PWI 173-5 after 20 overs
Smith 47, Samuels 1
Deccan Chargers win by 13 runs. Good win, credit to Sanga and White. But Pune were done in by bad bowling too. They gave away 96 in the last 6 overs they bowled and from that point on, they needed something really special. Dada’s innings wasn’t good enough and when you have so many talented batsmen in the team, it makes you wonder why Dada is batting so high up the order.
PWI 158-4 after 18.5 overs
RV Uthappa c sub (DJ Harris) b Ashish Reddy 26 (18b, 1×4, 1×6)
Good catch to end the partnership. But more importantly it was a dot-ball too. PWI has a pretty difficult task on their hands. They need sixes. Lots of them.
PWI 147-3 after 18 overs
Uthappa 16, Smith 39
Pune Warriors require another 40 runs with 7 wickets and 12 balls remaining. The second-last over will be crucial. If Pune muck it up, then DC will run out easy winners.
PWI 125-3 after 16 overs
Uthappa 9, Smith 26
Finally some quick runs. But have PWI left it too late? It sure looks like that. But crazier things have happened in T20. However, DC will need to bowl really badly to lose this from here.
PWI 96-3 after 12.4 overs
SC Ganguly c White b Dhawan 45 (40b, 5×4, 1×6)
Super slow innings from Dada comes to an end. No use showing disgust after getting out, he should have done something while he could. Also it’s strange to have batsmen like Uthappa and Smith sitting in the dug out while Dada takes his time getting set. Strange times.
PWI 90-2 after 11.3 overs
MJ Clarke run out 41 (31b, 7×4)
Dhawan dropped a sitter, the ball just went through his hands but then Mishra was alert enough to pick up the ball and make an accurate throw which caught the Aussie skipper, going for his second run, short of his ground. Dada will need to play a match-winning knock now. No other way out.
PWI 75-1 after 10 overs
Ganguly 36, Clarke 35
At the same stage, Deccan Chargers were 58 for 2. But they turned it around in some style towards the end of their innings. PWI wouldn’t want to do the same.
PWI 58-1 after 8 overs
Ganguly 23, Clarke 32
Still not a great run-rate but at least Pune have wickets in hand. Dada is slowing things down considerably. He is struggling. His chances of a comeback must be pretty dim now.
PWI 48-1 after 6 overs
Ganguly 19, Clarke 28
PWI finally looking good. Ganguly started it off with a dreamy cover-drive and then Clarke followed it up with two classic cuts for four. This is good batting but it needs to be a lot better.
PWI 29-1 after 4 overs
Ganguly 13, Clarke 16
Slow and steady. That’s not what PWI want. They want some big runs and quick. The required run-rate has edged over 10 and it looks like the decision to leave out Ryder wasn’t a good one.
Pune innings
PWI 0-1 after 0.1 overs
MK Pandey c Sangakkara b Ankit Sharma 0 (1b)
DC lost a wicket off the first ball and then it was PWI’s turn to follow suit. Pandey went for the big shot, found Sanga instead of the boundary.
DC 186-4 after 20 overs
Duminy 4, Samantray 2
After 14 overs, DC were 91 for 2 and struggling big-time. But then Sanga and White started attacking and it was wonderful. The outfield is quick and the pitch is good but can Pune match this effort? We’ll know in a bit.
DC 180-4 after 19 overs
C White c Smith b Parnell 74 (45b, 4×4, 4×6)
Great knock by White. Even as Sanga was struggling to begin with, it was White who kept DC afloat and then once the skipper got his act together. It was complete mayhem.
DC 180-3 after 19 overs
KC Sangakkara b Nehra 82 (52b, 10×4, 2×6)
After a slow start, Sanga really turned it on in some style. The partnership was worth 157 runs in just 14.2 overs at a RR of 10.95. And it has given DC a good chance of clinching this. Pune have a good batting line-up but this will not be easy.
DC 155-2 after 18 overs
White 74, Sangakkara 58
64 runs have come in the last 4 overs. This is murder! Ganguly brought himself back into the attack and got clobbered by White for three successive sixes and a four. DC can do no wrong now. They might even touch 170.
DC 130-2 after 17 overs
White 50, Sangakkara 58
Wow. Great fightback by DC. Looks like we might still have a match on our hands. Pune must’ve thought this was going to be an easy game but then Sanga and White decided to turn things around in emphatic fashion.
DC 110-2 after 15 overs
White 47, Sangakkara 47
Sanga has come to life and how. Marlon was hit for four fours in his last over and if DC can maintain a RR of 10 over the next 5 overs, they should reach 160 — a total which will be competitive.
DC 85-2 after 13 overs
White 44, Sangakkara 25
Finally, DC are getting a move on. But is it too late? White has tried to force the pace but will it be in time? It seems like DC have got their strategy wrong.
DC 63-2 after 11 overs
White 31, Sangakkara 16
DC are struggling to hit the fours and the sixes. There aren’t even enough two and threes that are being taken. Sangakkara should have considered sitting this one out too.
DC 48-2 after 9 overs
White 20, Sangakkara 14
No matter what DC fans will tell you, this wicket isn’t a minefield. It isn’t even close. But Sanga and White are struggling. Yes, Pune are bowling well but this is perhaps a case of too much respect being shown.
DC 36-2 after 7 overs
White 16, Sangakkara 6
Slow start. Pune are completely in charge and DC need a special innings from the skipper here but for the moment he is struggling and they have a batsman like Duminy sitting in the dug out. Might as well use him.
DC 23-2 after 4.4 overs
S Dhawan b Kumar 13 (18b, 2×4)
Bowled!! Bhuvneshwar Kumar sends Dhawan’s middle stump for a walk. Sangakkara, the man who dropped himself in the last game, walks in next.
DC 14-1 after 3 overs
Dhawan 10, White 4
The first-ball wicket was followed up by a maiden in the second over from Wayne Parnell and just like that Pune had taken charge of the game. DC will need to be cool and calm about this. They need a platform to make this count.
DC 0-1 after 0.1 overs
P Patel b Samuels 0 (1b)
Bowled’im!!! Parthiv is gone first ball. Samuels was the bowler and the inside edge went on to the stumps. Bad start for DC. But then looking at this season, nothing new for them.
Pre-game
Deccan Chargers have won the toss and elected to bat first. Their skipper Kumar Sangakkara is back and hopefully that will help them turn things around. They are currently sitting at the bottom of the table having won just one game. They have another point from a washed out game.
Aussie skipper Michael Clarke is making his IPL debut today for Warriors and that means Sourav Ganguly has some serious talent on his hands. The Warriors have already done well this season and are in second place — behind the Delhi Daredevils.
Sangakkara is back in the line-up after missing Deccan's previous match. AFP
But to accommodate Clarke, Pune have dropped Jesse Ryder — a decision that could strike many as strange. The left-hander has played a few decent knocks and Clarke isn’t exactly the best T20 player around.
That aside, DC will be desperate to get some wins on the board and they would like to start now. Dale Steyn has been superb for them but the rest of the side, just isn’t good enough. They look short on inspiration and confidence.
Squads:
Deccan Chargers
PA Patel, S Dhawan, KC Sangakkara*, CL White, JP Duminy, BB Samantray, Ankit Sharma, A Ashish Reddy, A Mishra, DW Steyn, V Pratap Singh.
Pune Warriors
MK Pandey, SC Ganguly*, MJ Clarke, RV Uthappa, MN Samuels, SPD Smith, M Manhas, WD Parnell, M Kartik, B Kumar, A Nehra.
