IPL Semifinal 1: Chargers Ride High on Gilchrist's Innings

The Delhi Daredevils once again lost steam towards the end of the IPL 2 semi final. The IPL 2 will definitely see a new champions, just not the Delhi Daredevils thanks to a charged up Hyderabad Deccan Chargers and a blazing Adam Gilchrist.

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Delhi were set back rather early in the match when Ryan Harris picked up two wickets off the final two balls of the first over.

In one stroke, Gautam Gambhir and David Warner had bit the dust and it appeared the Daredevils were more nervewracked than the first time semi finalists. Tillekeratne Dilshan walked onto the field the same time that AB de Villiers did and the umpire decided AB could wait his turn. But the eventual attack did come.

Sehwag's thirty-one was unexpected that Sehwag has not really been one for the IPL party this year. But Super Sport Park, Centurion saw him build a crucial partnership with Dilshan who himself made sixty-five. Together they revived Daredevils from the shock that nearly derailed their campaign.

There was a point where the Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist may have wondered if they had let the Daredevils slip right through the fingers. 133 in seventeen overs sounded like more damage that the Delhi Daredevils could inflict on the Chargers. But as Gilchrist said, the boys did appear to learn their lesson and in turn managed to restrict Delhi to 153.

The Deccan Chargers had given themselves a real chance this year in South Africa and again in the semi final here. And Gilchrist ensured his team would not lose the opportunity to make it to the IPL final.

In past matches, the Daredevils have relied on Ashish Nehra and Dirk Nannes to bowl tight to prevent teams from rampaging early while also picking up the key wickets. But the Daredevils were in for another first over of the innings shock in this match.

Adam Gilchrist slapped Nannes for five successive boundaries and with twenty-one runs coming from the first over,the signs seemed ominous. Even Herschelle Gibbs getting bowled at the other end did not halt him as he partnered well with Azhar Bilakhia. Gilchrist may have wanted to gather some momentum but the fact that he was able to do it so effectively in the first over appeared to give the former Australian wicket keeper tremendous confidence to plunge into a destructive assault against the Daredevils.

As Gilchrist thumped ball after ball with effortless ease, the Daredevils ran out of ideas and useful bowlers who had brought Delhi to the top of the IPL points table tally in the first place. Gilchrist was not all about power, his innings was one of absolute power. How the control came to him while he was in that mood to decimate any delivery that came his way was remarkable. But that he held the innings together was crucial because it meant that the Deccan Chargers had chalked up 100 runs within the first ten overs.

His wicket then on the brink of the strategy break could have halted the momentum that he had generated scoring a whopping eighty-five runs from just thirty-five balls. Andrew Symonds took on a few risks, thumped the ball around and eventually fell. But he ensured the game stayed firmly in the Deccan Chargers' favour and T. Suman added the delicate finishing touches.

Delhi knew they had lost another opportunity to get to the IPL final. They also knew that they were beaten by a more inspired team and a dynamic leader who does more than lead from the front.

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