Chennai Super Kings beat defending champion Deccan Chargers by 38 runs in the DLF-IPL III second semifinal at the D.Y. Patil stadium here on Thursday.
Making the final for the second time in three years, the 2008 runner-up team led by M.S. Dhoni meets Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Super Kings managed to score 142 runs, then its bowlers got into the act and made effective use of the conditions to trigger Chargers' collapse for 104 in 19.2 overs.
Dhoni opened with off-spinner R. Ashwin (4-0-14-1) and pace bowler Doug Bollinger (4-1-13-4) to put pressure on the opposition.
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Bollinger, who was adjudged the Man-of-the-Match, gained nip off the track and Albie Morkel (3-0-15-1) teased batsmen with late swing. Muttiah Muralitharan (4-0-16-1) and Shadab Jakati (4-0-44-2) also joined the party.
Gilchrist's misery at the crease (15 runs off 20 balls) ended in the sixth over when Anirudha pulled off a catch off Bollinger.
T. Suman's fierce square cut looked worthy of a boundary, but Raina took a tumbling catch off Bollinger to send him back.
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Andrew Symonds (23 off 22) was unable to dominate the bowling.
Earlier, Chargers kept the flamboyant Super Kings batsmen in check.
Symonds opened the bowling and returned admirable figures of 4-0-18-1 while Harris had three for 29.
S. Badrinath (37 off 41 balls) was the top-scorer, Dhoni (30 off 32) was the next best.
The scores:
Chennai Super Kings: M. Vijay lbw b Harris 15 (10b, 1x4, 1x6), M. Hayden c Symonds b Harris 8 (9b, 2x4), S. Raina c Gilchrist b Symonds 2 (4b), S. Badrinath st. Gilchrist b R.P. Singh 37 (41b, 3x4, 1x6), M.S. Dhoni c Rohit b Harmeet 30 (32b, 3x4), A. Morkel c Symonds b Ojha 4 (4b), S. Anirudha c Gibbs b Harris 24 (15b, 1x4, 2x6), R. Ashwin (not out) 6 (5b, 1x4), S. Jakati (not out) 0 (0b), Extras (b-8, lb-5, w-3): 16, Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs): 142.
Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-25, 3-29, 4-81, 5-96, 6-117, 7-137.
Deccan Chargers bowling: Symonds 4-0-18-1, Harris 4-0-29-3, R.P. Singh 4-0-33-1, Ojha 4-0-27-1, Harmeet 4-0-22-2.
Deccan Chargers: A. Gilchrist c Anirudha b Bollinger 15 (20b, 1x4, 1x6), H. Gibbs b Jakati 18 (26b, 1x4), T. Suman c Raina b Bollinger 4 (4b, 1x4), Rohit Sharma c Muralitharan b Morkel 2 (5b), A. Symonds c Vijay b Ashwin 23 (22b, 3x4), M. Mishra st. Dhoni b Jakati 2 (5b),B. Sumanth b Bollinger 16 (18b, 2x4), R. Harris c Vijay b Bollinger 15 (8b, 1x4, 1x6), Harmeet lbw b Muralitharan 0 (1b), R.P. Singh (not out) 0 (3b), P. Ojha c Bollinger b Raina 1 (4b), Extras (lb-2, w-6): 8; Total (in 19.2 overs) 104.
Fall of wickets: 1-19, 2-23, 3-31, 4-48, 5-54, 6-82, 7-103, 8-103, 9-103.
Chennai Super Kings bowling: Ashwin 4-0-14-1, Bollinger 4-1-13-4, Muralitharan 4-0-16-1, Morkel 3-0-15-1, Jakati 4-0-44-2, Raina 0.2-0-0-1.