 Chennai Super Kings enter semi-finals
28th May 2008 07:00 IST
Agencies
Earlier, a heroic 76-run fourth-wicket partnership between Venugopal Rao and Dwaraka Ravi Teja propelled Deccan Chargers to 147/8.
Rao (46) and Teja (40) joined hands when their team was stuttering at 57/3, after deciding to bat on a good batting pitch.
Only Rao and Teja batted with guile and grit as all other batsmen struggled to find rhythm and big hitters like Gibbs (8) and Afridi (1) disappointed once again.
Rao's 46-ball knock, which included three fours and one six, was mixture of aggression and caution while Teja was furious right from the word go. Teja hit four fours and a six in his 28-ball knock.
Once the duo departed, the hosts wickets fell one after another as they crumbled under pressure of putting up a big total.
Gibbs found it tough to negotiate a disciplined pace attack on a bouncy wicket and eventually departed while trying to break the shackles.
The South African slashed one off compatriot Makhaya Ntini over the point region but only managed a thick edge which was accepted gleefully by Lakshmipathy Balaji at third-man.
Skipper Gilchrist (5) perished in the same way when he tried to loft a good length delivery by Manpreet Gony and just managed an outside edge, which flew to third man Abhinav Mukund.
Runs were tough to come from the blade as first five overs fetched just 18 runs and that too at the cost of two wickets.
Rao and Scott Styris (20) then steadied the rocking boat by weaving a 39-run stand for the third wicket before the latter was undone by Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.
Styris, who played some good shots in his short knock, gave charge to Muralitharan but missed the line completely and was bowled by Sri Lankan.
All the bowlers from the visiting side kept a tight line until Balaji was hit for 14 runs in the 14th over, which also witnessed first six of the innings.
Morkel and Balaji took two-wickets each while Ntini, Goni and Muralitharan claimed one wicket each. |
