Bowling last over with Malik was collective decision: Sehwag (IPL MATCH 28 - LAST OVER OF THE MATCH)

Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag said bowling the last over with Shoaib Malik was a collective decision, even though it boomeranged with Chennai Super Kings batsmen milking the required 15 runs for a thrilling four-wicket win.

Super Kings' seventh wicket pair of S Badrinath and Manpreet Gony held on their nerves to smash the required runs off Malik's over but Sehwag said it was a collective decision to let Malik bowl the last 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 at the post-match press conference here.

"Such things happen in Twenty20, sometimes you are hit and sometimes you are not," he added.

Sehwag said 187 was not a small total and his batsmen, especially Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan, batted well but in the end he felt the absence of a fifth bowler.

"187 is not a small score. Gambhir and Dhawan batted superbly and then V Yo Mahesh and Pradeep Sangwan did their job while bowling. Everything was going to our plan till the 15th over (of Chennai innings). At the end we lost at the last over," he rued.

Sehwag admitted his side felt the absence of a specialist fifth bowler which cost them dear.

"If we had a specialist fifth bowler, we would have saved 30-40 runs, we miss a fifth bowler. We are including a specialist spinner in the next match," said Sehwag.

With Thursday's loss, the Daredevils slumped to the fourth position of the IPL points table but Sehwag said they are still in the competition.

"We lost a match today but it happens in cricket we will bounce back," he said.

Sehwag said there was nothing wrong in the game plan but it happened that they had to lose in the last over.

"Our top order was batting beautifully and bowlers bowled well, it so happen that we had to lose in the last over."

Super Kings player Albie Morkel, who faced the media instead of captain MS Dhoni, said they were hopeful of Gony and Badrinath getting the required 15 runs in the last over.

"In Twenty20, getting 15-20 runs from the last over is not that difficult. Moreover, a spinner was bowling (the last over) and Gony had hit two sixes in the last match in the last over. So we thought we were in for a win," he said.

Talking about hitting Sehwag for three successive sixes, he said, "It was satisfying, He was doing all the hitting all the while. Today it was my turn.

"Our top order also fired today and that set up the chase," added the South African.

Dhoni being named the man of the match was a surprising decision as Morkel took two wickets and scored 30 valuable runs to help the Super Kings chase the challenging total successfully.

Asked whether he was surprised that Dhoni got the man of the match award instead of him, Morkel said, "No, he got it. He is a great player and I hope he keeps on giving match winning performances in the remaining matches."