JOIN USDaredevils conjure brilliant win
Bhatia’s (4/15) medium-pace first bowled Andrew Symonds (41), who was going great guns, and then knocked out Dwayne Smith’s stumps (1) to bring Delhi back into the game after they looked down and out following Adam Gilchrist’s hurricane 33-ball 64.
It was a match that swung from one way to the other after the Daredevils posted a competitive 173 for four following wicket-keeper Dinesh Kaarthick’s breezy 44 and excellent batting by Tillakaratne Dilshan (37) and AB de Villiers (44).
The Chargers appeared in control until Bhatia brought them to their knees, and they were bowled out in the final over for 161.
Gilchrist made the most of two dropped chances to play a captain’s knock that saw the ball flying over the ropes at regular intervals. Gilchrist, dropped by Amit Mishra and then De Villiers on 28, cut, drove and punched his way to 50 in just 24 balls.
However, just as in other matches in the tournament, the strategy break proved to be the Chargers’ undoing.
Sangwan strikes
Left-arm pacer Rahul Sangwan (3/18), who had earlier accounted for Tirumalsetti Suman (3) and Rohit Sharma (6), came back to dislodge Gilchrist’s stumps. Gilchrist’s knock was laced with five fours and an equal numbers of sixes.
Symonds picked up from where Gilchrist left, hammering Mishra for two sixes. With him at the crease, the Chargers looked comfortably placed to win the match.
But Dirk Nannes removed Ravi Teja (27) and then Bhatia got rid of Symonds -- who hit three fours and a couple of sixes -- and the batting crumbled. From 148 for three, the Chargers collapsed to 161.
Earlier, a late charge from Kaarthick helped the Delhi Daredevils post a commanding 173. Kaarthick’s 23-ball unbeaten 44 had four boundaries and three sixes, including a couple off Chaminda Vaas in the last over that cost 23 runs.
He got good support from Dilshan and De Villiers, both of whom survived dropped chances. Dilshan scored a quickfire 18-ball 37 after he was dropped on eight by Rohit at slip.
He hit seven fours and a six and clouted Shoaib Ahmed for 24 runs in an over, including two unusual efforts over the wicket-keeper.
De Villiers, who was dropped on seven, went on to compile 44 from 36 balls before he was caught in the deep. The South African hit Dwayne Smith for two successive fours in the 17th over but fell going for one too many.