JOHANNESBURG: After all, catches win matches! Rahul Dravid put down Andrew Symonds' catch when he was batting at 5 and then he went onto add another 28 valuable runs for their total of 143. This, in combination with Andrew Symonds dismissing Ross Taylor and Virat Kohli in successive deliveries was decisive for Deccan Chargers clinching the coveted IPL trophy.
After Kumble won the toss he put Deccan Chargers to bat. They began their innings miserably by losing their in-inform skipper Adam Gilchrist in the first over for a golden duck, bowled by Anil Kumble when attempting an ambitious shot. However, a determined and sensible innings from Herschelle Gibbs and of course Symonds and Rohit Sharma chipping in they managed to post a modest total of 143.
Kumble's men thought that they had restricted Deccan Chargers to a modest total and it is very well within their reach. Royal Challengers started their innings well with Jacques Kallis playing some wonderful shots but soon fell to the purple cap holder for 16. Their new batting sensation Manish Pandey, little subdued and uncharacteristic, may be overcautious on this occasion got himself out on 4. However, RD Merwe and Ross Taylor showed some stability. Once Ross Taylor fell, the innings began to collapse; however they had some sort of hope with Robin Uthappa who could not do much either and eventually they were 6 runs short of Deccan Chargers game who clinched the Indian Premier League 2009.
Rightly said, cricket is a great leveller and game of uncertainty. Who would have thought that last season's number 7 and 8 would play this season's final and ultimately the number 8 would win.
© 2009 Zafarulla Khan
woo hoo... deccan chargers fry kingfisher:)))
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