Tweet
Kolkata Knight Riders 140 for 5 (Gambhir 63, Ashwin 2-22) beat Chennai Super Kings 139 for 5 (Raina 44, Kallis 2-21) by five wickets
Kolkata Knight Riders continued their impressive run, picking up a hard-fought win over the defending champions with an all-round performance that included a disciplined effort with the ball and another Gautam Gambhir-anchored batting display. Each of his four half-centuries have contributed to wins for his team and yet again, on a slow track, Gambhir guided the Knight Riders chase with determination, batting through to the end. With the ball keeping low and not coming on well enough, Chennai Super Kings managed a par score but it was to be insufficient, with their opponents, largely, ensuring the mistakes made by batsmen in the first innings isn't repeated.
More to follow
20 overs Chennai Super Kings 139 for 5 (Raina 44, Dhoni 34*, Kallis 2-21) v Kolkata Knight Riders
Chennai Super Kings were made to settle for a par score on a slow pitch at Chepauk by Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling attack. The ball kept low, didn't come on to the bat well enough and the Knight Riders bowled according to what the conditions offered, slowing it down and bowling largely with discipline. Not only did many of them improve their economy rate, the pressure they built up on the Super Kings batsmen won them some crucial wickets, leaving the visitors' in-form batting line-up, led by their captain Gautam Gambhir, a target they'll back themselves to chase down.
Gambhir shuffled his spinners at one end and stuck to Brett Lee at the other during the start after Super Kings chose to bat. The batsmen would have sensed there was some hard work in store once Lee's deliveries reached the wicketkeeper on the second bounce; when the ball did rise to a satisfactory level for in-form opener Faf du Plessis, he went for the pull only to get a faint under-edge to Brendon McCullum behind the stumps. Michael Hussey, back from the tour of the Caribbean, was not at his most convincing on a turning track but did dispatch the spinners for two boundaries. However, he was a victim of some miscommunication and excellent fielding from Lee which led to his run out.
Suresh Raina, in need of runs, and Dwayne Bravo dealt with the early pressure positively. Raina flat-batted Lee for a six over long-off and Bravo, through his powerful wrists, flicked Iqbal Abdulla over deep midwicket. Raina - who went past 2000 runs in the IPL - capitalised on some misdirected deliveries outside leg and together with his partner, added 42 in five overs. The rebuilding was steady and perhaps should have continued in the same vein for a few more overs, but the urge to infuse the innings with more urgency cost both batsmen their wickets. Kallis bowled tight, and mixed up his pace well; a slower one was holed out to long-on by Bravo, and Raina's favoured slog, in Kallis' next over, went only as far back as midwicket.
The spin pair of Abdulla and Sunil Narine, together with Rajat Bhatia's dibbly-dobblies, restrained the hosts further, doing their bit to produce a boundary-drought of 47 deliveries. However, stepping up proved a difficult job. But MS Dhoni and Albie Morkel squeezed 21 off the final two overs, courtesy some cheeky batting and some quick running, to give Super Kings a bit more cushion, though not a cozy one.
Kolkata Knight Riders continued their impressive run, picking up a hard-fought win over the defending champions with an all-round performance that included a disciplined effort with the ball and another Gautam Gambhir-anchored batting display. Each of his four half-centuries have contributed to wins for his team and yet again, on a slow track, Gambhir guided the Knight Riders chase with determination, batting through to the end. With the ball keeping low and not coming on well enough, Chennai Super Kings managed a par score but it was to be insufficient, with their opponents, largely, ensuring the mistakes made by batsmen in the first innings isn't repeated.
More to follow
20 overs Chennai Super Kings 139 for 5 (Raina 44, Dhoni 34*, Kallis 2-21) v Kolkata Knight Riders
Chennai Super Kings were made to settle for a par score on a slow pitch at Chepauk by Kolkata Knight Riders' bowling attack. The ball kept low, didn't come on to the bat well enough and the Knight Riders bowled according to what the conditions offered, slowing it down and bowling largely with discipline. Not only did many of them improve their economy rate, the pressure they built up on the Super Kings batsmen won them some crucial wickets, leaving the visitors' in-form batting line-up, led by their captain Gautam Gambhir, a target they'll back themselves to chase down.
Gambhir shuffled his spinners at one end and stuck to Brett Lee at the other during the start after Super Kings chose to bat. The batsmen would have sensed there was some hard work in store once Lee's deliveries reached the wicketkeeper on the second bounce; when the ball did rise to a satisfactory level for in-form opener Faf du Plessis, he went for the pull only to get a faint under-edge to Brendon McCullum behind the stumps. Michael Hussey, back from the tour of the Caribbean, was not at his most convincing on a turning track but did dispatch the spinners for two boundaries. However, he was a victim of some miscommunication and excellent fielding from Lee which led to his run out.
Suresh Raina, in need of runs, and Dwayne Bravo dealt with the early pressure positively. Raina flat-batted Lee for a six over long-off and Bravo, through his powerful wrists, flicked Iqbal Abdulla over deep midwicket. Raina - who went past 2000 runs in the IPL - capitalised on some misdirected deliveries outside leg and together with his partner, added 42 in five overs. The rebuilding was steady and perhaps should have continued in the same vein for a few more overs, but the urge to infuse the innings with more urgency cost both batsmen their wickets. Kallis bowled tight, and mixed up his pace well; a slower one was holed out to long-on by Bravo, and Raina's favoured slog, in Kallis' next over, went only as far back as midwicket.
The spin pair of Abdulla and Sunil Narine, together with Rajat Bhatia's dibbly-dobblies, restrained the hosts further, doing their bit to produce a boundary-drought of 47 deliveries. However, stepping up proved a difficult job. But MS Dhoni and Albie Morkel squeezed 21 off the final two overs, courtesy some cheeky batting and some quick running, to give Super Kings a bit more cushion, though not a cozy one.