Chennai, April 6: The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings halted the winning streak of the high-flying Mumbai Indians with a 24-run victory at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Tuesday night.
Mumbai Indians tasted their first defeat after five successive wins at home while Chennai Super Kings scored their fifth win from ten matches. However, Mumbai Indians, who lost their second match only from nine matches, stay at the top with 14 points. Chennai Super Kings climbed to fourth spot with ten points
On a hot, humid evening, the Chennai Super Kings dominated the match, scoring a modest 165/4. The Mumbai Indians, however, could not get to the target as they were restricted to 141/9. It was a disciplined performance by the bowlers, led by off-spinner R Ashwin (2/22) and left-arm medium pacer Thilan Thushara.
The big guns failed to fire for the Mumbai Indians, barring Sachin Tendulkar, who made a 35-ball 45 (6x4). But the Mumbai Indians skipper was severely handicapped by dehydration because of the heat conditions. He walked off the field in the 10th over and came back in the 15th over but by that time, the Mumbai Indians were fighting a losing battle.
Chennai Super Kings bowlers stuck to their task. Left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan (16) was out in the seventh over, castled by Thushara. Ambati Rayudu scored three before being stumped off Suresh Raina. Dwayne Bravo (2), too, did not last long. Left-handed Saurabh Tiwary made 14. He fell to left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati, caught at short mid-wicket When Kieron Pollard fell to Ashwin for 5, Mumbai Indians seemed to have lost their direction. They were 86/5. R Satish was run out. Mumbai Indians never recovered before they fell short by 24 runs.
Earlier, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh ended Murali Vijay’s run-spree. The elegant opener, who scored a blistering century against Rajasthan Royals, was bowled to a ball which spun back sharply in the fourth over. Left-hander Suresh Raina looked in good touch in his 18-ball 23 before he pulled Dwayne Bravo into square-leg fielder’s hands. Raina and Matthew Hayden added 42 runs in 4.5 overs with Hayden.
Hayden went for big shots. The Aussie left-hander consolidated Chennai Super Kings innings with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni 31 (18 balls). The third-wicket pair took the score to 119. Medium-pacer Kieron Pollard struck crucial blows in successive deliveries. Dhoni was done in by a slower bouncer by Pollard. There was further setback for the Chennai Super Kings as they lost their fourth wicket at the same score. Hayden lofted the West Indian medium-pacer straight into reliable R Satish’s hands at long-on for 31-ball 35.
Australian left-hander Michael Hussey had a life in the 19th over. Saurabh Tiwary made a mess of a skier at deep mid-wicket. Hussey and S Badrinath shared 46 runs in the last six overs as Chennai Super Kings finished a 165/4. Badrinath struck two fours in the last over.
There was no Muttiah Muralitharn for Chennai Super Kings while Mumbai Indians did not have left-arm seamer Zaheer Khan. Muralitharan was dropped to maintain the team composition. An unfit Khan was replaced by Abu Nachim. Australian left-hander Michael Hussey, too, came into the Chennai Super Kings’ side.
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