Chennai Super Kings cruised to the top of the points table by inflicting a 11-run defeat on Kochi Tuskers Kerala in their IPL match at MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on Wednesday. Chasing a 153-run victory target, Kochi managed 141/5 with Brad Hodge hitting an unbeaten 42-ball 51 that came with the help of 2 sixes and 3 fours. Shadab Jakati clean bowled Brendon McCullum as Kochi lost their third wicket.
McCullum hit 3 fours in his 37-ball 33 before he charged down the pitch but missed Jakati’s delivery that crashed onto his stumps. Ravichandran Ashwin had Parthiv Patel caught by Albie Morkel at mid-on as Kochi’s run chase got off to a bad start. Kochi lost their second wicket when Gnaneswara Rao msitimed a slower delivery from Dwayne Bravo high up in the air for the West Indian to take a simple catch.
Rao hit 3 fours in his 17-ball 19 before falling to Bravo. Earlier, Wriddhiman Saha’s 33-ball 46 and Michael Hussey’s 32 took Chennai to 152/5. Saha hit 3 sixes and a four in his unbeaten knock. Ravindra Jadeja dismissed Michael Hussey and MS Dhoni in his successive overs to reduce Chennai to 116/5. Jadeja first had Hussey caught by Gnaneswara Rao at deep mid-wicket and in his next over had Dhoni (9) caught behind by Parthiv Patel.
Hussey hit 2 fours in his 37-ball 32 before falling to Jadeja. Chennai lost their third wicket when RP Singh took a superb diving catch at long-on to dismiss Subramaniam Badrinath off Brad Hodge. Badrinath hit a six in his 10-ball 13 before falling to Hodge. Chennai lost their second wicket when S Sreesanth had Suresh Raina caught by RP Singh at mid-off off a full toss.
Raina hit a six, a four and a six off Sreesanth before mistiming a full-toss that resulted in his dismissal. RP Singh clean bowled Murali Vijay with an inswinging yorker to give Kochi Tuskers Kerala the first breakthrough. Vijay hit three fours off RP Singh before the left-arm seamer took revenge by uprooting his off-stump with a superb yorker. The breakthrough came after Chennai captain MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat.
Brief Scores:
Chennai Super Kings 152 for 5 in 20 overs (Saha 46, Hussey 32; Jadeja 2-26) beat Kochi Tuskers Kerala 141 for 5 in 20 overs (Hodge 51, McCullum 33; Ashwin 1-16)
