Sharma’s IPL night

Fast-bowler bags a five-for as Deccan crush Kochi by 55 runs.

KOCHI:

Call it destructive bowling or embarrassing batting but it was Deccan Chargers’s night who were able to defend a modest 129 and beat Kochi Tuskers Kerala by 55 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Fast-bowlers Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn humiliated Kochi’s batting line-up, sharing eight wickets between them as the IPL newcomers were dismissed for 74.

Steyn dismissed New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum off the fourth ball of the innings and Sharma claimed three wickets in the next over, his first, as Kochi’s scorecard read an insulting two for four.

Five ducks and a single boundary was what the first six batsmen had to show and even though there was a 36 and a 26-run partnership that followed, Deccan were never bugged. Sharma finished with five for 12 and Steyn returned with three for 16, cleaning up the tail as the hosts’ sorry tale ended in the 17th over.

Earlier, Deccan’s start to the innings was not much better. The visitors were reduced to 20 for three but Kumar Sangakkara and Cameron White proved there were no demons in the pitch as the pair added 90 for the fourth wicket which ultimately proved as winning partnership.

The former Sri Lanka captain, leading the Chargers, scored 65 off 47 deliveries and even though there were no late flourishes by the visiting team, in form Sharma ensured the score was more than enough.

And while the Indian bagged the man-of-the-match award, missing a hat-trick as well, it will be Steyn’s first delivery in the next match that could earn the South African a hat-trick after he took two in two at the end of the innings.

Both teams now have three wins in seven matches against four losses.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2011.