Chennai Super Kings 186 for 5 (Hussey 88, Raina 51, Faulkner 3-20) beat Rajasthan Royals 185 for 4 (Watson 101, Binny 36*, Ashwin 2-20) by five wickets
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Chennai Super Kings have more match-turning batsmen than any other side
in the tournament, and that was on display yet again as they hunted down
186 against Rajasthan Royals. Michael Hussey, who made the slowest
40-plus score in the IPL in the previous match, showed off his
versatility with a boundary-filled 88, the out-of-form Suresh Raina
powered his way to a half-century, MS Dhoni narrowed the gap to the
target though he couldn't close out the game this time. It was left to
Dwayne Bravo to pound a final-over six and deliver victory, before
breaking out into a joyous chukka chukka dance.
The endless depth in Super Kings' batting meant that Shane Watson's
typically power-packed century, the first hundred of the season, and
James Faulkner's pinpoint death bowling was not enough for the perennial
underdogs Rajasthan Royals to pull off another upset.
Royals have won all 15 matches in which they have had to defend more
than 162, but once the Super Kings chase began, Royals never looked
outright favourites. Ajit Chandila continued to have success with his
seemingly harmless and variation-less offspin bowling, dismissing M
Vijay cheaply, but Hussey began with a barrage of boundaries, including a
six over midwicket to ensure Super Kings kept pace. It was a shot he
used often and effectively as he shed his usual role of anchor, and
turned into an aggressor.
Raina was no slouch either, playing two of his trademark strokes - the
slog over midwicket and the inside-out lofted hit over extra cover - as
the pair, helped by some erratic bowling, powered Super Kings past 100
in the 10th over.
Faulkner gave Royals some hope by getting Raina lbw, but with Cooper
bowling too many wide deliveries that were easily guided by Hussey to
behind backward point for four, and the finishing expert, Dhoni, in the
middle, Super Kings were still ahead.
A spot-on direct-hit from Dravid to send back Hussey renewed Royals'
fight, before Faulkner bowled two superb death overs, getting rid of
Ravindra Jadeja for a duck, and then dismissing Dhoni caught at wide
long-on. It was down to Bravo to score 11 off the final over, off Watson
who has only recently re-started bowling. Watson missed the length on
one and was drilled over sweeper cover for six to virtually kill off the
contest.
It was a bittersweet match for Watson, who had been in imperious touch
earlier. The carnage started in earnest from the third over, as he
coolly launched Mohit Sharma's first delivery over the bowler's head for
six. Chris Morris was helped over deep backward square leg for six, the
giant West Indian fast bowler Jason Holder proved ineffective on debut
and by the end of the seventh, Royals had whooshed to 71.
The over which defined the innings was the 17th, bowled by Jadeja. The
first ball was a hit-me full toss that was clobbered over long-on for
six. Jadeja, already taken for 27 in his first two overs, was flustered
by the big hitting, and sprayed the next ball miles outside off stump.
It was followed up by another full toss that was deposited for six, and
another shocking wide, several metres outside off.
Watson ended that over on 99, and brought up the first hundred of the
season with a gentle nudge behind square leg in the next over. With
Stuart Binny regularly scything the ball over the off side, Royals ran
up what seemed a terrific total of 185. Not against Super Kings.
Siddarth Ravindran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
Feeds: Siddarth Ravindran
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
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