Chargers lord over Super Kings

Suman steers resurgent Deccan Chargers to six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings

Match Report: Match-42: Deccan Chargers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings at Vidarbha Cricket Association at Nagpur, 10th April 2010.

Nagpur, April 10: A confident Tirmulasetti Suman 44-ball 55 (4x4, 2x6) steered a resurgent Deccan Chargers Hyderabad to a comfortable six-wicket victory over the Chennai Super Kings in Match 42 at Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium here on Saturday evening. Deccan Chargers made short work of Chennai Super Kings’ total of 138, by cruising home with the loss of four wickets reaching their target in 19.1 overs.

This was the Deccan Chargers second win on the trot and kept alive their chances of a semi-final spot. The Adam Gilchrist led Chargers recorded their fifth win from 11 matches to lodge 10 points. They are ,however, still at the seventh spot. The loss though was a huge setback for the Chennai Super Kings who lost their sixth match. They, too, have 10 points from 11 matches.

Deccan Chargers had a modest target to chase but skipper Adam Gilchrist , dropped at four, was dismissed in the fifth over. Off-spinner R Ashwin, who opened the attack, forced the dashing opener to snick behind (32/1). Ashwin took his second scalp as Monish Mishra (21 off 18 balls) was stumped. The spin did the trick for Chennai Super Kings again. This time Rohit Sharma was back in the pavilion as he cut Raina uppishly and Sudeep Tyagi, at short third man, held a diving catch.

But Tirmulasetti Suman continued his rich vein of form. The gangling opener stamped his class. The in-form batsman, who played a match-winning 57-ball 78 against Royal Challengers, reached his second successive 50 in 37 balls. But the Hyderabad Ranji opener was done in by left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati. Suman though had by that time ensured that the Deccan Chargers were in driver’s seat. Andrew Symonds 26 not out (21 balls) and Dwayne Smith (13 not out) completed the formalities by taking the Deccan Chargers home from there on.

It was another disappointing performance by the Chennai Super Kings bowlers. However Ashwin was outstanding as he returned with figures of 4-0-13-2. Ashwin though did not get enough support from other bowlers with even the likes of Doug Bollinger giving away 31 runs from 3 overs.

On a hot day when the temperatures touched 42 degrees, Aussie left-hander Mathew Hayden and the in-form Murali Vijay put on 41 runs in 4.4 overs. Hayden (18-ball 19), who had his Mongoose bat out, perished trying to hit out Harmeet Singh. Vijay struck one four and one six before running himself out for 23 (15 balls) while going for a second run. Chennai Super Kings lost their skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (7) at 82 when he was bowled by left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha. Aussie left-hander Michael Hussey fell caught in the deep off Andrew Symonds (8). The Deccan Chargers by then had come back strongly into the match as they managed to restrict the Chennai Super Kings to 110/4 in the 15th over. The Chennai Super Kings though had made a blazing start as they got their 50 in 5.4 overs.

Left-hander Suresh Raina, who was dropped by Monish Mishra at deep square leg off Dwayne Smith when on 4, played some pleasing strokes to bring his 50 off 38 deliveries (4x4, 2x6). Chennai Super Kings lost S Badrinath, who tried to `Dilscoop’ left-arm seamer RP Singh but was caught at short third man and it became 122/6 in 18th over. Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris had Raina (52; 42b, 4x4, 2x6) caught at long-off to stop the rampaging Chennai Super Kings. Harris bagged two more wickets (R Ashwin and Thilan Thushara) to put Chennai Super Kings in deep trouble. Harris completed his four-over spell (4-0-18-3). From 110/4, Chennai Super Kings ended at poor 138/8 in 20 overs. Ojha, who claimed his 16th wicket of the tournament, bowled only three overs. Symonds (1/23) and Harmeet (1/21) were economical and restrictive.

Chennai Super Kings left out off-spinner Muttiah Muralidaran while Deccan Chargers Hyderabad brought back Dwayne Smith, who replaced Australia under-19 captain Mitchel Marsh. Andhra Ranji skipper B Sumanth replaced the injured Venugopal Rao.