Hyderabad, May 25: Fearless hitting took the Royal Challengers to a thrilling victory at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Sunday as Deccan Chargers failed to pull off their first home victory which at one stage looked like the only result possible.

Australian Cameron White and B. Akhil snatched the five-wicket win from the Chargers, scoring 60 in the last five overs to set up the result. An injured Jacques Kallis put the Royal Challengers’ chase on course with two copybook off drives in the first over. The South African had twisted his ankle while bowling the seventh over, and came out to open the Royal Challengers’ innings, but that did not stop him from launching at the Chargers’ bowling.

As long as Kallis was there, the Royal Challengers were getting a boundary every over. The classy right-hander picked the gaps in the field with copybook shots. But Chamara Silva’s direct hit from mid-off caught Kallis’ runner Wasim Jaffer short of his crease.

The Royal Challengers lost their way after Kallis’ departure. A few big hits by Misbah-ul Haq might have raised some hopes in the Royal Challengers’ dugout but the Pakistani could not carry on for long. He departed going for a pull off Ravi Teja. Misbah ended up spooning it to Chamara at long on.

Captain Rahul Dravid, who has looked in good form, failed to pounce on some loose bowling and his partner White did nothing in that period to make one believe that he had once scored a 55-ball Twenty20 century.

Dravid hit a huge six off Ravi Teja and three boundaries off three balls from Sanjay Bangar, but the mounting pressure of the required rate got to him next ball when he went for a risky late cut next ball despite although 12 runs had already come in that over. Adam Gilchrist’s elation after taking the catch proved its significance.

But those who thought Dravid’s dismissal settled the result were proved wrong by White and Akhil, the unlikely hero. After White hit Vijaykumar for a four and a six in the 17th over, Akhil turned the match on its head in the next over.

Virat Kohli started the over with a boundary over point but perished off the next ball trying to go for a big one. Akhil came in and paddled Chaminda Vaas past short fine leg for four and then went over the head of that fielder off the next ball. When he got the strike in the penultimate over, all he hit were sixes off the hapless Silva. White kept rotating the strike through his innings and his faith in No.7 Akhil was justified.

The Chargers have shown a tendency of losing their grip on a match after grabbing it forcefully. That let them down here again. Not only did they leak 60 runs in the last five overs but were also guilty of scoring just two runs in the last two overs of their own innings.

The Chargers lost their way after Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs gave them a good start to end up scoring less than a winning total. Their 165 was competitive as it was against Royal Challengers who had not really set the stands on fire with their batting till this match but considering the average scores in the Indian Premier League so far, the total was inadequate.

Starting cautiously, Gilchrist and Gibbs opened up gradually to share in a 101-run opening partnership, the Chargers’ highest in the tournament, in just 11.1 overs.