Deccan Chargers hand Super Kings third consecutive defeat
7th May 2008

The Deccan Chargers have registered an 8-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings here at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai tonight. Chasing a modest target of 145, the visitors claimed the two crucial points with three overs to spare in the match.

Adam Gilchrist, who was the stand-in captain tonight for the Deccan Chargers, smashed 54 runs from just 36 balls - a knock that included seven boundaries and two sixes - to provide the raze to Chennai very early during the run-chase.

Some breathtaking fielding from Rohit Sharma, Herschelle Gibbs and Subramaniam Badrinath provided the fans with plenty of riveting action tonight. Adam Gilchrist was adjudicated Player of the Match for his half-century knock.

Shahid Afridi came and smashed 20 runs from 6 deliveries, including two massive hits for six and two fours to knock off the target quickly. Is it the start of an Afridi assault that has beckoned the IPL fans thus far? He ended with an astonishing strike rate of 333.33.

Gilchrist found a new opening partner in Herschelle Gibbs (10) who departed early, caught and bowled by Manpreet Gony. The dismissal brought Scott Styris (36*) to the wicket who added 54 runs for the second wicket with his captain and infuriated Chennai's woes - who have now lost three consecutive matches in the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) - after the back-to-back losses against Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals.

Styris saw the visitors home after Gilchrist fell in the tenth over, caught brilliantly by Badrinath at point. Rohit Sharma came and smashed 23 runs from 17 balls until he holed out to Badrinath at deep midwicket off Muralidaran's bowling. The in-form youngster stepped down the pitch to the champion offie and demonstrated yet again, his echelon of assurance.

Gilchrist was particularly dismissive against South African quickie Makhaya Ntini (0-37) and Joginder Sharma (0-46) but was held back a little against Muralidaran (1-24), Manpreet Gony (1-15) and Albie Morkel (1-26). Joginder Sharma went for 6...4...6...and 4 in the 18th over when he came up against Afridi.

Earlier, a regimented performance and fantastic fielding from the visitors restricted the Chennai Super Kings to 144/7. VVS Laxman missed out on the contest since he was nursing a hand injury. Adam Gilchrist won the toss and inserted the Super Kings into bat.

Former India wicketkeeper batsman Parthiv Patel (4) failed to create an impact, yet again, as he perished in the very first over when he tried to play an expansive hook shot off Vijaykumar but holed out at long-leg to RP Singh. A ball earlier, he presented the bowler with a difficult caught and bowled attempt but was lucky to escape.

A tendency of sorts since the exit of Matthew Hayden and Michael Hussey, once more, it was the trio of Suresh Raina (32), captain MS Dhoni (23) and Albie Morkel (29*) doing the bulk of the scoring for the Chennai Super Kings.

Srikkanth Aniruddha (1) joined Stephen Fleming (14) at the crease after the dismissal of Patel in the first over. The duo muffled around until the former was snapped by RP Singh in the fourth over and the latter was dismissed when an airborne Rohit Sharma intercepted his full-blooded cover drive, off former New Zealand teammate Scott Styris in the sixth over. Chennai Super Kings were reeling at 33/3 after 5.4 overs.

RP Singh was the pick of the Deccan bowlers, claiming two for 12 in his three overs. His second scalp was that of Joginder Sharma (15) in the dying stages of the hosts' innings.

All eyes were on the classy Badrinath (0) who joined Raina at the wicket after the early disasters, but fell victim to what was quite easily the ‘highlight of the night' when a leapfrogging Herschelle Gibbs took a splendid catch at backward point off Afridi's bowling to leave the hosts tottering at 43/4 with Raina and Dhoni at the crease.

Dhoni (23) added 39 runs for the fifth wicket with Raina but failed to engender the sort of driving force the crowds correlate with the highest paid player in the IPL. He consumed as many as 31 deliveries for his 23-run knock and disaster struck Chennai once again when Raina was dismissed by Sanjay Bangar (1-36) with Rohit Sharma claiming the catch. Things could have been worse for the Chennai side had not Morkel and Manpreet Gony (15 not out off 6 balls) unleashed some lusty shots towards the fag end of the innings to swell the tally.

Morkel's unbeaten 29 came off 19 balls and included two sixes besides a boundary.

The Chennai Super Kings will next travel to New Delhi on Thursday to clash against the Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla. The latter pounded Dhoni's team with a 9-wicket victory when the teams met last. Can the Super Kings get one back?

The Deccan Chargers will hope to carry forward the newly found momentum when they come up against the League leaders Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Friday night.