Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 167/6 in 20 overs (Shane Watson 42, Ambati Rayudu 41; Sandeep Sharma 2-19, Natarajan 2-41, Khaleel Ahmed 2-45)
beat
Sunrisers Hyderabad 147/8 in 20 overs (Kane Williamson 57; Dwayne Bravo 2-25) by 20 runs.
Chennai Super Kings gave Sunrisers Hyderabad a taste of their own medicine to pocket a much-needed 20-run victory in the 29th match of the Indian Premier League 2020. The foundation was laid purposefully by the under-fire batsmen while their attack clicked in unison as well to take care of a par 167, Kane Williamson's tranquil 57 notwithstanding.
Ravindra Jadeja was deservedly adjudged the Man-of-the-Match for his all-round exploits which enabled the yellow jerseys to their third win in eight games on Tuesday, October 13 at the Dubai International Stadium.
Spin the king as tracks deteriorate
The constant exploitation is taking a toll on the sand-based decks, though you bet the spinners aren't complaining. The ball gripping to whizz past the edges or miscued swats landing into bucket hands has been a recurring spectacle of late. Both the captains drafted an extra specialist tweaker to optimise the squad balance in line with the foresaid dynamics, with Abhishek Sharma paving way for Shahbaz Nadeem in SRH while Piyush Chawla replacing Narayan Jagdeesan in CSK.
Revitalised CSK mean business
Having pasted just enough numbers on the board, CSK turned up the heat in defence. Opener David Warner's gung-ho swipe recoiled onto the pad before lobbing towards Sam Curran in his follow-through. Manish Pandey jetted off in the pursuit of a quick single only to be nabbed a yard short by Dwayne Bravo's rocket throw. Lynchpins Jonny Bairstow and Williamson had calmed the tides to an extent when Ravindra Jadeja cleaved in between the former's gates on 23, poking SRH into a mare's nest at 59/3.
Williamson special rues lack of support
However, zen-master Williamson proved the silver lining in SRH's cloud. He twice caressed Jadeja inside out along the turn before glancing Dwayne Bravo neatly to the fine-leg rope. The equation reading 75 off 36, Priyam Garg bit the dust off Karn Sharma, his almighty slog discovering cow corner to precision.
CSK took the proceedings by the scruff of the neck forthwith as Bravo removed Vijay Shankar and Williamson botched a one-kneed tonk into Shardul Thakur's lap at mid-wicket off the seasoned leggie. Rashid Khan kindled the glimmer of hope with a six and a four but departed hit wicket soon after to leave SRH with nowhere to hide. Shahbaz Nadeem spooned an awkward jab to offer Bravo his second scalp as CSK lurked from the dark shadows to resurrect their veering campaign back on track.
Curran punt lends CSK a fiery headstart
The rust hadn't yet shaken off despite the tournament nearing half-way mark, and CSK were liable to pull the rabbit out of the hat in order to reverse their dwindling fortunes. The engine room found merit in utilising Sam Curran's spunk at the top as Faf du Plessis jaunted to the crease with a new partner in tow. While Sandeep Sharma's away-slanter had the right-hander nicking behind for a rare first golden duck since 2014, Curran did his job to the T. He tore into Khaleel Ahmed, slamming the kitchen sink at a rank loosener to collect four over point before depositing an off-cutter into the sightscreen.
Nimble-witted Sandy in the house
The smiles in CSK's camp were only getting bigger with every boundary that flayed from the youngster's willow, albeit Sharma put on display how he's stood the test of time against raging pinch-hitters. He painstakingly hovered around the middle-stump channel bowling from over the wicket, refusing Curran the space to freewheel his arms. He then switched sides, plying his trade from round to knock over the off-stump as the southpaw played the wrong line to depart for an exciting 31.
Watto-Rayudu perish in quick succession
Amidst all the chatter of CSK stonewalling in the middle-phases, one-drop Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu shared a lively 81 to ensure not a speck of momentum was frittered away. While Watson cherished the rub of the green as three potential chances went begging, lady luck seemed to be holding some personal grudges against Rayudu, who nailed a waist-high full-toss straight down long-off's throat to exit for a well-compiled 41. Watson certainly wasn't destined to another miracle as a swooping Manish Pandey latched onto his cue-ended hoist.
Jadeja owns both finesse and power
While MS Dhoni sparkled to deceive, Ravindra Jadeja got the placement spot on with a couple of cute dabs through backward point. Dwayne Bravo swung for the hills to contribute zilch, though the left-handed dasher stoking a quickfire 25 off 10 balls helped CSK finish in a position of strength. In hindsight, that late blitz was quite instrumental in bandaging CSK's ghastly wounds and injecting a syringe of glucose into their ailing framework.
What's next in store?
Having reverted to type tonight, CSK would love to remain in this proactive zone against hot favourites Delhi Capitals in the latter of Saturday's doubleheader on October 17. SRH have a four-day window to plug the chinks in their armour before they meet Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, October 18.
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