Chennai Super Kings was unstoppable at the JSCA International Stadium here on Friday. The two-time champion continued to dominate the IPL-7 with a handsome 34-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in front of 25,000 spectators.
Brilliant batting and purposeful, incisive bowling combined to push KKR to its fourth defeat in six games. As CSK took complete control of the match, KKR batsmen capitulated meekly, the exception being opener Robin Uthappa’s 38-ball 47 with five boundaries and a six and Yusuf Pathan’s belligerent 41 that had four huge sixes.
A struggle all the way Chasing what looked like an imposing target of 149, KKR not only failed to get a good start but struggled throughout the innings with characterless batting. Captain Gautam Gambhir’s pathetic run out set the tone of the chase. The dismissal of Jacques Kallis, Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan all within a space of four balls typically highlighted KKR batsmen’s mindset. The latter batsmen too failed to deliver.
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja came up with a brilliant spell of four for 12 to fashion the triumph.
CSK flaunted its batting might against KKR in the teams’ first encounter of the season. Punishing half-century by Brendon McCullum, a typical 31 by Suresh Raina and a 22-run cameo by skipper Dhoni were enough for the home side to run up a challenging 148 for three in 17 overs.
Sudden rain robbed six overs off the game. The pitch turned out to be a beauty as the opening pair of Dwayne Smith and McCullum made hay when the Knight Rider’s bowlers failed to maintain a good line and length despite opening with two spinners Shakib and Sunil Narine.
Smith was the first to display the aggression with a beautifully off-driven six off Shakib which set the trend of the CSK innings. Shakib trapped an over-ambitious Smith leg before with the one that came a bit slow off the pitch.
Suresh Raina and McCullum brought about the best phase of the CSK innings with a partnership of 70 off 58 runs. If the Kiwi was all fire and pulled anything short to the fence, Raina was in his element, placing the ball neatly and when opportunity arose, put the ball away from the reach of the fielders with delectable wrist work.
The innings that took the breath away was former KKR player, McCullum’s 40-ball essay which had five fours and two sixes, the second being the best: a front-foot pull off Jacques Kallis that landed deep in the gallery.
Shakib had Raina for 31 (25b, 4x4, 1x6) taken by Suryakumar Yadav off a full-toss but the respite the KKR bowlers were expecting, eluded them. McCullum raced to the half-century with a six off Kallis and soon departed square driving an Andre Russell full length delivery to Yusuf at deep-cover.
Jadeja and Dhoni made merry despite Narine bowling a tight 16th over for six runs. Russell, who bowled the final over, was plundered for 15 runs with Jadeja hitting him for a huge six.
CSK, playing its first ‘home’ match of this leg, retained the same XI while KKR made two changes, brining in Russell for Morne Morkel and Yusuf for Manvinder Bisla.
Chennai Super Kings: D. Smith lbw b Shakib 16 (11b, 2x4, 1x6), B. McCullum c Yusuf b Russell 56 (40b, 5x4, 2x6), S. Raina c Suryakumar b Shakib 31 (25b, 4x4, 1x6), M.S. Dhoni (not out) 22 (17b, 1x4, 1x6), R. Jadeja (not out) 17 (10b, 1x4, 1x6); Extras (lb-5, nb-1): 6; Total (for three wkts. in 17 overs): 148.
Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Smith), 2-90 (Raina), 3-119 (McCullum).
Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Shakib 4-0-25-2, Narine 4-0-26-0, Chawla 3-0-31-0, Vinay 3-0-26-0, Kallis 1-0-10-0, Russell 2-0-25-1.
Kolkata Knight Riders: R. Uthappa c Dhoni b Jadeja 47 (38b, 5x4, 1x6), G. Gambhir run out 6 (6b, 1x4), J. Kallis c Manhas b Ashwin 4 (6b, 1x4), M. Pandey c McCullum b Jadeja 1 (2b), Shakib c Mohit b Jadeja 0 (1b), Suryakumar lbw b Jadeja 8 (13b), Yusuf lbw b Mohit 41 (29b, 1x4, 4x6), A. Russel b Mohit 1 (5b), P. Chawla c du Plessis b Mohit 1 (2b), Vinay Kumar (not out) 0 (0b), S. Narine (not out) 1 (1b); Extras (lb-3, nb-1): 4; Total (for nine wkts. in 17 overs): 114
Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Gambhir), 2-36 (Kallis), 3-38 (Pandey), 4-38 (Shakib), 5-65 (Suryakumar), 6-88 (Uthappa), 7-91 (Russel), 8-113 (Chawla), 9-113 (Yusuf).
Chennai Super Kings bowling: Hilfenhaus 3-0-26-0, I. Pandey 2-0-20-0, Mohit 3-0-22-3, Ashwin 4-0-21-1, Jadeja 4-0-12-4, Raina 1-0-10-0.
Man-of-the-match: R. Jadeja.
CSK won by 34 runs.
