IPL CRICKET 2010 - Deccan Chargers KKR

IPL CRICKET 2010

Deccan Chargers Vs Kolkata Knight Riders

GANGSTER TO THE FORE

Skipper Sourav's 88 Helps Kolkata Side down 

Deccan Chargers By 24 runs

Kolkata:The nor'wester didn't hit Eden Gardens, yet Deccan Chargers were blown away to pieces by the fury of one man hell-bent on redeeming pride after three weeks of mediocrity and humiliation.

           Thursday evening at one of cricket's most romantic theatres was all about Sourav Ganguly's Dadagiri. Ganguly (54 off 88, 9x4, 5x6) single-handedly guided Kolkata Knight Riders to a hitherto unachieved total of 181/6 at Eden and then marshaled his resouces dffectively to restrict the Chargers to 157/5.

          Just twice during their pursuit of a stiff target did Deccan threaten to make a match of it. In the very first over, which went for 14, as Ganguly tried to surprise the opposition by throwing in unknown office Mohnish Parmar. And then when Herschelle Gibbs (50 off 45 balls) and Andrew Symonds got together in a 4th -wicket stand scoring at 8 and more consistently.

           Once Gibbs holed out to Shane Bond, though, it left Symonds with too much to do.

        All the bowlers did a good job. with the pacy Bond and the miserly Murali Karthik standing out. They would have got a kick in the back side from their captain had they not manged to defend 181.

           Ganguly had made a point about the toss being critical after losing to Delhi Daredevil at the Kotla, prompting Shah Rukh Khan to comment that there was no point in making excuses.

          The captain's prayers were answered on Thursday and there wasn't going to be a second thought about batting first.

         Aware that his batting so far in the tournament had been plain ordinary. the left-hander meant business right from the word go. Two boundaries off Kemar Roach's first over one flicked to fine leg and the other caressed between point and cover was a message his franchisee owner must have loved to receive.

          The tight ones and twos were a strict no-no, but the big shots flowed from Ganguly's blade as and when he wished.