Chennai: It was an on-song ‘rockstar’ Ravindra Jadeja coupled with the ‘Bravo dance’ after a Brendon-assault that undid Rajasthan Royals at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday. An under the pump left-arm all-rounder Jadeja returned with figures of 4 for 11 to help Chennai Super Kings register a 12-run win over Royals.
However, the win, last at home this season, doesn’t still guarantee MSD & Co. a place in the play-offs. Rajasthan began their chase of 157 in right earnest. Openers Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane were determined on accumulating runs than playing ambitious strokes. Rahane kept lofting the ball over the in-field, while Watson punched the ball with his usual swagger.
When it seemed like Royals had given themselves a bright start, the visitors lost three key wickets against the run of play. From 37 for no loss, Royals stuttered to 63 for 3 in 10 overs.
Rahane (23), who is adept at playing the horizontal bat stroke, top-edged a Mohit Sharma bouncer to Dwayne Bravo at deep square-leg and 12 balls later Steve Smith (4), who led Royals, missed one from Jadeja that pitched in the Australian’s blind spot on his pads and kissed the leg-stump.
But the decisive blow for came in the form of an acrobatic Bravo. A Watson (28) on-drive off Jadeja, which headed towards the long-on boundary, found the right hand of a leaping Bravo to kick-start the mid-night dance at the packed Stadium.
Dhoni decided not to bowl lead spinner R. Ashwin as there wasn’t a left-hander in the top seven of Royals. Despite a late surge from the young Sanju Samson (26), the cutters of Bravo (2/42) and Mohit Sharma (3/24) curtailed the lower-order of Royals to 145/9.
Chennai can consider themselves lucky on the day as they dropped a few opportunities that didn’t come back to haunt them.Earlier, after struggling to a laborious 50 off 44 balls, McCullum’s flashing blade took charge and ended up with 81 off 61 balls to lift Chennai Super Kings to 157/5.
Though South African pacer Chris Morris (3/19), a former CSK player, was outstanding throughout his frugal spell — claiming the marauding McCullum and Pawan Negi (2) off successive balls in the 18th over, a 28-run cameo of a partnership between skipper M.S. Dhoni (13 not out) and Dwayne Bravo (15 not out) in 15 balls ensured Chennai posted a competitive total.
Chennai didn’t have an great start. When Faf du Plessis (29) walked into bat, the scoreboard read 15 for 2 with Dwayne Smith (6) and CSK’s talisman Suresh Raina (3) heading for an early shower.
Scorecard:
Chennai Super Kings: D. Smith c Faulkner b Ankit 6, B. McCullum c Ankit b Morris 81, S. Raina c Faulkner b Morris 3, F. du Plessis (run out) 29, P. Negi c Smith b Morris 2, M.S. Dhoni (not out) 13, D. Bravo (not out) 15. Extras (lb-1, w-7) 8. Total (for five wickets in 20 overs) 157.
FoW: 1-12, 2-15, 3-116, 4-129, 5-129.
Bowling: Morris 4-0-19-3, Watson 2-0-19-0, Ankit 4-0-31-1, Tambe 3-0-24-0, Faulkner 4-0-40-0, Bhatia 3-0-23-0.
Rajasthan Royals: A. Rahane c Bravo b Sharma 23, S. Watson Bravo b Jadeja 28, S. Smith b Jadeja 4, K. Nari c Ashwin b Jadeja 10, D. Hooda c Raina b Jadeja 15, S. Samson c Smith b Bravo 26, J. Faulkner c Bravo b Sharma 16, C. Morris (not out) 16, R. Bhatia c du Plessis b Sharma 0, A. Sharma c Nehra b Bravo 0, P. Tambe (not out) 1. Extras (lb-2, w-2, nb-2) 6. Total (for nine wickets in 20 overs) 145.
Fow: 1-37, 2-48, 3-63, 4-75, 5-90, 6-123, 7-130, 8-130, 9-143.
Bowling: A. Nehra 4-0-29-0, M. Sharma 4-0-25-2, P. Negi 4-0-35-0, R. Jadeja 4-0-11-3, D. Bravo 4-0-43-2.
