Three years ago, Adam Gilchrist loomed large over the Deccan Chargers, then billed as ‘The unstoppables.' On Saturday, his former side was hard-pressed to halt the awesome Aussie as he led Kings XI Punjab in a blistering assault on the Hyderabad side with fellow-opener Paul Valthaty as active accomplice.
The devastating duet they unleashed not only dismantled the host's attack but also inflicted a humiliating eight-wicket defeat. Chasing the Chargers' 165 for eight, the Punjab squad surpassed the mark with 14 balls to spare. Laying the foundation were Gilchrist's 61 (46b, 5x4, 3x6) and Valthaty's 75 (47b, 8x4, 5x6), the destructive duo, between them, showering the Rajiv Gandhi international stadium with eight sixes.
Adjudged Man-of-the-Match for his invaluable 75 and a bag of four for 29, Valthaty is also in the hunt for the orange cap, matching strides with Sachin Tendulkar with an identical tally of 201.
The twosome had survived catches off free hits but bashed on regardless, the side's half century coming when the latter slammed Manpreet Gony for two boundaries and a six on the trot. Valthaty carted the burly bowler to the fence two more times in that over.
Dale Steyn got the ball to move both in the air and off the seam but the batsmen had only to coax the ball to see it race to the ropes. The Chargers' spearhead was more than a shade unlucky to see a deadly drifter beat Valthaty, only to sail harmlessly to stumper Sangakkara.
The opening partnership prospered, Gilchrist picking his shots cleanly, pillaging Gony's second over for a four and a six. Valthaty found the gaps, hardly intimidated by a glaring Ishant Sharma or the rest of the attack. Gilchrist then smote Amit Mishra over the sightscreen, thus logging his 50 and his side's 100.
Valthaty followed suit shortly after, hoisting Duminy, also towards the sightscreen and rounding off the over with another big heave.
Earlier, Gilchrist read the coin-flip right and invited the host to bat.
Opener Sunny Sohal holed out to mid-off Dinesh Karthik. Thereon the left-handed duo of Shikhar Dhawan and Kumar Sangakkara kept the runs coming.
The penchant of the southpaws to square drive fetched them the fours but that stream dried with the posting of a sweeper. Presence at the crease proved to be a priority, even as the scoring never slackened, the 50-run stand between the pair marked by Dhawan's six to the long-on region.
Dhawan welcomed Piyush Chawala with a vicious reverse sweep. After the pair had put on 75 for the second wicket, Sangakkara pulled Chawla but was picked up by McLaren at deep mid-wicket.
Dhawan's weakness for playing across had him trapped soon after when part-timer Valthaty lobbed one down the leg. Short fine-leg Sunny Singh didn't have to budge to hold the catch.
Despite a reprieve at long-off, Bharat Chipli lofted another golf shot to the long-on region but Shaun Marsh charged in from mid-wicket and made no mistake, this victim also snared by Valthaty.
Another reversal would have spelt trouble and new man in Daniel Christian preferred skimmers to skiers but not so Jean-Paul Duminy whose heave sailed to long-off Chawla.
Scoreboard
Deccan Chargers: S. Sohal c Karthik b Harris 7 (5b, 1x4), S. Dhawan c Sunny Singh b Valthaty 45 (36b, 5x4), K. Sangakkara c McLaren b Chawla 35 (28b, 5x4), J.P. Duminy c Chawla b McLaren 18 (16b, 1x4), B. Chipli c Shaun Marsh b Valthaty 14 (12b, 2 x4), D. Christian 30 (14b, 2x4, 2x6), M. Gony b McLaren 0 (1b), D.B. Ravi Teja (not out) 10 (6b, 1x4), A. Mishra lbw b Valthaty 0 (1b), D. Steyn (not out) 1 (2b); Extras (lb-3, nb-1, w-1): 5; Total (for eight wickets in 20 overs): 165.
Fall of wickets : 1-13, 2-88, 3-91, 4-112, 5-129, 6-137, 7-156, 8-156.
Kings XI Punjab bowling: Praveen 4-0-29-0, Harris 4-0-31-1, Mclaren 3-0-33-2, Malik 2-0-13-0, Nayar 1-0-10-0, Chawla 2-0-17-1, Valthaty 4-0-29-4.
King s XI Punjab: A. Gilchrist c Ravi Teja b Mishra 61 (46b, 5x4, 3x6), P. Valthaty 75 (47b, 8x4, 5x6), Abhishek Nayar (not out) 13 (10b, 2x4), D. Karthik (not out) 3 (5b); Extras (lb-7, nb-2, w-5): 14; Total (for two wickets in 17.4 overs): 166.
Fall of wickets: 1-136, 2-151.
Deccan Chargers bowling: Steyn 3-0-24-0, Ishant 4-0-23-0, Gony 2-0-35-0, Mishra 4-0-28-2, Christian 2.4-0-28-0, Duminy 2-0-21-0.
Man-of-the-Match: Paul Valthaty.
