The Hindu : Sport : Sehwag crucial to Daredevils’ hopes

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Sehwag crucial to Daredevils’ hopes

Vijay Lokapally

Team needs to recoup after a string of losses

— FILE Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

PLENTY AT STAKE: An inspirational performance from captain Virender Sehwag will be handy for Delhi Daredevils as it seeks to regain lost momentum in the DLF Indian Premier League.

New Delhi: On a perfect batting pitch, the Delhi Daredevils came up with its most timid performance at the Eden Gardens to lose its game against Kolkata Knight Riders. The best opening pair in the country was swept off by a man returning from injury and disciplinary restrictions to make an impact as only he can.

The sight of Shoaib Akhtar thundering down and working up pace even in a Twenty20 was simply exhilarating. It was the same stage where he had, nearly a decade ago, sent Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid’s stumps cartwheeling in a Test match.

Memories of that glorious afternoon must have pumped up Akhtar, a fantastic athlete who loves to express his emotions openly in the same fashion as his team owner in this Indian Premier League.

Fascinating sight

A charged up Akhtar can be the most fascinating sight on a cricket field. The game, in different eras, has always been lit up with characters like Akhtar, who bring a touch of glamour to the art of bowling. It is a distinction that is unique and significant in a sport that has been so dominated by batsmen.

Twenty20 is all about fours and sixes. That is precisely what the spectators want. However, when someone sends the stumps flying, generating speed in the realm of 150, and reducing inform strikers like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir to static figures, it is an awesome sight to watch.

Aggressive streak

Like with Shoaib Akhtar, Sehwag’s cricket is defined by an aggressive streak — his batting is dominating and expressive, at times bordering on the arrogance. But the Daredevils skipper needs to put his mind now to the team’s immediate challenge of whipping up its abilities on the field. Sehwag and Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan and A.B. de Villiers, Glenn McGrath and V. Yomahesh, all would be expected to deliver now.

The two Pakistan recruits, Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik, have proved failures. Manoj Tiwari has looked out of place. Delhi lacks depth. The same applies to Deccan Chargers, which has lost the services of stylish skipper V.V.S. Laxman, so ironically to a wrist injury. Such a strong team on paper, Deccan Chargers has failed to come to terms with the nuances of the shortest version of the game, despite players like Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi and Herschelle Gibbs in its ranks.

Only pride is at stake for Deccan Chargers, which has just two wins in nine matches, while Delhi, eight points from nine matches, has some hopes of reaching the semifinals.

For that to become a reality, Delhi will need a remarkably refreshing approach and Sehwag, a wonderful performer like Akhtar, would have to carry the team on his shoulders. Champions are known to excel on the big stage and Ferozeshah Kotla on Thursday will be one.

Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag (capt.), Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, A.B. de Villiers, Rajat Bhatia, Shoaib Malik, Dinesh Karthik, Glenn McGrath, Mohammad Asif, V. Yomahesh, Pradeep Sangwan, Farveez Maharoof, Mithun Manhas, Brett Geeves, Manoj Tiwari, Amit Mishra and Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Deccan Chargers: Adam Gilchrist (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Scott Styris, Rohit Sharma, Shahid Afridi, Sanjay Bangar, R.P. Singh, Arjun Yadav, D. Kalyankrishna, Pragyan Ojha, Chamara Silva, Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Zoysa, D.B. Ravi Teja, Sarvesh Kumar, Venugopala Rao and P. Vijaykumar.

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