The calm M.S. Dhoni, captaining Chennai Super Kings for a momentous 200th occasion, rang in the changes and cut the angles on the field much like a wizard, as his side crushed Rajasthan Royals by 45 runs at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
Dhoni and CSK were in control when Rajasthan, pursuing 189, lost the plot in this IPL clash on a pitch that offered some purchase for the spinners. Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali struck body blows.
In fact, Jadeja’s dream ball triggered RR’s decline.
Decisive strike
Jos Buttler can innovate and create and the cheeky dabs and the reverse sweeps were on view.
The Englishman was on 49 when Jadeja bamboozled him with a delivery that pitched on leg and hit middle-and-off.
Jadeja struck again in the same over, sliding one into the left-hander Shivam Dube and trapping him in front.
CSK made further inroads. Moeen Ali consumed the left-hander David Miller on the sweep. The off-spinner struck again when he had the high value Chris Morris caught at deep mid-wicket.
It was all over for RR.
Earlier left-arm swing bowler Sam Curran dented Royals early dismissing Manan Vohra and Sanju Samson with short-pitched deliveries.
CSK made 188 for nine after being inserted and, astonishingly, the highest score was Faf du Plessis’ 33.
CSK made 46 in the first six PowerPlay overs and smashed 61, despite losing wickets, in the last five.
Quick runs
Curran and Dwayne Bravo added crucial quick runs in the end. The intrepid Curran slashed Chetan Sakariya for a six.
And Bravo, who struck some brave blows, concluded the innings with a rousing six over long-on off the innings’ last ball from Mustafizur Rahman.
Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s dry run continued as he was done in canny Mustafizur’s change of pace after CSK was asked to take first strike.
du Plessis, batting with panache, danced down to strike Jaydev Unadkat for maximum. A stunning blow. However, fellow South African Morris bowled one outside off-stump and du Plessis, charging, slashed fatally.
The easy-hitting Moeen soon swung Mustafizur and pulled Morris for sixes before miscuing a short ball from leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia.
CSK pushed on. Ambati Rayudu waded into Tewatia with footwork and timing.
The innings once again hit a roadblock when Rayudu hit a back of a length ball from Sakariya to be held at the cover-point fence.
Sakariya struck again when Suresh Raina, attempting to switch gears, drove the bowler straight to mid-off.
CSK eventually put together a combative score in Dhoni’s 200th match as its captain.
Scoredboard
CHENNAI SUPER KINGS : Ruturaj Gaikwad c Dube b Mustafizur 10 (13b, 1x4), Faf du Plessis c Parag b Morris 33 (17b, 4x4, 2x6), Moeen Ali c Parag b Tewatia 26 (20b, 1x4, 2x6), Suresh Raina c Morris b Sakariya 18 (15b, 1x4, 1x6), Ambati Rayudu c Parag b Sakariya 27 (17b, 3x6), Ravindra Jadeja c Samson b Morris 8 (7b, 1x4), M.S. Dhoni c Buttler b Sakariya 18 (17b, 2x4), Sam Curran run out 13 (6b, 1x6), Dwayne Bravo (not out) 20 (8b, 2x4, 1x6), Shardul Thakur run out 1 (1b), Deepak Chahar (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (b-1. lb-4, w-8, nb-1): 14; Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 188.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-25 (Ruturaj, 3.5 overs), 2-45 (du Plessis, 5.4), 3-78 (Moeen, 9.2), 4-123 (Rayudu, 13.2), 5-125 (Raina, 13.5), 6-147 (Dhoni, 17.2), 7-163 (Jadeja, 18.3), 8-174 (Sam Curran, 19.1), 9-180 (Shardul, 19.4).
ROYALS BOWLING: Unadkat 4-0-40-0, Sakariya 4-0-36-3, Mustafizur 4-0-37-1, Morris 4-0-33-2, Tewatia 3-0-21-1, Parag 1-0-16-0.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS: Jos Buttler b Jadeja 49 (35b, 5x4, 2x6), Manan Vohra c Jadeja b Sam Curran 14 (11b, 1x4, 1x6), Sanju Samson c Bravo b Sam Curran 1 (5b), Shivam Dube lbw b Jadeja 17 (20b, 2x4), David Miller lbw b Moeen 2 (5b), Riyan Parag c Jadeja b Moeen 3 (7b), Rahul Tewatia c Ruturaj b Bravo 20 (15b, 2x6), Chris Morris c Jadeja b Moeen 0 (2b), Jaydev Unadkat c Jadeja b Shardul 24 (17b, 2x4, 1x6), Chetan Sakariya (not out) 0 (0b), Mustafizur Rahman (not out) 0 (4b); Extras (b-1, lb-3, nb-1, w-8): 13; Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 143.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-30 (Vohra, 3.5), 2-45 (Samson, 5.5), 3-87 (Buttler, 11.1), 4-90 (Dube, 11.6), 5-92 (Miller, 12.5), 6-95 (Parag, 14.1), 7-95 (Morris, 14.3), 8-137 (Tewatia, 18.6), 9-143 (Unadkat, 19.2).
SUPER KINGS BOWLING: Deepak Chahar 3-0-32-0, Sam Curran 4-0-24-2, Shardul 3-0-20-1, Jadeja 4-0-28-2, Bravo 3-0-28-1, Moeen Ali 3-0-7-3.
Toss: Rajasthan Royals.
Super Kings won by 45 runs.
