Ambati Rayudu top-scored with an unbeaten hundred (62b, 7x4, 7x6) as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets in the Indian Premier league here on Sunday. CSK has almost qualified for the playoffs now.
The target was achieved easily, courtesy Shane Watson (57, 5x4, 3x6) and Rayudu. The pair put on 134 runs for the first wicket.
Watson, who usually looks a healthy, overpowering sort of dashed male, was frightfully disdainful. Rayudu was casually so. “He was calm and went about his business,” said SRH skipper Kane Williamson after the match.
Watson hit Sandeep Sharma for two sixes back-to-back. The first, he swept over deep fine-leg. The second, he pulled over deep midwicket.
Rayudu’s highlight from the union was an inside-out six over deep cover off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Sunrisers were made to look defiant with nothing to defy.
Then, Watson departed. But Rayudu just wouldn't snap out of his phenomenal form. He added 43 runs with skipper M.S. Dhoni for the unbroken third wicket.
Earlier, Williamson and Shikhar Dhawan were involved in a 123-run second-wicket stand to take Sunrisers to 179 for four.
The pair seems to thrive on mutual benign influence. Their batting appeared casual. The shots looked intuitive, not effortful. They fell off successive balls, when they had just gone hit-all.
Earlier, Dhoni had won the toss and chosen to bowl.
Encouraged by the swing, perhaps, he had the seamers bowl nine of the first 10 overs.
Deepak Chahar, who had returned from injury to replace Karn Sharma, was impressive again in the PowerPlay. He bowled his four overs on the trot. His outswing was striking. He had Alex Hales slashing a wide delivery to Raina at point. All of Chahar’s seven wickets this season have come in the PowerPlay.
“They got a considerable amount of swing in the first eight overs. That made it a bit difficult to bat,” Williamson said. “We should’ve scored a bit more. Credit to CSK. It was always a tough chase,” he added.
CSK coach Stephen Fleming said, “Rayudu has been leading the way. We want his form to continue, and the others also to score along with him.
“Because, it's contagious — when one person plays really well, it has a positive effect on the others.”
