Kimberley, May 9: Put Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee on a long flight, give them no time to recover and field them straightaway into the playing XI and they will respond with special performances. Unfortunately, the game of cricket can have only one winner and Kings XI prevailed in a humdinger over Deccan Chargers. Both teams now have 10 points.

The power of Symonds and his 95-run stand with Venugopal Rao lifted Chargers to 168/5. A total that looked impossible to attain on a slow wicket until Symonds gifted 20 runs in the ninth over while Suman gave 16 in the 16th to take Punjab to the door. Piyush Chawla and Lee played to the situation to guide Kings XI home with one delivery to spare.

The two wickets that Rohit Sharma picked in his first over, of Sunny Sohal and Simon Katich, was neutralised by some ordinary bowling that followed. Yuvraj Singh and Kumar Sangakkara made the most of some innocuous stuff.

As it has turned out in most games, Sangakkara chose to play smart before the break and had his stumps rearranged by S.M. Shoaib. And two balls later, Yuvraj attempted a pull and Adam Gilchrist held his nerves. Kings XI’s back appeared to be broken.

The Punjab team’s long tail ensured more drama. Mahela Jayawardena and Irfan Pathan kept picking the gaps and the asking rate was under control. T. Suman induced a false shot from Pathan and Shoaib at short third man flung himself forward to take the ball inches off the ground. But Lee and Chawla ensured that Kings XI won the thriller.

Earlier the decision to insert Chargers was tactically prudent. The wicket did not play half as good as it looked.

The ball was gripping at back of length and runs against the new ball was the only option. Even Lee (in for Yusuf Abdulla) looked pedestrian. The spongy tennis ball bounce was making life difficult for the batsmen.

Lee and Pathan did not provide the width for the cut or the length for the pull. Mediocre fielding came to the aid of the Chargers. Gilchrist picked a few from length and prospered while Herschelle Gibbs was more intent on playing himself in. The first three overs produced 25 runs when S. Sreesanth replaced Pathan. The first ball was duly hit for a six before Gilchrist perished trying to repeat the act.

It went all downhill from there for the Chargers. Gibbs was snapped smartly by Jayawardena at gully when Chawla got one to bounce of a length. Suman, who had deposited Pathan over square leg drove Chawla imperiously straight for another maximum. But Suman’s departure to Wilkin Mota before the break was a huge setback. Rohit gloved a slow bouncer from Lee to Sangakkara and the Chargers were staring at the wrong end.

There was little indication of what was to follow. Venugopal joined Symonds and in a matter of 20 minutes, the complexion of the game changed. Symonds did not seem to like the smell of the white ball.

He dispatched it from his presence with amazing regularity. Whether it was opening the left leg to create space or swinging the bat in a parabolic arc, his hitting was scientific and destructive.

The ball flew like a bullet. Pathan and Sreesanth bore the brunt. The deep mid-wicket fence was peppered with five sixes. Venugopal was not to be left behind.

A straight six off Mota had the press personnel scurrying for cover. The duo ran hard, converted their singles to twos and did not leave a single opportunity. It was mayhem. It was batsmanship of the highest order. The effort did not deserve to end on the losing side.