White ends Chargers' Blues

Deccan Chargers had played six games without recording a win. With their supporters hoping for that elusive first win they took on Pune Warriors in their seventh game of this edition of the IPL. Hope turned to fear when the DC team took the ground without their star performer Dale Steyn. The match was already a tough one for the weak Chargers side, and not playing the South African was only going to make matters worse. Or so it was feared.

And yet, the Hyderabad team took everyone by surprise, winning a game which they were not expected to. A game filled with surprises saw a supposedly out-of-form Cameron White smash his way to a half century while the celebrated Pune opener Jesse Ryder walked back to the pavilion early, dismissed cheaply by Ankit Sharma. White’s 46-ball 78 run knock took the Chargers’score to a decent 177/4 after 20 overs. It proved sufficient as all Pune could manage was 159/7 from their quota of 20 overs, handing the Hyderabad franchise its first win of this edition.

Star of the Day:

Criticised for his poor form in the opening games of this IPL, Cameron White answered his critics with a decisive half century, scoring 78 runs that helped the Chargers record their first win. He, along with Jean Paul Duminy, built the Chergers innings in the middle overs after the top order was dismissed cheaply.

In the bowling department, debutant Ashish Reddy had an impressive game picking up two wickets in his four overs. However, he was a little expensive conceding 32 runs.

Flop of the Day:

The dangerous Pune Warriors star Jesse Ryder had a surprise poor game as he fell to Ankit Sharma for just 7. He was caught at short mid-wicket in the power play itself, much to the dismay and disappointment of the Pune supporters. He had been dependable at the top of the order, and his dismissal caused problems for the Warriors.

Contest of the Day:

The Kiwi batsman Jesse Ryder had been in the form of his life this IPL, and him taking on the DC bowling unit promised to be an interesting contest. But it never lived up to its expectations, with Ryder being caught cheaply in Sharma’s second over itself.

Captain’s Critical Call:

Sangakkara’s decision to bat after winning the toss proved to be the right one with the pitch slowing down as the game progressed. Into the second innings, the pitch offered a lot of help to the DC spinners. Sangakkara, rightly anticipating the turn on offer at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium, decided to open the bowling attack with two spinners that helped the Chargers restrict Pune in the powerplay overs.

Shot of the Day:

Although there were a lot of attacking shots on display, Cameron White’s boundary off a straight drive to reach his maiden IPL half century was the shot of the match.

Match-o-meter:

An interesting match with plenty of attacking cricket from both sides, The game did not lack in the quality on display even if the game effectively ended early, with Pune losing wickets at regular intervals.

Teams Tally:

There is no change in the standings with Pune remaining at sixth position after this loss securing eight points from their nine games. The Chargers, however, still remain at the bottom with three points from seven games.

Pune Warriors need to get back to the drawing board, work on their flaws and bounce back quickly, if they are to make it to the playoffs. On the other hand, qualification for the playoffs now seem unlikely for the Chargers, though this win can pave way for a turn-around in their form and if Sangakkara’s men can string a few more wins together, they can end this edition of the IPL in a respectable position.