The Hindu : Sport : 5-wkt. win for Daredevils

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Tuesday, May 20, 2008
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5-wkt. win for Daredevils

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Sehwag, Gambhir provide the ideal platform

Daredevils has taken its points tally to 12
Royal Challengers remains on 4

— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

RUNNING RIOT: Virender Sehwag was in blistering form hitting a 19-ball 47 to take the match away from Royal Challengers.

Bangalore: Powered by a frenzied 90-run partnership in seven overs between openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, Delhi Daredevils overcame a mid-innings stutter, to script a five-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the DLF-Indian Premier League match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Monday.

Chasing Challengers’ 154, Gambhir (39), the most prolific batsman in the IPL, kept threading his fours, while Sehwag (47) unleashed mayhem, slashing Zaheer and pulling Praveen Kumar.

Sehwag survived but not for long as he smote Praveen straight to Bharath Chipli but by then his 19-ball cameo topped with nine fours and a six, had set his team well on course.

Stutters

The innings then stumbled after Gambhir got run out. Anil Kumble prised out Tillakaratne Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik while Steyn forced A.B. de Villiers to snick but the touch of nerves in the visitors’ dug-out was quickly eased by Shikhar Dhawan.

The southpaw did survive a close call when Kumble’s appeal for a caught and bowled was turned down but in the end, he finished the chase with a flourish, carting B. Akhil into the stands over long-off. Daredevils scored 158 for five in 18.2 overs.

Goswami sparkles

Earlier in the night, Sreevats Goswami’s sparkling 52 and Misbah-ul-Haq’s late flourish (47 n.o., 25b, 2x4, 4x6) helped Challengers inch past the 150-mark. He was later adjudged Man-of-the-Match.

With a brief evening drizzle forcing the covers on prior to the match, Sehwag won the toss and opted to bowl.

Glenn McGrath, bowled a miserly first over conceding a lone run and then watched left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan come apart conceding 19 runs.

Fired up McGrath

McGrath meanwhile had a caught behind appeal against Bharath Chipli, turned down. The charged up Aussie tested the Karnataka player with one that swerved away, followed it up with a bouncer and some words thrown in for good measure. Chipli soon returned, miscuing a pull.

Kallis meanwhile blunted McGrath’s off-stump line, moving across and threading one for four past fine-leg. Kallis however flashed hard at Farveez Maharoff’s first delivery and snicked to Dinesh Karthik.

At 41 for two in 6.1 overs, Royal Challengers found its run-enforcer in the diminutive frame of southpaw Sreevats Goswami (52, 42b, 7x4, 1x6).

The India under-19 wicketkeeper-batsman, making his IPL debut,whetted his appetite, cover driving Maharoof and then hammered 18 runs in a Sangwan over.

Skipper Dravid, meanwhile fell to Dilshan and Goswami, after a frenetic fifty, chanced his arms against Maharoof and succumbed.

And while Cameron White and B. Akhil got run out and Praveen Kumar watched McGrath home in on his stumps, Misbah belatedly found his shots, crashing Sangwan over midwicket and later bludgeoned 24 runs in the final over bowled by Rajat Bhatia.

The scores: Royal Challengers Bangalore: J. Kallis c Karthik b Maharoof 25, B. Chipli c Bhatia b McGrath 2, S. Goswami c Dilshan b Maharoof 52, R. Dravid b Dilshan 9, Misbah-ul-Haq (not out) 47, C. White (run out) 1, B. Akhil (run out) 3, P. Kumar b McGrath 2, Zaheer (not out) 4; Extras (w-9): 9. Total (for 7 wkts in 20 overs): 154.

Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-41, 3-73, 4-102, 5-105, 6-122, 7-126.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: McGrath 4-0-15-2, P. Sangwan 3-0-51-0, Yomahesh 4-0-25-0, Maharoof 4-0-13-2, Bhatia 4-0-47-0, Dilshan 1-0-3-1.

Delhi Daredevils: G. Gambhir (run out) 39, V. Sehwag c Chipli b Praveen 47, A.B. de Villiers c Goswami b Steyn 21, Dilshan st Goswami b Kumble 4, S. Dhawan (not out) 16, D. Karthik c White b Kumble 6, F. Maharoof (not out) 13; Extras (b-1, lb-6, w-5): 12. Total (for 5 wkts in 18.2 overs): 158.

Fall of wickets: 1-90, 2-100, 3-121, 4-123, 5-132.

Royal Challengers bowling: Steyn 4-0-26-1, Zaheer 3-0-37-0, Praveen 2-0-33-1, Kallis 2-0-16-0, Akhil 3.2-0-21-0, Kumble 4-0-18-2.

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