April 7, 2018
Brief Scorecard: Chennai Super Kings 169 for 9 (Bravo 68, Jadhav 24*, Markande 3-23, Hardik 3-24) beat Mumbai Indians 165 for 4 (Suryakumar 43, Krunal 41*, Watson 2-29) by one wicket
Dwayne Bravo deposits one over the rope BCCI
April 7, 2018
Brief Scorecard: Chennai Super Kings 169 for 9 (Bravo 68, Jadhav 24*, Markande 3-23, Hardik 3-24) beat Mumbai Indians 165 for 4 (Suryakumar 43, Krunal 41*, Watson 2-29) by one wicket
Dwayne Bravo deposits one over the rope BCCI
MUMBAI – Chennai Super Kings returned to the Indian Premier League, and they chose to do it in a style that reminded everyone why they had been the most successful IPL franchise till their banishment, stealing an incredible one-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the season opener of IPL 2018.
Having put Mumbai in at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday (April 7), Chennai kept the home team to 165 for 4, a not-too-easy total on a pitch that afforded early movement. In their chase, Chennai had sunk to 118 for 8 in the 17th over, with Kedar Jadhav having retired hurt after having done in his hamstring. Enter Dwayne Bravo, who had come out only at No. 7, and cue mayhem.
Bravo’s big-hitting ability has never been in doubt, but he hasn’t always married consistency to undoubted talent. Today was his day though, and he began by smashing Mitchell McClenaghan for 20 runs in the 18th over. It was still 27 needed off the last two overs and Rohit Sharma threw the ball to Jasprit Bumrah. Showing no heed for reputation, Bravo smashed one of the world’s leading white-ball bowlers for three sixes in another 20-run over before falling off the last ball.
Bravo had made an incredible 68 off 30 but the drama wasn’t done, with Jadhav coming out to face the last over, which was entrusted to Mustafizur Rahman. Jadhav was unable to run, and told Imran Tahir, the No.11, that he would try to get the runs standing still at one end. He ended up doing exactly that, hitting the fourth ball for six over fine leg after going down on one knee, and cover driving the next ball for four to spark wild celebrations in the Chennai camp. The men in yellow had ended up 169 for 9 with one ball left, one wicket left, and one man on one leg. IPL couldn’t have asked for a better kick-off.
It had all seemed very different when Mumbai put together a good total, riding on good scores by Ishan Kishan (40 off 29), Suryakumar Yadav (43 off 29) and Krunal Pandya (41 not out off 22).
Good opening spells by Deepak Chahar (1 for 14 in three overs) and Shane Watson (2 for 29 in four overs) had accounted for the duo of Evin Lewis and Rohit up top, but Mumbai’s depth in batting enabled them to recover. That Mumbai couldn’t get more was down to Bravo again, who ended up with figures of 4-0-25-0 despite having gone for 13 runs in his opening over. His last three overs were bowled at the death, when Krunal made it an IPL debut to forget for Mark Wood, the England pacer going for 49 runs in four overs.
Mumbai had a momentary scare at the end of the innings when Hardik Pandya, who had already copped a blow on his ankle courtesy a Bravo yorker, ran into the bowler at the non-striker’s end off the final ball and went down in pain. He had to be helped off the field, but whatever the physio did during the break worked enough for Hardik to come back and not just bowl his full quota of overs, but also snare Watson and Suresh Raina early on.
Hardik’s wickets rocked a chase that had already gotten off to a sluggish start, and Mayank Markande, the Punjab legspinner who was also on IPL debut, then turned the screws further. Markande trapped both Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni palpably in front with googlies. The Chennai skipper became part of history as the first man to be given out via DRS in the IPL, when Mumbai immediately challenged the on-field not out call and were proved right.
Dhoni’s fall left Chennai 51 for 4 in the ninth over, and seemingly completely out of the chase. Markande had a fine match, ending with 3 for 23, the best figures in the match, while Hardik had 3 for 24.
They would have both thought they had done more than enough to shut Chennai out, but on this night, Bravo couldn’t be denied.
Courtesy/Source: Wisden India
