Adam Gilchrist the Deccan Chargers leading from the front took his team into the Finals with an outstanding knock of 85 from just 35 balls. Loosing to the Bangalore Royal Challengers the last night and haven't won any match against the Delhi Daredevils in both the IPL 1st and the 2nd Edition the Deccan Chargers needed to play sensibly. Having won the toss it seemed as if Adam Gilchrist would choose to bat first and put up a challenging total for the Delhi Daredevils but that was not the case. Instead he chose to field first and probably had some plans of restricting the opposition to a defendable total.
Having chosen to field first the Deccan Chargers needed to get to a great bowling start which they did get and the Delhi Daredevils lost their openers in the first over that was bowled by Ryan Harris and the Delhi Daredevils were down to 0/2 in the first over. Having lost both their openers the Daredevils needed a good partnership to take them to a good score and which they did get in the form of Virender Sehwag and Tilakaratne Dilshan. Both the batsmen took the Delhi Daredevils to a score of 82 in their first 10 overs and were looking dangerous. As soon as they teams got to the field to continue the innings after the Strategic Time Out it was all the way the Deccan Chargers game. The Delhi Daredevils being the only team in the IPL 2 having never lost a wicket in the 11th over was taken a back when they lost their captain Virender Sehwag of the bowling of Andrew Symmonds.
Keepin in mind and track the strong batting order of the Daredevils it still seemed quite possible that they could charge to a massive total of somewhere around 170 plus with Dilshan still at the crease and leading from the front. However the Deccan Chargers kept their calm and managed to restrict the Delhi Daredevils to 153/8 off their 20 overs. Provided their was a instance when the Deccan Chargers dropped a couple of catches once again in this match and one being of the dangerous Dilshan it was in the end a very good job done by the team as a whole.
The match being not just an ordinary one but the Semi-Finals the Chargers not only needed a good start by both Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs but also needed to play sensibly since they had lost their previous match to the Delhi Daredevils at the point when they were just about to win it. From here on it was all a one man show and the one man was Adam Gilchrist the Deccan Charger captain and he went on to score a massive 85 of just 35 balls with 10 fours and 5 sixes. As Nannes got the ball and started the proceedings for the Daredevils he was thrashed by Gilchrist all over the ground for 5 consecutive boundaries in the very first over of the innings. Although it was not required for Herschelle Gibbs to take any risk since Gilchrist was already looking dangerous at the other end Gibbs ended up getting out in the second over off the bowling of Ashish Nehra for a duck. For the first time in the IPL 2 Gilchrist happened to make and interesting move and got Azhar Bilakhia at the crease instead of Suman at the loss of their first wicket.
With Azhar giving all the support to his captain stayed for a long time at the crease and on the other end Adam Gilchrist just was unstoppable and banged each and every bowler all around the ground and went on to score the fastest 50 of the IPL ever of just 17 balls. He hit consecutive 3 sixes off the bowling of Virender Sehwag and hit him for a massive 25 runs in just 1 over. After scoring just 10 runs off 20 balls and giving a handsome support to his captain Azhar had to depart when he came down the track off the bowling of Amit Mishra and got stumped. However it did not matter much for the Deccan Chargers as they were already a way ahead of the Daredevils in all aspects. When it just seemed that the Chargers would steal away the match from the Daredevils in just 13 to 14 overs Adam Gilchrist got out off the last ball of the 10th over just before the Strategic Time Out. What a knock it was and the captain leading from the front now there was no one stopping the Deccan Chargers from charging into the Finals with a lot of batting and overs left and a very few more runs to get. The Chargers were a 102/3 off their 10 overs.
Just after the Strategic Time Out when it seemed as if the Deccan Chargers would slow down since they had lost the wicket of the dangerous Adam Gilchrist it was not the case and Andrew Symmonds went on to hit 2 boundaries in the 11th over and seemed in no mood to drag it long. After hitting some good shots and 1 being out of the boundary line Andrew Symmonds got out in the 14th over. He scored 24 off 15 balls with 2 boundaries and a six. It was now on Rohit Sharma and Suman to take the Chargers home with a wonderful never forgetting victory. Although the Chargers had two set batsmen at the crease and the Deccan Chargers were eyeing that victory somewhere in the 15th over at the maximum both the batsmen stayed at the crease for a longer period than expected but played really sensibly and cautiously to take their team into the Finals. The Deccan Chargers acheived their target in 17.4 overs with just 4 wickets down and thrashed the Delhi Daredevils out of the tournament.
The Deccan Chargers now take on the winners of the 2nd Semi-Finals on Sunday (24-05-2009).
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