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Challengers script super triumph

Pandey, Dravid help Bangalore outfit crush Super Kings, set up final date with Chargers
Last Updated 23 May 2009, 19:17 IST


The duo hit a couple of sixes each towards the end to set up a title clash with the Deccan Chargers after youngster Manish Pandey (48 off 35 balls) and the experienced Rahul Dravid (44 off 39) had set the tone with a 72-run partnership for the third wicket.

Chasing 147 for victory after the Super Kings frittered away a good start to finish on 146 for five, the Royal Challengers, who finished second from bottom last year, put themselves in all sorts of trouble as Jacques Kallis (9) and Roelof van der Merwe (2) were back in the pavilion with just 22 on board.

Kallis, who began with a brace of boundaries on the off-side, tried to drive Manpreet Gony on the up and ended up feathering the ball to Parthiv Patel.

Van der Merwe, who had associated himself in a crucial partnership with Pandey in the last match, was dropped by Muttiah Muralitharan off Albie Morkel before he had opened his account, but was dismissed next ball as he charged his fellow South Africa and had his leg-stump knocked out of the ground.

Pandey sparkles

But Pandey picked up from where he left off in the last match. The 19-year-old, who scored an unbeaten 114 against the Deccan Chargers -- the first century by an Indian player in the IPL -- timed his shots to perfection as the Royal Challengers gradually picked up steam.

Pandey was brilliant through the off-side, feeding off the width offered to him by both Gony and Morkel, and happy to use his feet agains the left-arm spin of Shadab Jakati.

At the other end, Dravid too seemed to be enjoying himself as he found the boundaries on both sides of the wicket, batting with great flair and panache.

Together, they almost took the game away from last year’s runners-up before a rush of blood brought an end to the youngster’s innings that included seven fours.

Dravid played some exquisite shots before Muttiah Muralitharan put an end to his innings.

With the wicket slowing down, boundaries were hard to come by but Kohli and Taylor ensured there were no further hiccups as they put on 39 runs off 22 deliveries to wrap up the match with seven balls to spare.

Kohli brought off the big blows to start with, including one towering six off Muralitharan in the 18th over of the innings that all but settled the issue, leaving the Royal Challengers to score 12 off the last two overs.

Taylor smashed the first ball of the 19th over, bowled by Jacob Oram, over the square-leg fence to decisively tilt the scales in the Bangalore side’s favour, the Super Kings’ cause not being helped by the ball being called a non-ball for height.

The winning runs came in the same over as Kohli whipped Oram over the mid-wicket fence, sparking delirium in the Challengers’ camp even as Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men were denied a second shot at the title in two years. The Super Kings had gone down to the Rajasthan Royals in last year’s final.

Earlier, the Royal Challengers bowled well to restrict the Super Kings to a total of manageable proportions.

Electing to field after winning the toss, the Royal Challengers picked up wickets at regular intervals to tie down the Super Kings after they had threatened to set up a huge total with Parthiv Patel (36) and Matthew Hayden (26) going great guns at the top of the order.

Patel was the more aggressive of the two, hitting Kallis for three fours in his first over and then picking up a couple of boundaries each off medium-pacers Praveen Kumar and R Vinay Kumar.

In between, a rather subdued Hayden picked up a couple of boundaries and the duo brought up 50 in just 32 balls. But just as Hayden was looking to break free, his innings was cut short by Vinay, caught by Pandey at long-off. Patel followed soon after, Kallis trapping him in front of his stumps and ending his 27-ball innings that included seven hits to the fence.

The twin blows put the brakes on the Super Kings innings as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (28 off 30 balls) and Suresh Raina (20 off 19) struggled against some disciplined bowling.

Raina tried to up the tempo, hitting Vinay for a four and a six off successive deliveries but fell trying to give Praveen the charge, with Mark Boucher doing the rest.

Dhoni departed trying to clear the ropes, when Vinay took an excellent catch at the long-on boundary off Van der Merwe.

Albie Morkel (20 n.o.) and Jacob Oram (9) tried their best on a pitch that showed signs of slowing down, but could not get their team past the the 150-run mark.

Royal Challengers owner Vijay Mallya was ecstatic after his team’s progress. 

Last year, they had finished second from the bottom but consistent performance this season has lifted them to within one match of the title.

“Everyone had written us off but it is good to be in the final,” said Mallya, whose Force India team made it to Q2 for the first time on Saturday.

“Yeah, it’s been a good day for me,” admitted Mallya, who has put off celebrations till Sunday.

SCORE BOARD

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS: Parthiv Patel lbw Kallis 36, Matthew Hayden c Pandey b Vinay 26, Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Vinay b Van der Merwe 28, Suresh Raina c Boucher b Praveen 20, Albie Morkel (not out) 20, Jacob Oram c Uthappa b Vinay 9, S Badrinath (not out) 1.

Extras (LB-3, W-3) 6. Total (for 5 wkts, 20 overs) 146.

Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-69, 3-104, 4-125, 5-140.

Bowling: Praveen Kumar 4-0-26-1, Jacques Kallis 4-0-26-1, R Vinay Kumar 4-0-38-2, Anil Kumble 4-0-30-0, Roelof van der Merwe 4-0-23-1.

Royal Challengers: Jacques Kallis c Patel b Gony 9, Manish Pandey b Jakati 48, Roelof van der Merwe b Morkel 2, Rahul Dravid lbw Murali 44, Virat Kohli (not out) 24, Ross Taylor (not out) 17. Extras (LB-3, NB-2) 5. Total (for 4 wkts, 18.5 overs) 149.

Fall of wickets:1-17, 2-22, 3-94, 4-110.

Bowling: Albie Morkel 3-0-26-1, Manpreet Gony 2-0-23-1, Shadab Jakati 4-0-29-1, Suresh Raina 3-0-23-0, Muttiah Muralitharan 4-0-15-1, Lakshmipathi Balaji 2-0-16-0, Jacob Oram 0.5-0-14-0.

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(Published 23 May 2009, 19:17 IST)

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