Anil Kumble stars with the ball

In a yawn-inducing crawl, Deccan Chargers meandered to 82, the lowest total of the season, in the third-place play-off in Mumbai. Not many people bothered to turn up for the game and a dull, almost anaesthetic, atmosphere pervaded through Deccan's innings. Only Anil Kumble sparkled with yet another top performance with the ball.

Adam Gilchrist's early dismissal set the tone for the innings: It was a slow gentle full toss from Anil Kumble and while it was in its trajectory you felt it was going to be smashed for a six but Gilchrist contrived to hit it to deep backward square-leg where Jacques Kallis took a neat catch. It was that kind of a dull and dreary night.

He even inflicted a Richard Blakey moment on Dwayne Smith: It was a slider that came in from just outside off but Smith stabbed at thin air and looked slightly sheepish when he lost his off stump. He produced another quick slider to trap Ryan Harris in front and picked two tail-end wickets to boost his tally.

Kumble had showed his intent by opening against Gilchrist and he repeatedly made the right changes through the evening. He took himself off after just one over to bring in Dale Steyn and he bowled out Praveen Kumar's quota. He used the spin of Nayan Doshi and Kevin Pietersen and the mediumpace of B Akhil and only brought in Jacques Kallis in the 16th over.