IPL 2018: Villain Ravindra Jadeja turns CSK's hero to blow RCB's qualification hopes
Pune: The script was different and so were the results and the stars. A clash against two of the fiercest batting powerhouses of the Indian Premier League turned out to be a low-scoring affair.
Not Shane Watson, MS Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu or Dwayne Bravo this time. But it was Ravindra Jadeja who turned out to be Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) hero in their six-wicket victory against southern rivals Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Tuesday.
It was not the typical ‘Sir Jadeja’ you would see in a CSK jersey. Different from the charged up, charismatic, energetic self, the way he usually enjoys his brand of cricket. Despite being the pick of the bowlers on Saturday against a star-studded RCB batting line up, the Saurashtra all-rounder was quite passive in all his celebrations.
Following a lacklustre show against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Thursday, was it skipper MS Dhoni’s words in the dressing room or the severe criticism that sparked a gritty revival? You never know.
But the Saurashtra all-rounder finally proved his mettle with a fine bowling performance (18-3) along with spin partner Harbhajan Singh (22-2) on a dry wicket at the MCA International Cricket Stadium in Pune, where the ball provided adequate gripping for the spinners.
As the hosts opted to bowl first, RCB were restricted to their lowest total this campaign with a paltry 127-8 on board as Parthiv Patel led the scorecharts with a patchy half-century (53).
Matters could have got more embarrassing for the side until Tim Southee’s vital cameo (36) at the death saved a few blushes. In a vital contest to keep their hopes alive, Virat Kohli’s men started on a good note but following the powerplay, things took a turn for the worse. MS Dhoni’s masterplan to play two of his trusted spinners in an eight over stretch, took the wind out of RCB’s sails as the men in yellow swung things back in their favour.
Newcomer David Willey along with youngster Lungi Ngidi also joined the party with identical figures (24-1) as the CSK continued to choke the opposition, leaving them with a frail total to defend. However, in reply, the two-time winners ensured they leapfrogged Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to claim the numero uno spot in the 2018 IPL standings.
Dangerman Shane Watson (11) was the first wicket to fall as Umesh Yadav’s yorker proved just too good for the Australian. Ambati Rayudu (32), the leading purple cap holder, was promoted at the top to add more runs to his belt and he grabbed his chance. Along with Suresh Raina (25)at the other end, the duo came to weaving a half-century stand before Umesh bounced back with the wicket of the southpaw.
The dismissals of Rayudu and debutant Dhruv Shorey soon followed, presenting their arch-rivals with a sniff of a comeback. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for this day. MS Dhoni (31) and Dwayne Bravo (14) provided the finishing touches as RCB slumped to their sixth defeat of the season, leaving their qualification hopes in tatters.
