Smart batting displays by Tirumalasetti Suman and Andrew Symonds fashioned another Deccan Chargers victory at the Jamtha here on Saturday.
After off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin opened up the game for Chennai Super Kings in defence of a small total of 138 on a slow turner, Suman and Symonds forged a crucial partnership of 46 off 32 balls for the fourth wicket that steered Chargers to its fifth win in the DLF-IPL III league.
Symonds and Dwayne Smith's mighty hits in the end produced 32 off 18 balls and hastened an important win for their side.
Earlier, Sudeep Tyagi converted an acrobatic catch at backward point to send back Rohit Sharma and the Chargers needed a composed pair in the middle to baulk its rival.
Suman stuck to the task and departed in the 17th over, but a six each by Symonds and Smith eased anxiety for the Chargers in the dug out. The Chargers now have 10 points with three matches remaining.
“It's a nice mix to be in. I don't think the net run rate will come into play in the end for us. What matters from each win is two big points. Suman played a mature game today and Symonds contributed with the ball, bat and on the field,” said the Chargers' captain Adam Gilchrist.
“I don't think there was a key moment in the game; it was a collective effort. Murali would have been extremely difficult to play on this surface; he is difficult on any wicket for that matter,” he added.
CSK skipper M.S. Dhoni said that Murali could not have done better than Ashwin in four overs. “It stopped turning for the left arm spinner in the second half, but the Chargers played better than us.
“The bowling is a worry for us; Chennai is a flat wicket and that's why Bollinger and Tushara are in the team for their pace. We have never struggled with out batting; for the first time we lost so many wickets.”
Earlier Gilchrist won the tactical duel, deploying his forces superbly. If delaying the introduction of left arm spinner Pragyan Ojha at the completion of his team's strategic time out was a well contemplated move on a palpably slow surface, positioning himself close to the stumps to Matthew Hayden was another clever decision.
The nick that came of the sliced shot of Hayden stuck in his big gloves, it was this breakthrough in the fifth over that enabled Gilchrist to work on his strategy after the power-play overs at a point when CSK was placed at a comfortable 55 for one.
Murali Vijay and Hayden provided a brisk start with the right hander excelling; he punched a shot through cover for four and then hoisted Harmeet Singh over long on for a six. Hayden struck on-side shots over the fielders and thumped a straight hit of Rohit Sharma.
It was at the stroke of the first strategic time out that the Chargers gained a gilt-edged breakthrough when Vijay, turning for the second run that compelled Raina to respond, caused his own downfall. R.P. Singh's throw from the deep (mid on) was accurate for the bowler Harmeet to dismantle the stumps.
But in spite of the dismissal of the openers CSK was in control at 69 for two of the first 54 balls.
Then Ojha produced a gem that terminated the tenure of Dhoni. It was a classic left arm spinner's delivery that drifted into the right hander, turned just enough to beat the bat and hit the top of off stump.
CSK advanced 138, thanks to Raina's skilful and bold hitting; the left hander made the most of the reprieve that came his way even before he had opened his account.
The scores: Chennai Super Kings: M. Vijay (run out) 23 ( 13b, 1x4, 1x6 ), M. Hayden c Gilchrist b Harmeet 19 ( 18b, 3x4 ), S. Raina c Rohit b Harris 52 ( 42b, 4x4, 2x6 ), M.S. Dhoni b Ojha 7 ( 13b ), M. Hussey c Sumanth b Symonds 8 ( 11b ), S. Badrinath c Mishra b R.P. Singh 6 ( 6b, 1x4 ), R. Ashwin c & b Harris 5 ( 6b ), T. Tushara c Symonds b Harris 8 ( 8b ), S. Jakati (not out) 0 ( 0b ), D. Bollinger (not out) 2 ( 3b ); Extras (b-2, lb-3, w-3): 8; Total (for 8 wkts in 20 overs): 138.
Fall of wickets: 1-41, 2-64, 3-82, 4-110, 5-121, 6-121, 7-132, 8-134.
Deccan Chargers bowling: Harris 4-0-18-3, R.P. Singh 2-0-18-0, Rohit 2-0-19-0, Harmeet 4-0-21-1, Smith 1-0-14-0, Symonds 4-0-23-1, Ojha 3-0-20-1.
Deccan Chargers: M. Mishra St. Dhoni b Ashwin 21 ( 18b, 2x4, 1x6 ), A. Gilchrist c Dhoni b Ashwin 7 ( 8b, 1x4 ), T. Suman c Raina b Jakati 55 ( 44b, 4x4, 2x6 ), Rohit c Tyagi b Raina 8 ( 15b ), A. Symonds (not out) 27 ( 22b, 1x4, 2x6 ), D. Smith (not out) 13 ( 8b, 1x6 ), Extras (lb-2, w-6): 8, Total (for 4 wkts in 19.1 overs): 139.
Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-35, 3-61, 4-107.
Chennai Super Kings bowling: Ashwin 4-0-13-2, Bollinger 3-0-31-0, Jakati 4-0-29-1, Tushara 4-0-27-0, Raina 3.1-0-25-1, Tyagi 1-0-12-0.
