CSK blown over by Dwayne Smith; another defeat for Deccan

IPL – 5 is certainly engrossing – many a matches going down the wire to last ball finishes and little separating the teams.  

Prasanth Parameswaran should be a very happy man.  This lanky left arm pacer from Kerala played for Kochi Tuskers last year and catapulted to fame with a MoM in his debut match against Delhi Daredevils; soon realized the harsh reality as Chris Gayle dispatched him to all parts of the grounds, giving away 37 runs in an over.  In that match he gave 44 in his 13 ball spell.  This year he is playing alongside Gayle for RCB

Some teams did some smart homework in buying players in auction.  MI had signed up Mitchell Johnson who failed to recover from surgery on his big toe – the injury ridden MI  had Sachin missing 4 games; slinga Malinga went back home for treatment of a sore back but now is back in action again.  For replacing Johnson, they went in for a not so famous all-rounder and their decision was vindicated yesterday at Wankhede.

In the 2^nd match on Sunday, 6^th May 12, Deccan made a handsome 181 for 2 helped by Dhawan, Harris and White but were dwarfed by some big hitting of RCB.  It was Dilshan’s blast initially followed by a hurricane of AB De Villiers.  The most feared bowler Dale Steyn went for 23 and that brought down the target to a gettable 16 off last two.  The little known Anand Rajan could not withstand the flurry and the match was over in his over itself. 

Another new face to have surfaced in IPL, the bowler from Nagpur last year had a good match against MI taking the wickets of Suman, Sachin and Kieron Pollard.   Yesterday, a sedate Chris Gayle opened out and sending the ball soaring for a 106M hit – away to eternity….  The next ball Anand was celebrating disturbing the stumps of Gayle.

In the first match (of the day 6.5.12)  at Mumbai, CSK made a good 173 for 8 with Vijay scoring runs after long time.  At Wankhede it was silken touch of Sachin and class of Rohit coasting along for a century stand.    Sachin got out, Dinesh Karthik made 2 hits but soon lost his stumps to Dwayne Bravo.  Jadeja came on to bowl, troubled Ambati Rayudu and also took the wicket of well set Rohit Sharma.  Robin Peterson was run out to an excellent direct hit by du Plessis ; earlier Plessis plucked a good catch when Sachin chipped Ashwin, but when he fell down, he clearly grassed the ball – whether it can be construed as he had control over the ball for long is debatable !   

Franklin made 1; Rayudu, Peterson, Harbhajan, Malinga did not disturb the scorers.  The burly Dwayne Romel Smith made all the difference.  In the dying stages it was 27 off 3 overs when Jadeja conceded just 2 and took two wickets – making it 25 off 12.  Dwayne Bravo bowled the penultimate.  It was 1-0-W-Wkt-6-1-Wkt.

16 needed of last 6 and Hilfenhaus came on to bowl.  First ball Smith drove to long off for 1; 2^nd Malinga bowled, 3^rd RP Singh stole a single – an improbable 14 off last 3 deliveries.   4^th went over long-on for a six to keep the game alive.  Still 8 needed of 2; 5^th smacked over the bowler’s head for a 4.

Air of excitement – will he – Hilfenhaus ran in and Mumbai erupted – final delivery hit hard and went for 4 through long off.   Hilfenhaus was crest-fallen and CSK fans wondering what hit them.

A real great match - : a 24 dwarfing the 74 of Tendulkar and 60 of Rohit Sharma

With regards – S. Sampathkumar.