there it is, courtesy a pull over square leg to a juicy full toss, and Delhi have won by eight wickets to tie Chennai and Rajasthan on the points table!
CSK vs Daredevils, 20th match at Chennai, IPL, May 02 2008 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Daredevils won by 8 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)
A clinical chase, put into motion by a 115-run opening stand in just 11.2 overs and completed by a cool 33-run partnership between Dhawan and de Villiers. Chennai won the toss and elected to bat, as is their wont, but they struggled to really elevate themselves. They managed a healthy 169 but it proved easy enough for Delhi. The visitors bowled well, taking wickets at regular intervals and crucially stifling the scoring towards the death overs. That was the decisive factor. Then Sehwag and Gambhir blasted fifties, the latter becoming the tournament's leading run-getter, to put Delhi on course. Chennai lose their first game after four wins. They looked a different side without Hayden, Hussey and Oram. Siddarth Ravindran, who tried his hand at ball-by-ball commentary for the first few overs of the second innings tonight, tells me that Delhi are now number one owing to their net run rate of +1.263. So they are the leaders of the IPL. Salaam ...
Down to the post-match show. First up, its Dhoni, the losing captain, speaking to Tony Cozier: "Hi Tony, I'm Dhoni ... (no, I'm kidding, he didn't say that) We knew if we gave too many runs it would be difficult. Oram's bowling was critical at the start and death but its not about who's gone, its about who can step up. This is the start of the second phase for us. The guys who've been on the bench have a chance to step up."
Next in the hot seat is Sehwag, who Cozier first calls 'the devil": "Lot of pressure on us but my bowlers again did excellently. The wicket was flat and the ball came on nicely, so thanks to the curator for a good contest. I knew after I got a triple-century how nice this wicket was. I also knew they'd bowl short on my body so I played my shots. Its important in any scenario - Test, one-day, whatever - to have a good start and thats what we got. We're looking forward, and we have a good bunch of players, especially McGrath, Asif, Yomi, and Sangwan did well."
Sehwag is also the Man of the Match, rather expectedly. Gambhir gets the orange cap, by the way. "Scoring runs is more important that a cap, so I have to keep doing that," he says.
So thats it tonight, friends, and thanks for tuning in again. Come back and see us tomorrow for another Saturday double-bill. First we have the Bangalore Royal Challengers hosting the Deccan Chargers at 10:30 GMT followed by Kings XI Punjab against the Kolkata Knight Riders at 20:00 local, 14:30 GMT.
Until then, on behalf of the scorers and the rest of us at Cricinfo, this is Jamie Alter, your host for the night, signing off. Good night!
yorker-length ball on leg stump, clipped in the air over midwicket
Those two shots have sealed the contest
too short and thats pulled efficiently over midwicket, landing safely, Gony comes in and returns a throw that Dhoni collects, but a sliding Dhawan makes it
excellent shot, a straight-driven shot so, so hard and firm that it speeds past the umpire and bisects two men running across on the ropes, awesome
That brings Dhawan on strike
change of pace, on a length and now he drives a single to extra-cover
better stuff, reverse-swinging yorker down leg stump and de Villiers flicks down to deep backward square leg, harrying back excellently as Dhoni takes a good throw but he's so darn fast that he makes it comfortably
but thats sloppy, very sloppy, Morkel slipping a wide well down leg stump
How precious was that over? Delhi need 14 from 12. Dhoni recalls Morkel after a huddle.
well bowled, a top over seriously, given the situation, Gony slipping in the split-fingered yorker outside off stump to beat Dhawan
A top over from Gony
beaten on the drive, Dhawan reaching outside off stump but the change of pace and shape away from Gony undoes him, a hint of reverse?
full again, he makes room and square-drives into the gap for one
in the slot to be driven but he can't beat Raina at short cover, good shot
full on middle and off, he flicks across the line but can't beat midwicket
too straight and Dhawan has time to tuck off the pads to midwicket
And thats the end of Murali for the evening. That makes it 16 from 18. Gony comes back.
too short, he gets right on top of it and hammers it through the covers
a touch short and he drags it across the line towards midwicket
oh ho ho! Dhawan gives himself room to cut but doesn't pick the ball at all and it rears back into him, cramping him all ends up
full on middle and off, well driven back, and Murali fields very well
flatter one outside leg stump, he steps back and misses out on the shot
flighted outside the pads, Dhawan paddles in the air over short fine leg and runs very quick, aided by a speedy de Villiers, and gets back for two, well run
Delhi need 23 from 25 now.
fuller length and he plays an eye-catching straight drive back to Ntini
Over 19 • DC 172/2
Daredevils won by 8 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)