Daredevils look to arrest slide against lowly Deccan Chargers

Amlan Chakraborty

New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) With the semifinal passage turning from smooth to slippery following four defeats on the trot, the exasperated Delhi Daredevils sniff a chance to arrest the free-fall against points table laggards Deccan Chargers in their Indian Premier League match here tomorrow.

The defeat against King's XI Punjab notwithstanding, Sehwag's side apparently could do no wrong as they won four of their first five matches, thumping the likes of current and former table toppers Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings.

Mumbai Indians, however, started the rot and the Daredevils ran into a wretched stretch, still struggling to wriggle out of the hole.

Subsequently, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals avenged the first first leg defeats and last night Kolkata Knight Riders added to their woes by walking away with a 23-run win.

Accordingly, the Delhi outfit no more finds itself ensconced among the top four and the semifinal berth that seemed very much theirs for taking is now clearly in jeopardy.

Over-reliance on the top order has been the side's Achilles' heel and the rickety middle order does not look in a mood to change the perception.

The Daredevils have looked formidable as long as Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, and Shikhar Dhawan too to some extent, fired. Once the trio were back in the hut, they looked a different side altogether, a fact that did not elude their opponents as the IPL inched closer to its business end.

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