MAY 1, 2019
Brief Scorecard: Chennai Super Kings 179 for 4 (Raina 59, Dhoni 44*) beat Delhi Capitals 99 (Iyer 44, Tahir 4-12, Jadeja 3-9) by 80 runs
CHENNAI – Rarely do fans celebrate the fall of their own team’s batsmen like they do at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here. That is if the next to come in is MS Dhoni.
A 83-run second wicket stand between Chennai Super Kings opener Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina had just been broken, in the 14th over, by Delhi Capitals. But instead of being silenced, the home fans began cheering louder.
There was one name on their lips as their favourite -Dhoni – emerged from the dugout. A whirlwind 22-ball 44 not out followed as he took his team’s total to a solid 179/4 in 20 overs. Suresh Raina top-scored with 59 (37b, 8×4, 1×6).
CSK scored only 53 in the first 10 overs but the acceleration in the second half of the innings was testimony to the impact of Dhoni, back to lead his side after missing the previous two matches due to illness.
In reply, Capitals were shot out for 99 as the champions won by a whopping 80 runs. The win took CSK to the top of the table with 18 points, while Capitals slipped to second with 16 points. Both teams have a game to go but they could well meet in Qualifier 1.
With the Chepauk pitch playing slow as usual, the Capitals bowlers bottled up the CSK batsman early on. The visitors had their game plan ready, playing an extra spinner in Jagadeeshan Suchith, apart from Axar Patel and Amit Mishra.
MS magic – Dhoni pulled off two outstanding stumpings within three balls, both off Ravindra Jadej. – BCCI
After Shane Watson fell in the fourth over at 4/1, Du Plessis and Raina stitched a crucial stand. The two took CSK to 87 before du Plessis was out. Dhoni came in and Raina was given a free hand. He got his 37th fifty in 34 balls before falling to Suchith in the 15th over at 102/3.
Dhoni, with Ravindra Jadeja (25, 10b), gave CSK the final push. In Dhoni’s presence, his partners look a different lot.
Both took on seamers Trent Boult and Chris Morris. The last five overs produced 77 runs as Dhoni kept the fans entertained with three huge sixes and four fours. When the timing was not right, Dhoni’s powerful hands were enough to make the ball sail far. Occasionally, he was fed short balls and he made them disappear.
Despite maintaining a tight line and length for the major part of the innings, the DC bowlers got wayward under Dhoni’s onslaught as CSK posted one of the best totals this season despite one of their slowest starts.
Capitals flattered to deceive, despite a promising start. The spin duo of Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja shared seven wickets as the visitors withered in the end.
Courtesy/Source: Hindustan Times
