The happily-ever-after ending that Kings XI Punjab were expecting was slipping through their fingers, literally, in Dharamsala. Their rise from the dead has been the story of the IPL so far, but they crumbled in the field in a must-win game, leaving their batsmen with the difficult task of having to chase 199 to keep their hopes alive. It was dropped catches galore, interspersed with misfields and missed run-outs, that let the Deccan Chargers openers, Shikhar Dhawan and D Ravi Teja, deliver just the kind of partnership that would lift the spirits of a struggling team in its final game this season.
The first over set the tone for the day. There was encouragement for Praveen Kumar from the track, with the ball moving both ways, but there wasn't much the bowlers could do to pick wickets when not backed up by their fielders. Ryan McLaren missed an attempt to run out Shikhar Dhawan first ball and Ravi Teja was dropped by Paul Valthaty in the deep off a wild heave moments later. Both chances were difficult, yet manageable, and could prove decisive in the outcome.
The opening bowlers, Praveen and Ryan Harris, erred in line, particularly against Dhawan, who comfortably picked them off through square leg and fine leg for boundaries. While Dhawan looked determined to bat through, it was Ravi Teja's responsibility to maintain the high tempo that was set early. Dhawan focused on the gaps, with timing and power enabling him to pierce them with ease, while Ravi Teja went over the top, accomplishing the task he was sent out for, albeit with much fortune.
Streaky as he was, Ravi Teja sent Punjab's frustration levels soaring. He survived a run-out in the 11th over, and edged the next two balls of McLaren to the third-man boundary. He was dropped by Harris the next over, and proceeded to launch Piyush Chawla for two massive sixes in an over that yielded 20 runs. By the time he was finally caught, he had smashed 60 when he should have been dismissed for a duck.
Having fed on tripe bowled on the pads, Dhawan drove Harris twice for boundaries through the off, then ceded floor to Ravi Teja and took the lead once again following his dismissal. His intentions were clear right after the second time-out, as he slog-swept Piyush Chawla and Bhargav Bhatt, and scarred Harris further in his return spell with consecutive fours, including one that almost decapitated the man at the non-striker's end, Cameron White. His first six, predictably in the slog overs, was over cow-corner but he was unfortunate to miss out on three figures, not being able to farm much of the strike from then on.
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