Title-favourites Chennai Super Kings (CSK) slid to its third successive defeat in the ongoing IPL-13 in UAE.  Set to score a modest (by today’s standards) 164 for an elusive win, CSK became unstuck as it lost the match by 7 runs.

CSK was never in the match while chasing, always falling way behind the requisite run-rate of 8.2.  CSK had dropped Vijay and Josh Hazlewood in place of Bravo and Rayudu.  SRH’s Warner won the toss and opted to bat first. 

Bowling clicked 

It was a dream start for CSK as Deepak Chahar castled the in-form Bairstow in the match’s first over.  Manish Pandey and Warner played cameos for 29 and 28 but CSK was in the driver’s seat when it had reduced SRH to 69/4 in 11 overs with Kane Williamson getting run-out off the very next ball after Warner fell.  Young Turk Priyam Garg was certainly guilty of Williamson’s run-out. 

Youngsters’ day out 

Pressure was sure on Garg but the young lad took it upon his shoulders as he and young Abhishek Sharma stitched together a vital, match-winning 77-run partnership off just 42 balls.  Abishek made a 24-ball 31 but it was Garg, displaying tremendous stroke-play and deft shots, who stole the thunder with a 26-ball 51 and was aptly adjudged the Man of the Match. 

Wobbling start 

CSK wobbled in its chase after Watson and du Plessis opened; it lost an off-colour Shane Watson (are his days with CSK nearing an end?) in the third over for a solitary run off 6 balls.  Rayudu got going but was out to a peach of a delivery from Natarajan, a TNPL-find for SRH.  After an in-form du Plessis was run-out for 22 in the sixth over, Kedar Jadhave (who neither bats nor bowls nor fields well) wasted 10 deliveries to hold out to cover in the ninth over. 

Dhoni’s struggle and late surge 

It was left to Jadeja and MS Dhoni to perform the miracle by 15 runs per over for an improbable victory.  Dhoni struggled against Rashid Khan who stifled him; Jadeja started playing his shots only in the 16th over; there were some profitable overs between him and Dhoni as Jadeja raked up a 36-ball 50 with five 4’s and two 6’s.  Just when CSK’s fans were hoping for a miracle, Jadeja fell off the next ball after reaching 50. 

Dhoni, not finding his usual ‘touch’ and struggling because of the heat, couldn’t repeat his earlier feats when CSK needed 23 off the last over.  Despite Sam Curran six off the last ball, CSK fell short by 7 runs, making its fan wonder whether it would make the play-off stages. 

Needless to say, CSK is at the bottom of the points tally with 3 losses in 4 games!

Match in brief: 

SRH: 164/5 (20 overs)

CSK: 157/5 (20 overs)

Man of the Match: Priyam Garg

Picture Courtesy: IPLT20.COM