SYNOPSIS: On a pitch where both teams played out 82 dot balls, Chennai Super Kings scrap past Rajasthan Royals to keep play-offs hopes alive
Having expressed their displeasure about the pitches at MA Chidambaram Stadium over the course of the season, Chennai Super Kings finally got one to their liking on Sunday. On a slow surface, where the ball stopped and gripped a bit, after their bowlers put up a commanding performance, their batting unit completed the job. The victory means Chennai have managed to keep their tournament alive for the last weekend, and their play-offs destiny remains largely in their own hands. Should they beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru next Saturday, Chennai are most likely to make the play-offs for a record 13th time.
On a hot and humid afternoon, this was a proper slugfest. The dry conditions and the slowness of the surface meant batsmen were always going to struggle for fluency. For Rajasthan Royals to successfully defend 141, they needed their spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal to not just be economical, but also make inroads. With Rachin Ravindra finding boundaries off Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma, Sanju Samson turned to the off-spinner, who removed the left-hander in the first over.
Cleared from the Captain đź’Ą
Ruturaj Gaikwad remained unbeaten on 42 to steer his side to a clinical win đź‘Źđź‘Ź
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But Daryl Mitchell found four boundaries in two overs as Chennai ended the Powerplay strongly at 56/1. But after Ruturaj Gaikwad deposited Nadre Burger over mid-wicket, the slugfest would begin. Like Ashwin, Chahal would begin his spell by removing Mitchell and conceding only a run in his first over. Having got a hang of the pitch by now, the Rajasthan attack went about taking pace off the ball.
With the pitch only getting slower as the innings progressed, all that Gaikwad and Moeen Ali did was rotate strike and keep the required run rate under check. When Burger returned, Moeen went for an expansive shot for the first time but picked the fielder at deep cover.
As Shivam Dube came in next, it was a make-or-break moment. And the one big over that Chennai needed to bring the required rate under run a ball came in the 14th bowled by Ashwin, as Dube smashed him for a six and two boundaries, before being dismissed off the last ball. But the job was already done.
Gaikwad stayed till the end and closed out the game in the company of Sameer Rizvi. The only drama in the end was around Ravindra Jadeja’s dismissal, who was given out obstructing the field.
Intent goes missing
In each of their 11 matches so far, in which they notched up 8 wins and suffered three defeats, what has stood out about Rajasthan has been their intent with the bat. With a rounded attack at their disposal that covers all bases, their batsmen have embraced a very bold approach. Their intent has been to take the attack to the opposition. Against a weak Chennai attack, they had an opportunity to bat them out and book their play-off spot.
Instead, on a track which was being used for the third time this season, the usual flair went missing. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler didn’t try to be adventurous as only one boundary came in the first three overs. With quick runs needed before the ball got softer, they went big in the next three, finding four boundaries and a six as they put on 42 in the Powerplay.
It was pacer Simarjeet Singh who removed Jaiswal with a short ball that kept climbing and leaving the left-hander. With two right-handers in, Ravindra Jadeja went about his usual business. He kept it close to the off-stump, denying them room and bowling the length where even if they used their feet, batsmen weren’t able to get under it. It meant Buttler and Sanju Samson had to bring out the reverse-sweep or cut, and when they did, were unable to find the gap between short third man and point. With boundaries drying up, Buttler went for a scoop of Simarjeet, only for Tushar Deshpande to cover a bit of ground and take the catch at fine-leg.
With their lower order not in the best of form, for Rajasthan to make a contest out of this, they needed one of Samson and Riyan Parag to bat long and deep. Just when the two were showing signs of freeing up, Simarjeet came back to remove Samson.
Brief scores: Rajasthan Royals 141/5 in 20 overs (Riyan Parag 47; Simarjeet Singh 3/26) lost to Chennai Super Kings 145/5 in 18.2 overs (Gaikwad 42 not out) by 5 wickets
