match Virender Sehwag (71, 41b, 7x4, 4x6) was running hot on his happy hunting ground. He blazed away, his hand-eye coordination and reflexes evident in his strokeplay.

Sehwag and Gambhir form a compelling right-left combination of exceptional stroke-making ability. The Super Kings pacemen struggled to adjust their line to the two batsmen who seized every scoring opportunity.

Manpreet Goni was pounded over long-on for a six by Sehwag. The young pacemen then erred in providing Sehwag width; he was sent soaring over the point fence.

The intrepid opener disrupted Goni’s length and runs were there for the taking. Sehwag was severe on Ntini too, slashing a six over third man. Joginder Sharma was soon clouted over the mid-wicket ropes.

His was an innings also dotted with scorching cover and square drives. Sehwag’s ability to play besides the line of the ball gives him great room to manoeuvre the ball through the off-side field.

The Super Kings was without the big Jacob Oram and his tantalising length.

In the previous two games, Oram had pitched the ball up even while denying the batsmen pace on the ball.

The host pacemen missed a trick by not attempting to cramp Sehwag on the leg-side bowling around the wicket.

Daredevils had pulled away by the time Muttiah Muralitharan was brought in by Dhoni. Sehwag complemented his power with a delicate steer off the off-spinning maestro, allowing the ball to turn and then directing it behind the wickets.

Gambhir’s (50, 37b, 5x4, 1x6) shot-making reflected his form. He converted the length with sparkling footwork to slam Ntini to the straight fence.

Then, he stepped out to the paceman to drive him to the cover boundary. Ntini glared at Gambhir who glared back.

The left-hander also thought on his feet. Gambhir stepped out to Albie Morkel, found the length short, and opened the face of the blade to glide the ball to the third man fence. This was stirring stuff.

By the time Sehwag departed he was picked up at third man off Joginder — the opening pair had put on 115 in only 11.2 overs. The damage had been done. Gambhir countered Muralitharan well, the use of his feet being critical. By the time, Goni rearranged his stumps, the contest was as good as over.

Earlier, powered by an entertaining half-century from S. Vidyut, Chennai Super Kings made 169 for six.

S. Badrinath ended the innings with a flourish, dismissing the last delivery from Rajat Bhatia over mid-wicket for a six. But then, the Delhi side had given itself a chance against the strong host.

S. Vidyut’s 37-ball 54 was an effort high on octane and tempo. The southpaw is a heavy hitter with the ability to strike through the line and whip off his legs.

This was a night when he had the rub of the green — the mishits fell short of the fielders but it was a creditable effort from a man playing his first innings of the competition.

Vidyut walked in at No. 3 and strung together critical partnerships before being snared by McGrath.

McGrath’s figures of 4-0-21-1 were exemplary; he used the crease to change the angles and mixed his pace and length. This Aussie is a man for all seasons and all formats.

The Daredevils fought back well after the third-wicket stand of 57 in 40 balls between Vidyut and Dhoni threatened to take the contest away from the side. The Delhi team’s fielding was outstanding.

After a forgettable second spell of two overs, Mohammad Asif struck a crucial blow for the visitor, having Dhoni (32 off 27 balls) caught in the deep. Dhoni seemed intent on causing greater damage.

Albie Morkel provided some thrust at the death with two huge sixes of left-arm paceman Pradeep Sangwan over long-on and mid-wicket in the 19th over. These runs were, eventually, not enough.

Dhoni won a good toss and opted to bat. His bowlers struggled in the second half of the game.

The Super Kings should have chased.

The scores:

Chennai Super Kings: P. Patel c Yomahesh b Sehwag 21, S. Fleming b Yomahesh 13, S. Vidyut c Yomahesh b McGrath 54, M.S. Dhoni c S. Malik b Asif 32, A. Morkel c Sehwag b Bhatia 28, S. Raina (run out) 3, S. Badrinath (not out) 11, J. Sharma (not out) 0; Extras: (w-5, nb-2) 7; Total: (for six wkts in 20 overs) 169.

Fall of wickets: 1-23, 2-65, 3-122, 4-137; 5-145, 6-163.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: McGrath 4-0-21-1, Asif 4-0-34-1, Yomahesh 4-0-31-1, Sangwan 4-0-40-0, Malik 1-0-11-0, Sehwag 2-0-21-1, Bhatia 1-0-11-1.

Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir b Gony 50, V. Sehwag c Muralitharan b Joginder 71, A.B. De Villiers (not out) 26, S. Dhawan (not out) 19; Extras (b-1, lb-1, w-2, nb-2) 6; Total: (for two wkts. in 19 overs) 172.

Fall of wickets: 1-115, 2-139.

Chennai Super Kings bowling: Ntini 4-0-29-0, Gony 4-0-39-1, Morkel 4-0-40-0, Joginder 3-0-35-1, Muralitharan 4-0-27-0.

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