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Chennai: Brilliant Dwayne Bravo and Ravichandran Ashwin helps Chennai Super Kings defend a modest 134 against Kolkata Knight Riders, back on top in points table.
After posting a modest 134 runs on a difficult pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, the hosts bowled and fielded like they were possessed, with plenty of spirit and gumption, and restricted the visitors to 132 for 9.
KKR were pushed on the backfoot right at the start of their chase when Ishwar Pandey found the outside edge of Gautam Gambhir’s willow.
Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey put the innings back on the rails with a 51-run stand. The second-wicket pair made good use of the pace of the CSK quick bowlers, picking up eight boundaries and a six in five overs.
But the introduction of spin in the sixth over – in the form of R Ashwin – derailed the chase, and a lot of it had to do with poor shot-selection from the KKR batsmen. The CSK off-spinner struck with his first delivery when Uthappa (39) pulled a short delivery but McCullum converted the half-chance and took a low catch.
The off-spinner struck for a second time with the first delivery of his second over when Manish Pandey’s slog sweep landed in the hands of Dwayne Bravo at midwicket.
Ryan ten Doeschate waged a lone battle for the visitors and took his team to the brink. But KKR, who after five overs were faced with a required run rate of 5.53, finished their twenty overs three runs short at 132 for 9. ten Doeschate (38 from 28 balls) and Brad Hogg (2) remained unbeaten at the crease at the end.
The eight overs bowled by Ashwin (2 for 5), Jadeja (3-0-11-0) and Raina (3-0-12-0) had 26 dot deliveries and one boundary.
Bravo finished the most successful bowler of the evening, picking up three wickets, while Pandey and Ashish Nehra (who reclaimed the Purple Cap) picked up a wicket apiece.
Earlier in the evening, the Chennai Super Kings, who were put in to bat, didn’t capitalise on a blazing start provided by their opening pair of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum.
The CSK openers took full toll of the pace of Pat Cummins and Umesh Yadav, hitting five boundaries and two sixes as CSK raced to 42 in 4.3 overs.
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla broke that partnership when he landed a flipper that McCullum didn’t pick and was adjudged to be in front of the stumps when he was struck on the pad. The Kiwi batsman made 19 from 14 balls, studded with three boundaries and a six.
Brief scores
Chennai Super Kings - 134 for 6 (Chawla 2-26, Russell 2-26)
Kolkata Knight Riders - 132 for 9 (Uthappa 39, Bravo 3-22, Ashwin 2-5)
Result - Chennai Super Kings won by 2 runs
Points - Chennai Super Kings 2, Kolkata Knight Riders 0
MOM - Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings)
