Viru blitz flattens Chargers

The incredible Virender Sehwag (119; 56 balls, 13x3, 6x6) took the bull by its horn to single-handedly steer Delhi Daredevils to a four-wicket win over Deccan Chargers at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Thursday night. 

Deccan Chargers equalled their season’s best score of 175 for 5, which they made against Royal Challengers Bangalore but that was not good enough as Sehwag toyed the hosts’ attack to give DD their fourth victory of the season. It was seventh defeat out of ten matches for DC  this season and 14th at this ground. DD scored 179/6 in 19 overs.The explosive Sehwag ran amock to destroy the DC attack and put DD on road to victory. The DD skipper was subdued at the start as Aaron Finch (0), Naman Ojha and Y Venugopala Rao fell early in the innings but once he got into his groove he was unstoppable.  He began by clobbing Ishan Malhotra for two sixes (mid-wicket) and two fours to set the tone for his fine innings. The medium-pacer  conceded 23 runs in his first over. Malhotra came into the side in place of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who was DC’s best bowler in the last match. Sehwag completed his 50 (27 balls) by smoting a straight six off leg spinner Amit Mishra’s first ball but the next ball, substitute Ankit Sharma grassed a high catch at sweeper cover. That was the turning point of the match as DC lost the plot and Sehwag took the game away.  Left-hander Trevor Birt was a mere spectator as Sehwag went on a rampage, hitting 56 runs in their 61-run stand for the fourth  off 28 balls before the former was bowled by Christian. But Sehwag made his intensions clear. He cruised to his maiden IPL hundred off 48 deliveries, the second 50 coming off 21 deliveries. But only a peach of delivery by Dale Steyn terminated his innings. He was patted by the bowler and was given a standing ovation. Although DD lost one more wicket, the visitors  cruised home with  six deliveries to spare.Earlier, left-hander JP Duminy (55 off 31 balls; 2x4. 4x6), who  came in place of out-of-form Cameron White,  essayed some bizzare strokes to bring cheers to the home crowd. He smashed  Hopes,  Yogesh Nagar, Agarkar and Morkel for massive sixes to bring up his 50. Duminy had slice of luck at 23 when he was caught at mid-wicket off a no-ball by Yogesh Nagar. In the same 15h over, the off-spinner overstepped again and this time Daniel Christian was lucky as his top edge was held at backward point.  Nagar went for 20 runs in the only over he bowled. DC mustered up 50 runs in the last five  overs. Duminy dominated the 72-run fourth wicket stand  with Christian, which came off 35 balls.