IPL 8, CSK vs KKR: Chennai Super Kings edge past Kolkata Knight Riders
Dhoni led side beat KKR by two runs at Chepauk
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-04-28 19:12 GMT
Chennai: Such was their display, one would be tempted to call Chennai Super Kings the ‘Marvel Avengers’ of IPL. Lagging behind for most part of the match after being restricted to 134/6, MSD’s bowlers staged a staggering comeback to post a thrilling two-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the M.A. Chidambaram on Tuesday.
Despite a rollicking start given by Robin Uthappa (39 off 17 balls) in the first six overs — 54/1, KKR ended with 132/9 in their 20 overs as Chennai regained the No.1 slot in the points table. Ryan ten Doeschate’s (38 not out) efforts went in vain.
Dwayne Bravo (3/22), who failed to entertain with the bat, ensured the home crowd kept dancing along with him through out the night. Though the target seemed below par, the sprawling Chennai fielding unit made the target look like 170. Some stunning ground fielding — with Brendon McCullum leading the way — punctuated the second half.
The icing on the cake was the catch held by Bravo to send Surymakumar Yadav off Mohit Sharma.
The West Indian all-rounder, who dismissed Yusuf Pathan (13) in the dying moments of the game to seal the door for KKR, came charging in from long-on towards mid-on, leapt full length and ensured the ball stuck into his left hands to bring the roof down.
After losing skipper Gautam Gambhir for a first-ball duck, Kolkata were cruising to victory until the arrival of R. Ashwin in the sixth over. Though he left the field with an injured finger after sending down a couple of overs, he did enough damage in his short spell to trigger a KKR collapse.
He struck in his very first ball as Uthappa, who ran into Mohit smashing 14 runs off his first over, clobbered one straight into the bread basket of Brendon McCullum. No.3 batsman Manish Pandey (15) perished in the offie’s next over slogging one to Bravo at deep mid-wicket.
Earlier, Gambhir’s decision to bowl first turned out to be a stroke of a genius as his bowlers restricted CSK to 134/6. Playing Brad Hogg — the oldest cricketer, 44, in the IPL — proved to be a masterstroke by KKR.
His introduction into the game at the end of six overs was critical. The more he tweaked his tongue the more turn and bounce he extracted from the wicket. It was the spin-pace combination of Hogg and Andre Russell that made life difficult for Chennai.
Scorecard
Chennai Super Kings: D. Smith run out (Pathan) 25, B. McCullum lbw b Chawla 19, S. Raina c Uthappa b Russell 17, F du Plessis (not out) 29, MS Dhoni c Uthappa b Russell 3, D. Bravo c SA Yadav b Chawla 5, R. Jadeja b Hogg 15, R. Ashwin (not out) 9. Extras (lb-3, w-9) 12. Total (for six wickets in 20 overs) 134.
FoW: 1-42, 2-64, 3-67, 4-81, 5-88, 6-124.
Bowling: Cummins 4-0-25-0, Yadav 4-0-36-0, Chawla 4-0-26-2, Hogg 4-0-18-1, Russell 4-0-26-2.
Kolkata Knight Riders: R. Uthappa c McCullum b Ashwin 39, G. Gambhir c Dhoni b Pandey 0, M. Pandey c Bravo b Ashwin 15, S. Yadav c Bravo b Sharma 16, Y. Pathan b Bravo 13, R. ten Doeschate not out 38, A. Russell run out (Jadeja/Dhoni) 4, P. Cummins c Jadeja b Bravo 0, P. Chawla c Dhoni b Bravo 0. U. Yadav b Nehra 0, B. Hogg not out 2. Extras (lb-2 w-3) 5. Total (for nine wickets in 20 overs) 132
FoW: 1-1, 2-52, 3-61, 4-76, 5-91, 6-100, 7-101, 8-104, 9-116.
Bowling: I. Pandey 2-0-18-1, A. Nehra 4-0-38-1, M. Sharma 3-0-24-1, R. Ashwin 2-0-5-2, R. Jadeja 3-0-11-0, S. Raina 3-0-12-0, D. Bravo 3-0-22-3.