Captain's knock by Gambhir sees daredevils through

For two first-time captains in DLF-IPL, this was probably the toughest start. But at the end of 40 overs, only one of the two, Gautam Gambhir, could walk away from the PCA Stadium in Mohali with a smile.

The other captain, Kumar Sangakkara of Kings XI Punjab, tried gamely but could not dislodge his opposite number to register a win in the opening game. Both innings of the game mirrored each other to an extent - it was Gambhir's calm approach which helped Delhi Daredevils overhaul a modest target of 143. His knock of 72 (54b, 9x4, 1x6 ) thelped Daredevils notch up a hard-fought five-wicket win.

It was Gambhir's day out as everything he tried paid off. He opted to field and the bowlers exerted enough pressure to keep the home side at bay.

With the score reading 44-4 and the top-order falling apart, the hosts appeared to have lost the plot. But Ravi Bopara (56: 48b, 7x4, 1x6) and Irfan Pathan (21: 16b, 2x4) added 60 runs to revive the home team. The lower-order contributed a bit but Kings XI Punjab could not ever recover well enough to post an imposing target.

The Delhi Daredevils attack led by the pacy Dirk Nannes (2-12) tied up the batsmen. The other bowlers fed off Nannes’ strong approach and picked a wicket each to restrict the hosts to 142-9.

When Daredevils began chasing down the modest score, they would not have bargained for a mid-innings crisis. With Virender Sehwag and Tillakaratne Dilshan falling cheaply, Gambhir put his head down and found an able partner in his deputy Dinesh Karthik (20: 18b, 3x4). Together the duo added 34 runs.

Gambhir picked boundaries at will and rotated the strike to keep his side in the hunt. When Karthik fell trying an expansive shot, it still seemed to be a long shot for Daredevils.

But just then Mithun Manhas showed the value of his experience and the importance of having strong Indian domestic players. Manhas began quietly, but later picked up the momentum, easing the pressure on his skipper.

Till about the 18th over in the chase, the match seemed to be headed for a tight finish, with the Daredevils still ahead. But then came the over when Manhas rode on his luck, aided by some sloppy fielding by Irfan Pathan.

Assured of a good chase, Gambhir opened up a bit more. But sadly for him he was not around to see his side win. It was the Gambhir-Manhas stand worth 61 which sealed the deal for the Daredevils, which would satisfy the skipper.

Deservingly, the final rites were completed by the unsung Manhas.