Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings, IPL, Delhi

'We missed a fifth bowler' - Sehwag

Cricinfo staff

May 8, 2008

	Shoaib Malik went for 15 runs in the last over © AFP (file photo)

Delhi Daredevils conceded 15 runs off the final over in their last-ball defeat to the Chennai Super Kings, but instead of faulting Shoaib Malik, the bowler, his captain Virender Sehwag blamed the defeat on the lack of a specialist spinner in the side.

Sehwag said it was a choice between him and Malik for the final over. "I consulted my team-mates and they said either me or Malik should bowl [the last over]. I thought he would do a better job than me, so I gave it to him," Sehwag said. "Such things happen in Twenty20, sometimes you are hit and sometimes you are not." . Delhi had posted a formidable 187, but Sehwag felt they lost the plot in the end stages of the match. "187 is not a small score. [Gautam] Gambhir and [Shikhar] Dhawan batted superbly and then [Vijaykumar] Yo Mahesh and Pradeep Sangwan did their job while bowling. Everything was going to our plan till the 15th over [of Chennai's innings]. At the end we lost at the last over.

"If we had a specialist fifth bowler, we would have saved 30-40 runs, we missed a fifth bowler," Sehwag said. Together he and Malik gave away 58 runs off their four overs, and Sehwag suggested a change for the next game. "We are including a specialist spinner in the next match."

That means legspinner Amit Mishra might get a game, as Daniel Vettori is away on New Zealand duty. Following the match, Delhi were fourth in the points table, but Sehwag wasn't too perturbed. "We lost a match today but it happens in cricket we will bounce back," he said. "Our top order was batting beautifully and bowlers bowled well, it so happened that we lost in the last over."

© Cricinfo

Add to del.icio.us | digg this | Stumble It What's this? If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content on cricket, you may use these buttons. When you add them to any of these sites, you "social bookmark" them for others to find and rate. More on del.icio.us>> More on digg>> More on stumbleupon>> Close

Current Cricinfo fantasy games - SL v Ind, Eng v SA & County Cricket Login and check the standings Live scores, results, news, features and more - a click away Download the Cricinfo Toolbar Live scores, ball-by-ball commentary & news direct to your phone Cricinfo's mobile services

Stories

Chennai sneak a last-ball thriller

Matches

Delhi Daredevils v Chennai Super Kings at Delhi

Players/Umpires

Virender Sehwag

Shoaib Malik

Series/Tournaments

Indian Premier League

Teams

Chennai Super Kings

India