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Deccan Chargers couldn't have timed their ninth defeat at the rajiv Gandhi International Stadium any worse. Their second defeat in Group A of the champions League Twenty20 brought curtains to their campaign while Trinidad and Tobago,who won the crucial league encounter by three runs here on Wednesday,and Somerset Sabres progress to Super Eight.
The hosts needed a win against the Caribbean champions to stay alive in the competition but the effort of turbo charged west Indian Fidel Edwards,who bowled brilliantly brilliantly at the 'death,' and skipper Adam Gilchrist(51, 36b, 64s,26s) who added 55 for the fourth wicket with Rohit Sharma (25,24b,34s) went in vain. The Chargers,who needed 38 from the last 30 deliveries, finished at 146 for nine.
Dame fortune, which the Chargers desperately hoped would smile on them, did and gilchrist did not think twice before sending the opponents in. And the 149 for seven Trinidad & Tobago scored didn't look huge,especially when the ball was regularly hitting the sweet spot of Gilchrist,s bat.
T&T and Somerset had two points each before this encounter but the latter had a poor run-rate compared to T&T and Chargers, and the home supporters had their hearts in the mouth as Gilly upper cut sailed perilously close over the third man's head off the second ball of the innings.But his partner, VVS Laxman succumbed cheaply to Dwayne Bravo at the other end. They also lost Abhinav Kumar off the last delivery of the over.
It could have been worse had Dwayne Bravo has held on to a fierce shot by Andrew Symonds off Ravi Rampaul, but the Australian all-rounder who had an excellent outing with the ball, did not capitalize and was caught short by William Perkins' throw from the deep. At 31 for three in the first five overs, the situation looked very familier for Rohit Sharma.
The Gilchrist-Rohit duo showed all it needed for them to win was some commonsense cricket something which the latter order showed complete disregard to-and meted out Kieron Pollard the same treatment he gave the Chargers' attack.
