Images: Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super Kings

Deccan Chargers cruised to a 31-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Sunday.

The foundation for the splendid victory was laid by captain Adam Gilchrist (38). He along with VVS Laxman gave the Chargers a flying start.

They didn't let the Chennai pacers settle, thrashing them all over the park. Gilchrist was the main destroyer as he belted Albie Morkel and Sudeep Tyagi to the boundary quite frequently.

Seeing his bowlers suffering such a pasting, Chennai captain MS Dhoni decided to replace the pacers with spinners Muthiah Muralitharan and R Ashwin.

The change of pace did the trick. Ashwin got the first wicket in the fifth over sending Gilchrist's stumps for a walk.

Laxman was the next man to depart, run-out to the next delievery.

Herschelle Gibbs (45), who came at the fall of the first wicket, was joined by Andrew Symonds (50). Both the batsman were involved in some lusty batting and together they stitched up crucial 95-run partnership for the third wicket to lift Chargers.

They played cautiously to start with, but after the 10th over they consistently hammered bowlers of the likes of L Balaji.

Symonds and Gibbs dug in and placed the themselves in such a position so as to give their bowlers something to defend. They fell in quick succession and in the 19th over the Chargers were 160 for 4.

Defending a formidable total, Chargers' experienced bowler Chaminda Vaas then put them on track, picking 3 for 21.

Chennai never recovered after Vaas's triple strike early into their innings.

Pragyan Ojha (2 for 28) and Symonds (2 for 29) weer perfect allies to Vaas and helped in Deccan's cause.

After the early wickets tumbled Justin Kemp and Dhoni had a huge task at hand. Kemp was in the mood to get the run-rate going and sent an Ojha delivery into the stands. However, Kemp's antics were cut short after Ojha foxed him and had him stumped.

When Markel joined Dhoni at the crease he gave him a hint of hope of pulling it through somehow. But push came to shove, and Dhoni took the aerial route only to be dismissed by Symonds.

Although Morkel came up with some lusty blows in his unbeaten knock, his effort fell short.