Both the teams were equally balanced but the only difference was Deccan’s captain Adam Gilchrist in the first semi final of IPL Season 2. Riding on a whirlwind knock of 85 off 35 balls by Gilchrist Team Hyderabad stormed into the final of this year’s IPL defeating Delhi Daredevils convincingly by 6 wickets.

Team Delhi posted a moderate 153 for 8 in their allotted quota of 20 overs. Deccan Chargers made a flying start when Ryan Harris dismissed both Delhi opening batsmen for no runs in the first over. It was 0 for 2.

But Sehwag (39) and Dilshan (65) counter-attacked in a third wicket stand of 85 and Delhi were on target for a challenging total before they lost four wickets for eight runs off the last seven balls of the innings. Harris finished with 3 for 27.

That target soon looked easy when Deccan players started the chase. Gilchrist went on the rampage, hitting a 17-ball half-century, the fastest in the IPL's short history.

There were 5 sixes (3 off successive balls in Sehwag’s over) and 10 fours from the former Australian star as the Hyderabad-based Chargers eliminated the tournament favourites. Delhi bowlers tried everything--yorkers, full tosses, full length, short-pitched--and everything went for fours and sixes.

Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag admitted he was helpless as Adam Gilchrist blasted the Deccan Chargers to a shock win. He batted extremely well. Gilchrist hit five successive boundaries off fellow-Australian Dirk Nannes in the first over of the Deccan innings.

Herschelle Gibbs was bowled playing a reckless shot against Ashish Nehra in the next over but Gilchrist continued his assault, hitting 15 off an over from Pradeep Sangwan, then 13 off Nehra as the total raced to 56 off four overs.

Tillekeratne Dilshan managed an economical over of off-spin, conceding only three runs but Sehwag was smashed for 25 runs in his only over, including three successive sixes by Gilchrist, one from a free hit following a no-ball.

Gilchrist was third man out when he top-edged an attempted big hit against leg-spinner Amit Mishra to backward point off the last ball of the tenth over with the total on 102. Amid the carnage handed out to the other bowlers, Mishra took 3 for 19 in his four overs.

Gilchrist paid tribute to his bowlers and fielders for keeping the pressure on Delhi. It was the first time in five matches spread over two seasons that Deccan had been able to beat Delhi.

Delhi finished top of the log in the round robin stage, winning 10 of their 14 matches, while Deccan scraped into fourth place with seven wins and seven losses--a big improvement on their 2008 performance when they finished bottom of the log. The Chennai Super Kings play the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second semi-final in Johannesburg today. The final will be in Johannesburg Sunday.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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