IPL- Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders -Iqbal Abdullah takes two wickets
Indian World Cup winner and Kolkata http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Knight-c71599 Rider batsman, Yusuf Pathan helped his side to a commanding 169 run total in the first innings leaving Kumar Sangakkara’s Deccan Chargers with a mountain to climb.
Needing 8.5 runs per over, Sunny Sohal, and, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hyderabad-c792, looking to get their side off to a solid start.
In their way was Australian fast bowler, Brett http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Lee-c72382, who added to his reputation of being near impossible to play against when he gave away just one run in the opening over.
The Deccan Chargers could not afford wasting any more overs and Sohal took the initiative when he welcomed Lakshmipathy Balaji by sending his first delivery to the ropes for four.
Balaji found himself on the receiving end of another boundary just four deliveries later as the Chargers looked to get going.
Lee had bowled magnificently before Dhawan decided to get in on the act and smashed the bowler for two consecutive boundaries on the last two deliveries of the over.
It was a good, positive start from the Deccan Chargers opening pair yet the required run rate of 8.76 runs per over was still just out of their reach.
Iqbal Abdulla found his first over to be an expensive affair, gifting 10 runs to the opposition after an opportunity for a run out resulted in five runs being scored instead.
Balaji returned in the next over, after having changed bowling ends, but still could not find the breakthrough the Knight Riders needed before http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Iqbal-Abdulla-c1596 struck in the sixth over.
Sohal found himself making the long walk back to the pavilion after his attempt to play the ball square on the off-side backfired. The ball took flight and flew straight into the hands of Eoin Morgan, who held on to the ball to give Iqbal Abdulla and the Knight Riders their first wicket.
Sohal had done his job though with a 26 run knock at a strike rate of 130. Kumar Sangakkara made his way onto the crease knowing that the Chargers needed something special from their captain.
Instead all he did was disappoint, as on the second last delivery, he found himself on the scorecard as Iqbal Abdulla’s second wicket. Sangakkara let everyone down after his duck and the dismissal added more pressure on Cameron White.
The two batsmen then combined to add a further 27 runs in the next couple of overs as the Deccan Chargers found themselves at 68 runs for the loss of two wickets with half of the 20 overs played.
To be continued…
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