IPL 2 Game 56: RCB Beat Deccan Chargers To Seal Semi Final Berth

The Royal Challengers Bangalore had a Royal challenge ahead of them. But it was simple. They had to beat the Hyderabad Deccan Chargers to qualify for the semi final spot and barring a small mathematical margin, the Deccan Chargers were in themselves and it meant curtains for Yuvraj Singh’s Kings XI Punjab.
The RCB had one innings in particular that ensured they stayed very much in the hunt for the IPL 2 finals. It came in the form of young Manish Pandey who used the opportunity of being pushed up the order to open the innings to full advantage in the Twenty20 game.
Pandey’s unbeaten 114 was the second century of the IPL 2 after AB de Villiers and his acceleration and caution meant that he batted right through the innings to take his team to a formidable score of 170.
The Deccan Chargers had their work cut out for them. While a loss here would not have really threatened their semi final spot, crashing would have. Adam Gilchrist did not come to the party but Herschelle Gibbs did. In fact his sixty from forty-three balls was the single important factor that kept the Deccan Chargers interested. And it all fell apart after he departed.
The asking rate piled on but Anil Kumble who opened the bowling and Balchandra Akhil derailed the Chargers by taking wickets consistently through the Deccan Chargers innings to ensure that the latter were left to get twenty-six off the final six balls and with no miracle forthcoming, the Deccan Chargers suffered a loss a day before they were to head for a showdown against the Delhi Daredevils for the first IPL 2 semi final.

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