The Hindu : Sport : Virender Sehwag leaves Deccan Chargers gasping

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Virender Sehwag leaves Deccan Chargers gasping

V. V. Subrahmanyam

Rohit helps the home team post a modest total

— PHOTO: G. Krishnaswamy

ON THE RAMPAGE: There was no stopping Virender Sehwag in the IPL match at Hyderabad on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: Virender Sehwag fashioned Delhi Daredevils’s emphatic nine-wicket win over Deccan Chargers in the DLF-Indian Premier League at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Tuesday.

It was a clinical demolition by a man in form as the Daredevils captain treated every bowler with contempt. There was an opportunity for the home team but the local lad Pragyan Ojha failed to latch on — running to his left at deep square-leg — to a mistimed pull off Chaminda Vaas in the third over of the innings.

But after that escape, the Delhi star played some awesome shots (94 n.o., 41b, 10x4, 6x6). He picked the gentle medium-pace of Andrew Symonds for special treatment, hitting him for 4, 6, 4, 6, 4, 6 in his second over and the 13th of the innings.

Shikhar Dawan (25 n.o., 23b, 3x4) played perfect foil to Sehwag’s hurricane innings during the 112-run stand for the second wicket which knocked the host out of the match.

It was the second straight defeat for Deccan Chargers, while Delhi Daredevils registered its second win in as many matches.

Batsmen fail

Earlier, Deccan Chargers failed to drive home the advantage of batting first on a good pitch and was restricted to 142 for eight in 20 overs.

The fireworks were missing from the big guns, but Rohit Sharma came up with a cameo (66, 36b, 6x4, 4x6). The highlight of Rohit’s knock was his assault on Sri Lankan fast bowler Ferveez Maharoof when he hit two sixes and three fours in the 18th over to provide some late thrusts to the innings.

Rohit could not have timed his innings better, as even a total of 120-plus did not look possible at one stage for Deccan Chargers. The technically-perfect player came up with classy strokes to take his team to 142.

Good spells

The home team was done in by the high quality opening spells of Glenn McGrath and Mohammad Asif.

The flamboyant Adam Gilchrist started off in style, whipping Asif over mid-wicket for a huge six. But, the bowler came back strongly in the same over to force the batsman to play on.

V.V.S. Laxman looked shaky and did not last long, beaten by pace and some late swing from Asif. Symonds impressed with a powerful pull off McGrath only to depart soon, chasing an away delivery from Maharoof. Wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik took a brilliant catch diving to his right.

In between, Venugopala Rao holed out to the deep off Maharoof while attempting one of his many desperate strokes.

The scores: Deccan Chargers: A. Gilchrist b Asif 8, Y. Venugopala Rao c Dhawan b Maharoof 14, V.V. S. Laxman b Asif 2, A. Symonds c Karthik b Maharoof 12, Rohit c McGrath b Bhatia 66, S. Afridi lbw b Bhatia 2, S. Bangar (run out) 8, Arjun Yadav c Gambhir b Yomahesh 12, C. Vaas (not out) 12, R.P. Singh (not out) 1; Extras (lb-3, w-1, nb-1): 5; Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs): 142.

Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-23, 3-36, 4-45, 5-60, 6-82, 7-123, 8-129.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: McGrath 4-1-22-0, Asif 4-0-19-2, Maharoof 4-0-36-2, Yomahesh 4-0-35-1, Bhatia 4-0-27-2.

Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir c Gilchrist b R.P. Singh 12, V. Sehwag (not out) 94, S. Dhawan (not out) 25; Extras (w-7, pen-5): 12; Total (for one wkt. in 13 overs) 143.

Fall of wicket: 1-31.

Deccan Chargers bowling: Vaas 3-0-22-0, R.P. Singh 3-0-27-1, Bangar 2-0-30-0, Afridi 2-0-17-0, Symonds 2-0-35-0, Ojha 1-0-7-0.

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