New Delhi, April 30: A sell-out crowd at Kotla couldn’t have hoped for a better night of cricketing action. In a match that saw fortunes swing like a pendulum, Delhi Daredevils ended the winners by 10 runs over luckless Bangalore Royal Challengers in their Indian Premier League face-off on Wednesday.

On a flat track, Daredevils posted an imposing 191/5 in 20 overs thanks to Gautam Gambhir’s 86-run onslaught that came off just 54 balls with 11 hits to the fence and one over it. Jacques Kallis (54, 44b; 6x4, 1x6) and Rahul Dravid (38, 30b; 4x4, 1x6) got the visitors got within sniffing distance, but Glenn McGrath’s four-wicket burst just about snatched the game for the hosts.

Needing 30 runs off the last over, Challengers could only manage 20 giving Daredevils their third win in four matches.

Royal Challengers didn’t get off to the best of starts, losing both their openers fairly cheaply. They have been plagued with opening issues throughout the ongoing tournament, but this time their middle order came to the rescue.

Dravid and Kallis showed character, unwilling to make way in the face of an imposing total and an impressive bowling attack. Their cameos were in contrast in terms of style, but both were equally effective. Dravid, was all elegance in his knock, with lovely cover drives and flicks dotting the innings.

His cover drives off Rajat Bhatia in the 12th over were the highlight. Kallis, at the other end, wielded the long handle to keep the required run-rate in check. At 92/3 in 10 overs, Challengers were well on their way to victory. However, the veteran McGrath struck at a critical moment to change the game in a flash.

Kallis got to his fifty in the 18th over, but by that time the asking rate had skyrocketed.

Dravid had elected to field first, hoping to capitalise the dew factor that could bring the fiery Dale Steyn into the equation. But after an insipid Sunday show against Kings XI, openers Virender Sehwag and Gambhir were in no mood to hold back.

Three runs came off the first over from Steyn who almost got Sehwag (24, 12 balls; 3x4, 1x6) to nick one to the wicketkeeper in the first over. Mayhem ensued thereafter with Gambhir (86, 54b; 11x4, 1x6) latching onto anything that was remotely short or wide.

Zaheer was eased through mid-wicket, point and long-on in three consecutive deliveries off the second over that accounted for 16 runs. The Zaheer-Sehwag face-off was the talk of the town on match eve, but clearly it was Gambhir who was stealing the show.

Sehwag got into the act soon, clobbering Zaheer over his head for a six and then dispatching him for consecutive boundaries off the next two balls. The Delhi dasher, however, couldn’t sustain the onslaught, caught in no man’s land trying for a tight single.

Zaheer was promptly replaced by Dravid and even though the pacer fared much better in his second spell, the damage had already been done. Shikhar Dhawan (50, 33b; 4x4, 3x6) and Gambhir ensured that the run-rate didn’’t drop. A 100 runs came between the 5th and 15th overs with both batsmen taking full toll of a directionless Bangalore attack.

Kallis, who was preferred over Misbah-ul Haq for the game based on his all-round abilities, flattered to deceive. He went for 39 in his four overs.