Sehwag shines in Delhi win

Virender Sehwag of Delhi Daredevils © Getty Images

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Virender Sehwag condemned the Chennai Super Kings to their first defeat in the IPL as his quick 71 led the Delhi Daredevils to an eight-wicket victory on Friday.

Set a target of 170 for victory, Sehwag wasted little time and he needed only 41 balls to reach his total, smashing seven fours and four sixes as he tore through the Chennai attack.

He was eventually out in the 12th over, slashing at a Joginder Sharma delivery to be caught at backward point by Muttiah Muralitharan, but with Delhi already within 55 runs of victory at that point, the damage had been done.

Gautam Gambir completed a half-century of his own as Delhi feasted on the Chennai bowling, but he was out for 50 when he sent an inside edge on to his own stumps off Manpreet Gony.

Chennai managed to slow the run rate significantly in the later stages, but they could do nothing to prevent Shikhar Dhawan (19) and AB De Villiers (26) scoring the remaining runs needed for victory with six balls to spare.

Chennai had earlier made 169 for six after winning the toss and electing to bat.

S Vidyut’s first half-century of the tournament provided the backbone of the innings as he made 54 of 37 balls, hitting seven fours and one six.

Vidyut had come in after Yo Mahesh, the young Chennai native bowling for Delhi, had removed the off-stump of opener Stephen Fleming to dismiss the New Zealander for 13.

Fellow opener Parthiv Patel survived two dropped catches before being caught at third man by Mahesh after slashing at a Virender Sehwag delivery.

After veteran Glenn McGrath finally dismissed Vidyut, Mahendra Singh Dhoni contributed 32 before he was caught by Shoaib Malik off Mohammed Asif, but with wickets in hand in the late overs, Chennai could swing their bats and Albie Morkel came in to make 28 off just 16 balls to keep the score moving along.

McGrath was the pick of the bowlers for Delhi, taking 1-21 from his four overs.