Dubai: Brilliant knocks by Shane Watson 42 off 38 and Ambati Rayudu 41 off 34 and fine bowling spell by bowlers helped Chennai Super Kings beat SRH by 20 runs in the 29th match of the IPL 2020, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, here on Tuesday.
Earlier, CSK won the toss and opted to bat posting 167/6 in 20 overs while SRH were reduced to 147/8. From 8 matches CSK have won their third game moving to 6th spot while SRH remain at No 5th spot and lost their 5th game from 8 matches. For CSK wicket-takers were Bravo 2/25, Sharma 2/37, Jadeja and Curran picked one each.
Sam Curran (31 off 21), MS Dhoni ( 21 off 13) and Ravindra Jadeja (25 not out off 10) also made valuable contributions with the bat. After winning toss and opting to bat first, CSK openers Faf du Plessis and Sam Curran departed inside the first-5 overs with Sandeep Sharma sending back both batsmen.
Faf recorded his first duck in 6 years while Curran made a quickfire 21-ball 31 before heading back to the dressing room.
Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu pair took CSK to 69-2 after the 10 overs. Khaleel Ahmed broke the 81-run stand between Watson and Rayudu as the latter was dismissed on 41 from 34 deliveries.
After spending substantial time in the middle, Watson looked to switch gears but he also got out after scoring 42 off 38 balls.
The duo’s dismissals in rather quick succession did help SRH to pull things back but cameos from Dhoni and Jadeja ensured that CSK got past the 165-run mark.
MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja had the responsibility to finish big for CSK, Dhoni played an important cameo of 22 off 13 balls before he was caught by Kane Williamson in T Natarjan’s over. In the end, some late carnage from Jadeja helped CSK reach 167.
CSK managed 51 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in the final 5 overs including 15 in the final one bowled by Khaleed Ahmed, who got smashed for a 6 and a 4 by Ravindra Jadeja.
Chasing target SRH openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow pair added 23 runs for the first wicket, but it was Sam Curran giving breakthrough for his team picking wicket of skipper Warner at (9) in 4th over.
After Warner’s exit second wicket stand between Manish Pandey and Bairstow lasted for just 4 runs, as Pandey was run out in the same over at (4). SRH were 2 down within a span of 27 runs.
After Pandey’s departure Williamson and Bairstow built 32 run stand for third wicket and kept rotating the strike, but it was classic stuff from Jadeja targeting the middle stump sending Bairstow back to the pavillion at 23 off 24 (2 fours) in 10th over.
SRH still needed 86 runs in 41 balls as required run rate was rising.
Another valuable partnership came between Williamson and Priyam Garg striking 40 runs for fourth wicket as it looked SRH were still alive in the game but then Karn Sharma picked wicket of Garg in 15th over at 16 off 18 balls (1 four) SRH losing their fourth wicket under 99 runs.
With Williamson still hanging at the other end, also came up with his half century in 17th over, but SRH wickets kept tumbling.
SRH lost two quick wickets in 16.4 over of Shankar at 12 by Bravo and then in 17.2 over of Williamson by Karn Sharma picking his second wicket.
Williamson’s innings ended with 57 off 39 balls (7 fours). Towards the end of the innings there was some fireworks from Nadeem and Rashid hitting 6,4,4 in Sharma’s spell in 18th over.
But SRH were 7 down when Rashid was bowled by Thakur in 18.6 over. SRH were still 22 runs short in 6 balls.
Bravo picked his second wicket sending Nadeem at 5 runs in 19.3 over SRH losing their 8th wicket.
In the last ball SRH needed 21 runs to win which seemed impossible as CSK beat SRH by 20 runs.
Sandeep Sharma was the best of the lot for SRH among the bowlers with 2 for 19 while Khaleel Ahmed and and T Natarajan also bagged a couple of scalps
each.
