IPL: 3 cheers for Ravindra Jadeja
Chennai, April 21
Ravindra Jadeja’s three-wicket haul was complemented by a magnificent unbeaten fifty from opener Devon Conway as Chennai Super Kings cantered to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a low-scoring IPL match here today.
Jadeja’s 3/22 helped CSK restrict SRH to a below-par 134/7 and Conway’s 57-ball 77 not out allowed the hosts to make light work of the target as they reached 138/3 in 18.4 overs for a fourth straight win over SRH at Chepauk.
The stylish left-handed batter hit 12 fours and a six during his sensational knock and shared an 87-run stand with opening partner Ruturaj Gaikwad (35) to provide a rollicking start to the chase. Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad notched up 50 in the sixth over.
Conway didn’t spare Marco Jansen, smacking a six and four boundaries as CSK appeared to hurtle towards the target. The New Zealand batter reached his 50 from 33 balls to power CSK’s chase, overshadowing the talented Gaikwad in the process.
The spinners bowled a very good length. The fast bowlers, once they came back, bowled superbly. MS Dhoni, CSK captain
The opening duo appeared set to see the team home when misfortune struck Gaikwad, who was run out after a shot by Conway got deflected off Umran Malik’s hand and hit the stumps with the CSK batter out of his crease.
Leg-spinner Mayank Markande was the best performer with the ball for SRH on a rather forgettable day, finishing with 2/23. He got the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane (9) and Ambati Rayudu (9), bowling the latter with a googly.
In the end, Moeen Ali (6) hit the winning runs off Washington Sundar.
Earlier, SRH were troubled by the spinning depth of the Chennai Super Kings’ bowlers, especially Jadeja, who came up with a superb performance.
Abhishek Sharma (34) was the top-scorer for SRH, who just couldn’t get going after being sent in to bat by CSK skipper MS Dhoni.
SRH’s batters faltered despite a 35-run partnership for the opening wicket between Harry Brook (18) and Sharma and a 36-run stand for the second wicket between Sharma and Rahul Tripathi (21) as the CSK spinners took over. There was no significant partnership in the middle-order as Hyderabad’s batters failed to push the score, struggling against the CSK spinners.
Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad: 134/7 (Abhishek 34; Jadeja 3/22); Chennai Super Kings: 138/3 in 18.4 overs (Conway 77, Gaikwad 35; Markande 2/23).
Ahmedabad to host IPL final again
New Delhi: Ahmedabad will host the IPL final for the second year running while Chennai will stage two playoff matches, the BCCI said today. The top four teams advance to the playoffs. Chennai will host Qualifier 1 on May 23 and the Eliminator on May 24. Ahmedabad will host Qualifier 2 on May 26 and the final on May 28. Ahmedabad, which is the home ground of Gujarat Titans and has a capacity of 1,32,000, hosted the final last season.
Dhawan-less Punjab face Mumbai
Mumbai: Perennial slow starters Mumbai Indians have found their mojo and will be favourites against a faltering Punjab Kings in their IPL clash at the Wankhede Stadium here tomorrow. Having made a poor start with defeats in the first two matches, Mumbai, who are placed sixth in the standings, have bounced back impressively with wins against Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. On the other hand, seventh-placed Punjab have stuttered in the absence of regular captain and highest run-getter Shikhar Dhawan, who is unlikely to play owing to a shoulder injury. Dhawan played a key role in Punjab’s confident start to the season but his absence has made a significant difference in the outcomes that have come along their way. Punjab’s graph has canted sharply with three losses in their last four matches. They are definitely missing the stability and firepower that Dhawan provides at the top. The left-hander has scored 233 runs in four matches. Agencies
