Chargers tamed by Sangwan and Bhatia

The match between an all-conquering Delhi and a rejuvenated Deccan was hyped to be a thriller, but the end was a sort of an anti-climax. Deccan slumped from a comfortable 149/3 to 161 all-out thanks to the efforts by two domestic bowlers-Rajat Bhatia and an eighteen-year-old Pradeep Sangwan.

Delhi put up a stiff target, thanks to the efforts of Karthik , Dilshan and deVilliers who scored 125 runs between them in just 77 balls. The veteran Lankan, Vaas, was taken to the cleaners and conceded 52 runs in his four overs, the highest in this version of the IPL. His last over went for 23 runs. Young Shoaib Maqsusi also came in the way of a hard hitting Dilshan and gave away 24 runs in the only over he bowled.

Then it was a battle between the two Delhi resident bowlers-Pradeep Sangwan and Rajat Bhatia against the two heavy-hitting Aussies in the Deccan line-up-Adam Gilchirst and Andrew Symonds. Gilchrist was in sublime touch as he murdered Nehra and Nannes, sending them to all parts of the ground. Some sanity returned to the proceedings as Sangwan took over the reins from Nehra and he put the shackles on the Aussie. 50 runs were conceded in the powerplay overs, of which Sangwan gave away just three runs in his two overs. But Gilly was not done yet. He hit five huge sixes, taking on every bowler who bowled at him other than Dilshan and Sangwan. It was surpising to see Mishra not using his googly against Gilchrist who obliged by hitting the leggie twice over the square-leg boundary. When Gilchrist was out to Sangwan in the 11th over he had scored 64 runs in a total of 86.

Then came the big burly Symonds who wisely chose the balls to be hit. At one point the Chargers required at eleven per over but it was brought down to 25 off 19 by Roy. From that point it just seemed to be a cakewalk for the Chargers who had seven wickets in hand. Ravi Teja was out in the last ball of the seventeenth over trying hard to up the ante but finishing with 27 off 32. Sehwag passed the ball to Bhatia, hoping against hope. I dont think even he believed that Delhi had a chance from there on with Symonds at the crease. The first ball was a very slow and low full toss aimed at the off stump. Symonds missed it completely as he tried for a big one. It was a match decider as the Chargers collapsed thereon. The third ball to smith was again a slower ball, but this time a leg cutter on the middle stump. Smith went for a wild swing and by the time he completed his swing, his off stump was uprooted. The batsmen who followed could do little and Deccan were bowled out for 161 in 19.4 overs. They scored just 12 runs in their last 17 balls and lost 7 wickets, four of them to Bhatia who was rightly adjudged the MOM. He will be on a hat-trick when he gets to bowl against Punjab

The Kiwis fire, at last!

We knew that it was due. Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor are too good to be kept silent for long. We saw a spark in McCullum's last match against Delhi when he hit Ashish Nehra for a six in his first over. But to add to the long list of Kolkatta's woes he was wrongly adjudged lbw in the very next ball. McCullum proved what a force he can be in his next match against Bangalore.

He began the innings slowly, scoring at a run a ball. But he shifted to top gear in the sixteenth over pulling and cutting and scooping the balls to and over the boundaries. He finished with an unbeaten 84 off 64 with 12 hits to the boundary and two of them over it. The batting effort rubbed on his fielding too. He took a spectacular catch in his left hand, driving full stretch to dismiss a set Kallis. The McCullum who dropped sitters was already forgotten. The McCullum we knew was back.

But another Kiwi spoiled his party. What would have been a wonderful day for the Knight Riders and their captain turned out sour when Ross Taylor decided that he hadn't contributed enough for his team's cause. 81 off 33 balls is an excellent strike rate even on the best batting grounds in the world. When India's fastest bowler, Ishant Sharma, gets hit to all parts of the ground and concedes 20 in an over, we know that Ross means business. His quick hands provided apt replies to the bowlers 145k short-of-a-length deliveries. Bangalore needed 40 off the last three overs. When Ross had done with a hapless Ishant and a hopeless Agarkar, they needed just five of the last over. In the second ball of the last over, Taylor deposited Angelo Mathews over the fence to earn a well fought win against some ordinary bowling.

Taylor is my favorite batsman after the Mumbai Maestro and Jayawardena. These batsmen rely more on timing and placement than or power hitting and that is what I love about them. Taylor is the youngest of the lot and might be the best batsmen of the world after the other two retire. I believe that we have not yet seen the best of this Kiwi. Many more bigger and better innings are right around the corner