Chennai Super Kings tame Delhi Daredevils

Despite putting a reasonably good score, Delhi Daredevils lost the battle. With their superb run-chase track record Chennai Super Kings managed to chase 178 with an over left. With Dwayn Smith’s 79 off 51 balls, Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 47 and McCullum’ 32, Chennai beat Delhi by 8 wickets at Firozshah Kotla stadium in the capital.  

Earlier, Dinesh Karthik led a collective batting effort with a fighting 51 as Delhi Daredevils scored a competitive 178 for five.

It was one of the better pitches seen at Kotla in recent times, making it possible to have a good contest between ball and bat. Initially it helped pacers while gradually stroke-making became easier.

Karthik combined well with Murali Vijay (35) for a splendid 71-run partnership for the third wicket after a shaky start.

JP Duminy (28 no) and Kedar Jadhav (29 no) provided superb finishing touches with their fiery cameos as DD put on their best total of the season on board after being put into bat.

Duminy blasted paceman Mohit Sharma for four boundaries in a row in the 18th over while Jadhav finished the innings with a flourish by hitting the same bowler for two sixes and a four in the final over. The two batsmen raised an unbeaten 58-run stand in only 5.4 overs.-

The DD openers took some time to settle as the ball was seaming a bit initially but after getting their eye in, they cut loose. Young paceman Ishwar Pandey bowled a rare maiden over but he was taken to task in his next by Quinton de Kock, who hit him for two sixes after Vijay struck a magnificent straight boundary.

The South African southpaw needlessly ran himself out while attempting a third run.

Skipper Kevin Pietersen failed to come out of his lean patch as he was dismissed for a golden duck. The England batsman failed to read the line of a Mohit delivery and found his stumps shattered in the process.

Despite losing two quick wickets, Daredevils maintained a decent run rate, if not great. Karthik creamed off a six and four off Ravindra Jadeja to take 13 runs in the ninth over and one of Vijay’s shots rocketed to the cover boundary as the hosts reached 75 for 2 at half-way stage.