CSK struggled to reach 160/6 against DC at Chepauk. Hosts Chennai Super Kings worked extremely hard to reach a competitive total of 160 for 6 on a pitch that was slowing down considerably. Skipper MS Dhoni led the way for CSK scoring 34 from 28 balls with just two fours. CSK could get to 160 despite a good start of 79 for 2 in 9.4 overs. Opener Faf fu Plessis got going once again, scoring 42 from 35 balls with 2 fours and a six. Suresh Raina scored a breezy 32 from 24 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes.
Chennai Super Kings begins its ascent with win at home
The Deccan Chargers had their chances after their bowlers kept the Super Kings batsmen on a leash, but the hosts boasting of great depth, put sufficient runs on the board through opener Francois du Plessis (42), Suresh Raina (32) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (34) before Bravo’s blitz in the last over. Dale Steyn bowled well for DC giving away only 25 runs in 4 overs though he couldn’t take any wickets. Raina and du Plessis added 64 in 7.2 overs, the highlight being Raina, who took six balls to score, pulling and hooking Veer Pratap Singh for consecutive sixes. In the end, the acceleration did not come. In fact, they slowed down: having made 118 for 3 in 14 overs, Super Kings scored only 42 off the final six, but it was ten too many for Chargers.
Cameron White blasted nine fours and a couple of sixes en route to his third half-century in four innings to keep Deccan in the hunt but the Australian didn’t get as much support from the other end. Dhawan and White steadied the innings and stitched together a brisk 68-run partnership in nine over but a lucky break through in the 11th over helped Chennai to put Deccan on the back foot. Dwayne Bravo broke the stand when he deflected a straight shot from White, in his own bowling, onto the stumps to find Dhawan short of wicket at the non-strikers end.Raina then pulled off a stunning return catch in the only over he bowled to dismiss skipper Kumar Sangakkara as Deccan slumped to 85 for three in 12 overs.
With the required run rate hovering over 10 runs per over, Daniel Christian picked up a much-needed six over mid-wicket off Ben Hilfenhaus to bring up the hundred after White completed his half-century with a single in the same over. Going into the last over bowled by debutant Ben Hilfenhaus, the Chargers needed 20, but the target proved beyond their reach as they managed just nine while losing the wicket of Ashish Reddy to the fourth delivery.Chennai Super Kings held onto a 10-run win over Deccan Chargers despite a blistering 77 from Cameron White.
The fifth win took the Super Kings tally to 11 points from as many matches while the Chargers, crashing to their seventh defeat in 10 matches, remain at the bottom with five points. Defending champions Chennai Super Kings have been struggling in the Indian Premier League 5 but their bowling coach Andy Bichel feels that his side can still win the tournament for the third time in a row.
Tags: Chennai Super Kings, Cricket, CSK, DC, Deccan Chargers, IPL
