The expected tussle between the top-end teams in the Pepsi-IPL-8 did not take place as Rajasthan Royals dominated the match and scored a thumping eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) here on Sunday to take its rightful position at the top in the league.
Arriving late for the party this season, skipper Shane Watson stamped his authority on the match at the packed Sardar Patel Gujarat Stadium at Motera. It was Ajinkya Rahane though who challenged the CSK bowling initially with his bold hits.
The two put on Royals’ eighth century plus stand for the first wicket in the league and as was the case on the previous occasions, the Royals cantered to victory. In fact their electrifying partnership became the Royals’ best for all wickets in the league; it bettered Naman Ojha and Graeme Smith’s stand of 135 for the first wicket against Kings XI Punjab at Kingsmead in 2009.
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Chasing CSK’s target of 157, the Royals openers raced to 47 in the Power-Play and then rattled off 31 in the ninth and 10th overs bowled by Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. There was no shortage of sixes as Watson powered two off Jadeja and one each off Ashwin and Dwayne Bravo. Watson finally left the scene after almost securing the match for his side with a robust half century.
Earlier in the first session the Royals showed how their knack of keeping the batsmen quiet and effecting breakthroughs to nip partnerships in the bud worked wonders. Its four bowlers — two seamers and as many spinners — struck vital blows to pin down the opponent, first at the conclusion of the Power Play overs and in the following four overs. As a result at the half-way stage the visiting team was floundering at 69 for the loss of Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Smith.
In good nick in the previous three matches, Smith and McCullum may have been surprised by the appearance of left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma — coming in for Dhawal Kulkarni — ready to start the proceedings from the club house end. The ruse did not work initially as McCullum punished the spinner for straying on both sides of the wicket.
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The Royals made it a one-over opening spell norm for its five leading bowlers in the Power Play and this tactic paid rich dividends.
Leading for the first time in the ongoing league, Watson retained Chris Morris in the playing XI, not even keeping Tim Southee in the 15 member official squad for the match; Ben Cutting being the overseas player in the reserves.
Morris enabled his team to make a strong comeback conceding a mere two runs in the second over which in a way forced McCullum to take the risk quotient to higher levels.
After making leg-spinner Pravin Tambe quiver and fall on his back with a thundering straight hit, McCullum offered his wicket on a platter to Faulkner at mid-on. Soon it seemed the Royals had got the upper hand when Suresh Raina chanced a cut off Morris and nicked to the ’keeper.
CSK closed the Power Play at 39 for 2 and immediately saw South African du Plessis lifting Ankit Sharma to long off where Morris converted a well-judged catch in the ninth over. And after the strategic time out, the Royals celebrated the dismissal of Smith who dragged Faulker on to his stumps.
Promoting Bravo turned out to be sort of a master-stroke. His skipper joined at the fall of Smith and CSK cut out all frills and recovered to 156; the undefeated fifth-wicket partnership added 91 off 65 balls.
There was entertainment value too with Bravo and Dhoni hitting 13 boundary shots, but the CSK skipper who won the toss would have probably wondered if the total his team posted was enough to record a fourth straight win.