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Royals restricts Chargers

G. Viswanath

Gilchrist leads team to a flying start, others fail to build on it

— Photo: Sandeep Saxena

ON THE RAMPAGE: Adam Gilchrist smashed a half-century in double quick time.

Jaipur: Adam Gilchrist gave a flying start to Deccan Chargers with a flurry of shots that included a towering six over mid wicket. Gilchrist began another crucial match for the Hyderabad franchisee with flowing cover drive and a slash over point off Sohail Tanvir.

When fellow Australian Shane Watson pounded in from the top of his none too long run up, the left hander brought his bottom hand into play and flicked from front of his pad for the first big boundary shot of the match.

Tanvir suffered as the powerful left hander intent on dominating the attack, marked his block time and again, and played with common sense too after attempting a rash shot off the Pakistani left hander.

The pick up shot off Watson that soared well over the on-side reflected his complete control of himself and variety of bowlers Shane Warne tried in the first ten overs.

Spirited show

But once Gilchrist departed in the 14th over, the Chargers hopes of a posting a formidable total was wrecked by another spirited show from the home team once again admirably led by Shane Warne.

The Chargers made just 43 runs, lost five wickets in the last 39 balls. Warne’s direct hit run out of Rohit Sharma was a turning point that restricted the Chargers to 140.

Probably under instructions to safeguard his wicket in the first few overs, South African Herschelle Gibbs eschewed all wanton displays and proved an ideal foil to the Chargers’ bright start.

Warne bowled a lovely leg break that forced the right hander to drag his front foot forward, but though somewhat off balanced, Gibbs survived with the third umpire Steve Davis adjudicating that his back foot was sufficiently in after Rawat had flicked the bails off.

Gibbs’ 20-ball essay had two good shots, the second one of Munaf Patel being firmly hit and attractive. But the bowled took his revenge of the next ball.

He was lucky though when on five, Graeme Smith put down a straight forward chance at cover.

Gilchrist, leading in the team for the second time in the absence of an injured V.V.S. Laxman had done much of the hard work for the Chargers to gallop at seven plus an over.

But the Royals, which did not find a place for Dimitri Mascarenhas, took control of the first session after Scott Styris gifted his wicket to off spinner Yusuf Pathan.

Encouraged by his team’s ability to chase Warne opted to field first effecting just one change by giving a first IPl match to Gujarat left hander Niraj Patel at the expense of Swapnil Asnodkar.

The scores:

Deccan Chargers: A. Gilchrist c Rawat b Trivedi 61, H. Gibbs c Rawat b Munaf 19, S. Styris c Warne b Y. Pathan 13, R. Sharma (run out) 5, S. Afridi c Munaf Patel b Warne 1, S. Bangar c Rawat b Watson 3, Ravi Teja lbw b Warne 6, Venugopala Rao (not out) 23, R.P. Singh (run out) 2, P. Ojha (not out) 1, Extras (lb-4, nb-1,w-1) 6, Total (for 8 wkts in 20 overs) 140.

Fall of wkts: 1-61, 2-88, 3-97, 4-100, 5-105, 6-105, 7-126, 8-130

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Tanvir 4-0-39-0, Watson 3-0-22-1, Munaf 4-0-28-1, Warne 4-0-20-2, Y. Pathan 2-0-19-1, Trivedi 3-0-8-1.

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