As all three departments - batting, bowling, and fielding synced together for Chennai Super Kings for the first time this season, the team defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 20 runs in a tightly contested game in Dubai.
Having decided to bat after winning the toss, the Chennai team didn’t quite have an ideal start. But true to their character so far, the team made a comeback and that to a strong one with a partnership between Rayudu and Shane Watson. The pair added 81 runs for the third wicket.
Bowling wise too, the Super Kings had a good purchase as their bowlers executed the plans and took early wickets. For Hyderabad, there were many visible errors on the part of individuals and also as a team which led to such a defeat in back-to-back games.
On that note here are the hits and flops of the game.
Curran was brilliant for the Super Kings both with the bat and the ball. He not only opened the innings and scored a quickfire 31 off 21 deliveries, but also opened the bowling for the team. In his three overs, Curran only gave 18 runs and also took the important wicket of David Warner. All these contributions for sure take him to the number one spot in the list of Hits and Flops. The fact that Curran was able to give momentum to the team in batting and direction to it in bowling, makes him an expensive commodity in the market and CSK must consider themselves lucky to him right now.
Not the best spinner in the Chennai squad, it must have come as a pleasant surprise for Sharma to be in the lineup today. To his credit, he performed really well in that test as he was able to take two important wickets of Kane Williamson and Priyam Garg, also the two men on whose shoulders rested the responsibility of a Hyderabad win.
Sharma’s figures of 2/37 in four overs with him bowling two in the death should also be taken into consideration.
Ravindra Jadeja was at his usual best for the first time in this year’s league as he performed both with the bat and also with the ball. While batting it was Jadeja’s cameo of 25 off 10 balls that took the CSK team from 155 to 168. He hit three fours and one six during that innings.
In bowling, the ‘Royal Navghan’ of Rajkot was right on the money as he kept bowling at the same line once he found one. This forced batters to commit mistakes and that’s how he got the all-important wicket of Jonny Bairstow. In his three overs, he took one wicket and gave away just 21 runs.
The captain of the Hyderabad outfit, Warner wasn’t able to either consolidate on the momentum built by the bowlers in the first innings, or create new momentum with the bat. He rather fell prey to Sam Curran’s swing and gave away his wicket while at 9 off 13 deliveries.
Apart from batting, him as captain while selecting the team also faltered as he played an extra bowler by sitting out a batsman. A move that backfired big time later.
Manish Pandey arrived at the crease with a cracking four, but had a brain fade moment at the very next ball as he ran for a single when there were none and courtesy a Dwayne Bravo throw, he was found short of the crease and thus had to take a long walk back home (dugout).
In such a run chase, the experience of Pandey was what was required, but he failed to perform up to the expectations at the highest level.
The man was flawless today apart from the 'intimidation' incident he had with umpire Paul. There was clarity in his head and also in the heads of his troop as well. His quickfire 21 from 13 balls also helped the team reach a defining total. post that in the second innings, his bowling changes were superb and so was humility with the young guns post-match.
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