'We fielded like an Under-14s side' - Lehmann

A visibly annoyed Deccan Chargers coach Darren Lehmann has come down heavily on his side after their five-wicket loss against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday. Lehmann said the Chargers "bowled poorly and fielded diabolically" while defending 196 in a final-over defeat.

"We fielded like an Under-14s side," Lehmann said. "They are professional cricketers they should be able to catch. They should be able to stop the ball going through their legs."

The Chargers dropped three catches in the field, with Anand Rajan grassing Royals opener and the tournament's highest run-getter Ajinkya Rahane in the fifth over, then Dale Steyn dropping Owais Shah in the 15thover, and Bharat Chipli spilling Johan Botha in the 18th over.

The Chargers are yet to register a win in the IPL this season, and their coach said, that the team has to work hard if they want to succeed in the tournament. "For us it's a disappointing start, considering we played really well against Mumbai [Indians] and should have won that game, so we have a bit of work to do," Lehmann said. "Our [team] meetings are a waste of time at the moment because the players aren't listening."

Deccan's fielding compounded their problems against the Royals, but their bowlers too were expensive. Dale Steyn, Daniel Christian and Anand Rajan all went for over ten runs an over. "It should have been 2-1, we should have beaten Mumbai [on April 9] and Rajasthan today, but we bowled really badly with the new ball. Steyn also did not bowl well," Lehmann said. "When you get nearly 200 in a Twenty20 game, you shouldn't lose a game."

Deccan Chargers will play Delhi Daredevils in their next match on April 19.