T Suman (78 not out) played the innings of life while Andrew Symonds gave him the perfect support with a 24-ball 53-run cameo as Deccan Chargers beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets to stay afloat for a semifinal berth in the Indian Premier League here today.
Chasing a competitive 184, Suman came up with runs when it mattered most for his team and shared an unbeaten 46-ball 91-run fourth-wicket stand with Symonds as the title holders overhauled the target comfortably with four balls to spare. Suman bejeweled his innings with six fours and three sixes while Symonds blitzkrieg included five boundaries and three huge hits over the fence. Earlier Jacques Kallis (68) and Virat Kohli (58) put on a 52-ball 95-run fifth wicket partnership to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to 184 for six.
With this win, Deccan took their points tally to eight from ten contests while the defeat saw RCB stagnate at ten points from as many matches. It was also RCB's second successive defeat, while Deccan returned back to winning after five consecutive loses. Deccan did not have the perfect start to their run chase as they lost their opener Mohnish Mishra in the third over with just 11 runs on the board. Skipper Adam Gilchrist (32 off 19) Suman, however, kept the Hyderabad side in the hunt, sharing 77 runs for the second wicket that came in just 8.3 overs.
But the whole scenario changed within just seven runs as Deccan lost two crucial wickets -- Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma -- to find themselves in a spot of bother.
Gilchrist's 19-ball essay was cut short by Kumble who foxed him with a googly and Robin Uthappa did the rest behind the stumps.
As if that blow was not enough, five balls later Rohit Sharma (6) gave away a straight forward catch to Dale Steyn off R Vinay Kumar to compound their problems.
But it was not to be Bangalore's day as Suman and Andrew Symonds milked the Deccan bowlers with caution and set the platform for the comfortable victory with some sensible hitting.
Needing 49 off the last four overs, first Symonds opened up, hitting Praveen Kumar for a four and six and then Suman joined the party clobbering the medium pacer straight over his head to pile up 21 runs. Symonds clobbered R Vinay Kumar for a six and then followed it up with a boundary in the next ball to drew curtains to their run chase in style. For RCB Praveen and Kumble picked up a wicket each, giving away 37 and 38 runs respectively.
Earlier sent into bat, Kallis continued his purple patch and scored 68 in 44 balls while Kohli produced the acceleration towards the end, making the fifty plus innings in just 35 deliveries to guide RCB to the big score, especially after they were struggling at 68 for four at one stage. Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (2/24) and Ryan Harris (2/37) were the notable wicket-takers for Deccan. From the time he stepped in, Kohli knew nothing about pressure and took the fight into the Deccan camp.
He virtually butchered the Deccan attack, taking 23 runs off an Andrew Symonds over to begin the late innings mayhem. Left-arm pacer RP Singh too bled as Kohli went berserk during his 35-ball blitzkrieg which overshadowed Kallis' belligerence.
Kallis designed his innings with nine fours and a six before he feel to a superb running catch by Harris off Mitchell Marsh. Kohli struck four sixes and as many boundaries before holing out to Symonds at long on off Harris in search of quick runs. Kohli's seemed in a destructive mood and together with Kallis, he tore apart the Deccan attack to pile up 92 runs off the last six overs.
Ojha bowled intelligently for Deccan and accounted for Rahul Dravid (26) and Ross Taylor (1) to emerge as the highest wicket-taker in IPL III with 15 scalps.
Cameron White drew curtains to the Deccan innings in style, hitting back-to-back sixes off Hariis in last two balls of the final over. PTI
