EAST LONDON: An unbeaten 58 (37 balls, 6x4, 1x6) by skipper M.S. Dhoni enabled fifth-placed Chennai Super Kings pile 178 for three against league leader Deccan Chargers here on Monday.
Following two wins on the trot, Chennai went into the match with an unchanged line up. Dhoni elected to bat and Mathew Hayden — the top run-scorer in IPL 2009 — spurred and steadied the early innings.
Hayden (43, 26 balls, 5x4, 3x6) cleared the ropes off R.P Singh, Dwayne Smith and Rohit Sharma to assist his side to 53 without loss after six overs.
The Aussie opener almost decapitated medium pacer Shoaib Mohammed with a bludgeon straight down the pitch, but was out next ball — top-edging to third man — when he went for another big strike.
Dhoni promoted himself up the order and walked out to bat on Hayden’s dismissal. While the skipper dug in, M. Vijay (31, 33 balls, 2x4, 1x6) kept the runs flowing, scampering twos and thumping Harris to mid wicket for maximum; Chennai was 84 for one at the 10-over tactical timeout.
Chargers’ slow bowlers appeared to tighten things after the break. Aside from a brutal six that Dhoni hit over his head, Pragyan Ojha was control personified, giving little room to the batsmen.
T.S. Suman was equally effective from the other end and lured Vijay to hit a high ball to Gibbs at long on, an event that brought Suresh Raina to the middle.
Raina destroyed Suman’s bowling figures in the 15th over with 4,6,6 all directed towards long on and at 130 for two, after 15 overs, Chennai was set for the final assault.
R.P. Singh returned for his second spell with a superb over, claiming Raina (32, 19 balls, 1x4, 2x6) and giving away just five runs.
Dhoni brought up his fifty in the last over with a pulled boundary off R.P. Singh and followed it with another gloved four to fine leg. Chennai scored 48 runs in the last five overs.
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