51st Match:Deccan Chargers v Bangalore Royal Challengers

Deccan Chargers v Bangalore Royal Challengers, IPL, Hyderabad

Deccan Chargers restricted to 165

May 25, 2008

20 overs Deccan Chargers 165 (Gibbs 47, Gilchrist 46) v Bangalore Royal Challengers
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Despite getting off to a fantastic start, Deccan Chargers lost their way completely towards the end and were bowled out for 165 against Bangalore Royal Challengers. Herschelle Gibbs and Adam Gilchrist added 101 for the first wicket in just 11.2 overs to give Deccan the perfect platform, but thereafter the innings lost steam as Bangalore hit back with regular wickets, taking nine for 57 in the last eight overs to leave themselves with a very gettable target.

Bangalore started poorly, but from the start they showed a willingness to experiment: Rahul Dravid tossed the ball to Anil Kumble first up, whose excellent day was spoiled only by his last three deliveries, which cost 16. He attacked the stumps from the start, nearly trapped Gibbs lbw in his first over, and ultimately had him stumped. Dale Steyn was superb, finishing with figures of 2 for 19, while Virat Kohli filled in admirably when Jacques Kallis retired midway through his second over.

Halfway through their innings, though, it seemed Deccan were running away with it. Their start was surprisingly slow - after four overs only 22 were on the board - but once Kumble and Steyn were taken off the attack, both batsmen came to the party. Gilchrist, who scored only six off his first 14 deliveries, changed gears by carving Jacques Kallis over mid-on and midwicket for fours, while Gibbs made his South African team-mate suffer in his next over, coming down the pitch and crashing him for a straight six. Kallis hurt his hamstring while completing that delivery and limped off the field, further hurting a Bangalore attack that already lacked Zaheer Khan and the injured Praveen Kumar.

Kohli, who completed that over and then bowled two more accurate overs of slow medium pace, kept a lid on the runs, but Deccan feasted on B Akhil, who had neither the pace nor the accuracy to test the batsmen. Two leg-side deliveries were tucked for fours by Gibbs, while Gilchrist was even more severe in his next over: the first two balls disappeared over long-on and midwicket for sixes, the fourth one was crashed down the ground for four, while the last one was driven through extra cover to round off an over which leaked 20.

The last stroke also brought up the century partnership - Deccan's second hundred stand for the first wicket - and after 11 they were cruising at 101 without loss, but from there the innings lost its way. Gibbs was stumped, somewhat untidily, by Shreevats Goswami, Gilchrist fell in the next over, lofting to long-on, and the rest struggled to maintain the momentum.

Rohit Sharma played a delectable late cut off the second ball he faced, from Kumble, but a blow to his right hand from a Vinay Kumar delivery which rose unexpectedly curbed his attacking instincts, and he only managed 17.

Deccan still had some ammunition left, as Venugopal Rao spoilt Kumble's figures significantly, creaming two sixes and a four off his last three deliveries. Apart from that burst, though, Deccan were largely subdued towards the end, scoring just 16 off the last three overs, leaving Bangalore with a target they'll feel reasonably confident of chasing down.