By Jamie Alter
Adam Gilchrist’s decision to field in Kings XI Punjab’s critical final league match backfired, as Deccan Chargers surged to their season-high 198 for two on the back of a century opening stand.
Published: May 21, 2011, 05:41 PM (IST)
Edited: May 21, 2011, 05:41 PM (IST)
Deccan batsman Shikhar Dhawan in action during their IPL match against Punjab © AFP
By Jamie Alter
Dharamsala: May 21, 2011
Adam Gilchrist’s decision to field in Kings XI Punjab’s critical final league match backfired, as Deccan Chargers surged to their season-high 198 for two on the back of a century opening stand. A promotion up the order proved successful for Dwaraka Ravi Teja, who lived a charmed life but did his job in a 131-run alliance with Shikhar Dhawan, who’s 95 was the highest individual score for DC this season. KXIP’s fielding and catching was atrocious, with Teja being dropped thrice and throws repeatedly missing the stumps.
KXIP had only themselves to blame for letting DC get away so strongly. Cameron White’s side could have been two down in the first over, but for Ryan McLaren missing the stumps and Paul Valtathy putting down Ravi Teja in the deep. Lucky to survive that run-out chance off his first delivery, Dhawan played some crunchy shots as he led a strong start for his team. He was particularly strong off his pads, and his first five boundaries all came between mid-on and fine leg.
Dhawan’s fifty needed just 35 balls, but the landmark was hardly noticed during a frenetic period of shoddy fielding and gung-ho batting from his opening partner. There were plenty of crude hacks and miscued pull shots for Ravi Teja, and in the space of five deliveries he escaped a run-out appeal, edged twice to third man for four, and was let off by Ryan Harris at mid-on.
Ravi Teja proceeded to thump Chawla for consecutive sixes and delectably cut four between two men on the offside in a 20-run over that took him to fifty. With each passing delivery Ravi Teja added to KXIP’s frustration, and it was relief for the home team when he was held at deep midwicket the delivery after he had been dropped by Harris for a second time.
Chawla came in for further punishment from Dhawan and was left to nurse figures of 0 for 48 from his quota, while Harris and Bharghav Bhatt also felt the fury of the left-hander’s bat. Dhawan powered DC past their previous best total of 2011 by swatting Bhatt for six in the 18th over, and a boundary off the final ball of the 19th took him to 94. He got back on strike for the final two balls of the innings, and could only manage a single.
Considering Gilchrist had vindicated his decision to bat in the previous game with a blistering century, it was odd that he would choose to change his tactic. The target for KXIP to stay alive is a mammoth 199.
Brief Scores: DC 198 for 2 in 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 95*, Dwaraka Ravi Teja 60; Paul Valtathy 1 for 24) vs KXIP.
(Jamie Alter is a freelance cricket writer, having worked at ESPNcricinfo and All Sports Magazine. He is the author of two books, The History of World Cup Cricket and Field of Dreams: The Story of the Dr. DY Patil Sports Stadium. His twitter feed is @jamie_alter)
