Published: Apr 25, 2015, 11:29 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 26, 2015, 04:17 AM (IST)
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) showed yet again why they are the team to beat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015. Hosting the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, the MS Dhoni-led side beat KXIP by 97 runs. Batting first, they put up 192 for three and then spun KXIP out of the contest to record a big victory. LIVE CRICKET UPDATES AND COMMENTARY: CSK vs KXIP IPL 2015 Match 24
There was some history between the two sides as they came into this match. Last year, KXIP had won all the matches between them, all of which were high-scoring encounters. The first match had seen KXIP chase down a huge score, with Glenn Maxwell starring. However, Maxwell was not picked for this game as George Bailey returned after injury. Since Shaun Marsh and David Miller had performed very well and could not be ignored. Maxwell has struggled in this IPL and hence had to make way. LIVE CRICKET SCORECARD: Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab IPL 2015 match
Would this run-chase have been different had Maxwell been there? One can only leave it to conjecture. KXIP never looked in the game after Virender Sehwag was dismissed in the first over. Murali Vijay fought a touch but cut a lone figure as wickets kept falling at the other end. The spinners were in play. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin took five wickets between them and conceded only 36 runs. Their spell in the middle overs broke the back of KXIP’s run-chase as they slumped to a heavy defeat.
Earlier on the day, CSK won the toss and chose to bat first on a good looking surface. Led by Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith, they raced to fifty inside five overs. McCullum was in great form and smashed his way to a 32-ball fifty. He was smashing it down the ground if it was in his arc. A bit short, and McCullum would go over the leg-side. Fortune did play its part as Mitchell Johnson had dropped a skier when he was on 21. IPL 2015: Schedule with venue details
In fact, Johnson had a terrible day on the field. He dropped Suresh Raina later in the innings, which was a relatively simple chance at mid-wicket. One of his wayward throws also surprised many. But, CSK were getting things right. Though they lost a bit of momentum when McCullum was dismissed for 66 in the 13th over, Dhoni walked in and kept the pace of the innings with a quick 41 not out. IPL 2015: Points Table and Team Standings
Ravindra Jadeja batted at No. 5 ahead of Dwayne Bravo and Faf du Plessis. They did not get to bat in the game as CSK lost only three wickets. CSK did the same against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and one wonders whether they will persist with this strategy in the games ahead. They now remain strong in the top half of the table, whereas last year’s finalists, KXIP, are struggling in the lower section.
Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 192 for 3 in 20 overs (Brendon McCullum 66, MS Dhoni 41* ; Anureet Singh 1 for 40, Akshar Patel 1 for 35) beat Kings XI Punjab 95 for 9 in 20 overs (Murali Vijay 34; Ashish Nehra 2 for 16, Ravindra Jadeja 3 for 33, Ravichandran Ashwin 2 for 14) by 97 runs.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
