Chennai, May 1 (UNI) Defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
was back on top of the leader board as it humbled Delhi Capitals by a
staggering margin of 80 runs to sign off its last home match on a winning
note at the M A Chidambaram Stadium here on Wednesday night.
After a slow start, Suresh Raina's half century (59, 37 balls, 8x4, 1x6), coupled
with Ravindra Jadeja's game-changing big hitting (25 in 10 balls, 2x4, 2x6) in the
end overs and the final flourish by skipper and man of the match M S Dhoni (44
not out, 22 balls, 4x4, 3x6), who is back in the team after missing out the last
match due to fever, powered CSK to 179 for four in 20 overs and ensure its ninth
win in 13 matches, including six home wins in seven matches.
In reply, Delhi lost wickets at regular intervals, including two flashy stumpings by
Dhoni, with batsmen's foot caught in thin air, and fine bowling by spinners Imran
Tahir, Jadeja and Harbhajan, choked their rivals into submission.
DC were bowled out for 99 without completing its full quota of overs and what was
more incredible was that no extras were conceded by CSK, perhaps a first in IPL !!!!
Except for skipper Shreyas Iyer's 44 (30 balls, 4x4, 1x6), rest of the batsmen caved
in meekly on a slow wicket as CSK romped home a deserving winner and emerged
on top of the table.
It was procession of sorts for DC as opener Prithvi Shah departed early, before Shikar
Dhawan (19) and Shreyas built the innings with a 48-run stand for the second wicket
in 4.4 overs.
Once Dhawan was castled by Harbhajan and Rishab Pant holed out in the deep, it was
a mountain to climb and the visitors just could not cope with the mounting pressure and
lost by a big margin, that catapulted CSK to the top of the table with 18 points, with an
away match remaining.
For the home team, Imran Tahir claimed four wickets (4-12 in 3.2 overs), Jadeja bagged
three, conceding a mere nine runs in three overs, while Harbhajan chipped in with the key
wicket of Dhawan, that started the collapse, as the visitors lost their last eight wickets for
36 runs, collapsing from 63 for two to 99 all out in 16.2 overs.
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