Deccan Chargers post a dramatic Win !!

In a dramatic and exciiting match Deccan Chargers recorded their 7th victory in the IPL 2 against Kolkata Knight Riders and moved up to the 3rd position with 14 points. With 3 more matches to play the Deccan Chargers went onto the field on Saturday (16-05-2009) against the Kolkata Knight Riders. Having won the toss the Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist put the opposition into bat. Kolkata Knight Riders were off to a slow start with the Deccan Chargers being on top in the match. The Deccan Chargers managed to restrict the Kolkata Knight Riders to 50/1 in the first 10 overs by claiming the wicket of the most dangerous Brendon McCullum. It was after the strategy break that the game started to turn towards the Kolkata Knight Riders way and they managed to score most of the runs. The Kolkata Knight Riders put up a target of 161 for the Deccan Chargers. Deccan Chargers lost their way with the bowling when the Kolkata Knight Riders scored a massive 42 runs of the last 2 overs, the 19th over being the most expensive of the innings. Brad Hodge and David Hussey managed to host a huge score individually. Where Brad Hodge could manage 48 off 41 balls with 5 boundaries David Hussey was the pick of the batsmen who scored 43 off just 17 balls with 2 boundaries and 4 sixes. Just as the previous match the Deccan Chargers lost their way with their bowling in the last overs.

Down with their bowling the Deccan Chargers needed to fire from the start. With Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs opening the batting for the Chargers the openers needed to put up a huge score on the board for the middle order to take them to victory. Adam Gilchrist was on fire and just when he was beginning to look dangerous for the Kolkata Knight Riders got out in the 10th over just before the Strategic Time out, he scored 43 off 31 balls with 5 boundaries and 2 sixes. However, the Deccan Chargers were 71/1 at the end of 10 overs and were looking good. Herschelle Gibbs was then joined by Tirumalsetti Suman who put up a good show. It was in the 13th over Herschelle Gibbs lost his wicket 28 and the Chargers were down to 85/2. Suman was then joined by Andrew Symmonds and both continued to play some exciting shots until Suman got run out while returning for second run on a call made by Andrew Symmonds, he scored 31 off 24 balls with 3 boundaries and 1 six.

Rohit Sharma who has not been in the best of his form since the last 2 to 3 matches joined Andrew Symmonds. With 44 runs needed for victory in 21 balls the Deccan Chargers were once again under pressure but not long when Andrew Symmonds scored a six and Rohit Sharma a boundary of Ajit Agarkar's bowling in the 17th over. Needing 34 runs to win off 18 balls it seemed quite possible for the Deccan Chargers with Andrew Symmonds and Rohit Sharma at the crease but it didn't seem like the celebrations were easy for the Chargers, Andrew Symmonds was run out by a direct hit Mashrafe Mortaza off his own bowling on the 1st ball of the 18th over when he was called for a run by Rohit Sharma and was made to run to the danger end. Annoyed by the decision to take run Andrew Symmonds had to depart for just 18. Rohit Sharma now had to make up for the blunder of getting Symmonds run out and also for his poor performance in the past games. The 18th and 19th over seemed as the Deccan Chargers were on their way to gifting another game as the last one against the Delhi Daredevils, the Chargers now needed 21 runs off the last over to win the match.

Mashrafe Mortaza was given the responsibility to restrict the Deccan Chargers so that the Kolkata Knight Riders could record their 2nd victory in the IPL 2, however Rohit Sharma did not allow that to happen. Rohit Sharma pulled the first ball bowled to midwicket for a four, the Chargers were really lucky to get a no-ball also as there were only 3 fielders within the ring. Needing 16 off 6 balls it now seemed the Chargers could get home but Rohit was reduced to just 1 run on the second ball which brought Venugopal Rao on strike. However Venu got a thick outside edge that landed on the bounce to the third man and he managed to get a single and get Rohit Sharma back on strike. The Chargers now needing 14 off 4 balls were in desperate need of some big shots and that is when Rohit Sharma heaved away over midwicket for a massive six (115 meters, the second longest of the tournament) bringging down the target to 8 runs off 3 balls. The bowler was under pressure and this is the time when you tend to make mistakes, Mashrafe Mortaza bowling a wide reducing the target for the Chargers by 1 more run. The Chargers now needing 7 off 3 balls were still under pressure, the 4th ball was swatted down to long-on for 2 runs. Venugopal Rao made it look very easy by running very well, when it seemed that the Chargers might have to settle down just for 1 run. With 5 to get off 2 balls, Rohit Sharma made room and carts the ball wide of a diving cover to beat long-off to the boundary and leaving the Deccan Chargers to get just 1 run of the last ball for victory.

It could not have got better than this, when it just seemed that the match might move into more exciting phase of the super over, Rohit Sharma pulled the last ball well over the fine leg boundary to hit a six and steal the match away from the Kolkata Knight Riders. As it just seemed that the Kolkata Knight Riders were on their way to victory Rohit Sharma spoiled their party plans by scoring 32 off 13 balls with 3 boundaries and 2 sixes and went on to clinch the Man of the Match title as well. With the Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings already making there way to the Semi-Finals, the Deccan Chargers would now be looking forward to record their victory on Sunday against the Kings XI Punjab and make their way to the Semis also.