Chennai: Chennai Super Kings are on a dream run in this edition of IPL as they registered their fifth win in a row by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by 14 runs in a heart-racing thriller at Chepauk, Chennai on Sunday.
Michael Hussey and Wriddhiman Shah put up a good first-wicket stand of 103 runs in first 10 overs and then came the cameo from Suresh Raina, who scored 44 runs in just 25 balls, which helped Chennai reach 200.
Hussey scored 95 in just 59 balls and smacked 11 fours and two sixes. Mohit Sharma also played his part really well as he dismissed Brendon McCullum and ended up with the figures of 1/23.
Hussey was declared man-of-the-match for his brilliant performance.
Kolkata Knight Riders started off well with their opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Manvinder Bisla. Gambhir smacked some quick boundaries and took the team to 32 runs inside 2.3 overs but got dismissed as Chris Morris disturbed his leg-stump by bowling a fuller one. McCullum also didn’t stay for too long and got played on after contributing seven runs. Bisla started freeing his arms as he kept coming with the boundaries in every over to give KKR’s innings some momentum. Meanwhile, Jacques Kallis took the centre stage but wasn’t able to score the much needed boundaries and he took away the pace of KKR’s innings. Kallis was dismissed after scoring 19 runs.
In came to bat Eoin Morgan and he continued with his brilliant form and added 79 runs with Bisla. Meanwhile, Bisla started accelerating the KKR innings and in last five overs by adding 58 runs. Bisla got run out after making sensational 92 runs off just 61 balls which proved to be the turning point of the match. This was by far the best innings that Bisla could have played as his innovative shots were coming in to the play and add to that his brilliant temperament which made him look a class player in such a pressure situation. With the loss of heavy weights early in the innings, it was looking as if KKR might see another collapse but all credit goes to Bisla for making it the last over finish.
After Bisla was dismissed, scored boundary became hard. With 19 runs needed in last over, they scored just four runs and the credit for this goes to Chris Morris for his brilliant performance in death overs. KKR were restricted to 186 runs in their 20 overs and consequently they lost the match by 14 runs. Morgan remained not out on 32 off 20 balls.
Earlier, it was Mike Hussey and Wriddhiman Shah who gave CSK their best start at Chennai as they added 49 runs in just five overs. The opening duo to added 103 runs in 10 overs before Shah was dismissed by Rajat Bhatia for 39 runs off 23 balls. Raina and Hussey kept the good work going and put KKR bowlers under some serious pressure.
Hussey departed at the score of 158 after making a valuable contribution of 95 runs which were studded with 11 fours and two sixes. Raina kept the momentum going with his captain MS Dhoni and added 30 runs in 21 balls. Raina got run out after scoring 44 off just 25 balls and took CSK to a very comfortable position. Riding on Dhoni’s six off last ball CSK reached a humongous total of 200 in their 20 overs.
Poor bowling of Lakshmipathy Balaji and Jacques Kallis cost them 45 and 50 runs respectively in their four overs.
By ISN