Raina, Dhoni take Chennai to 168 for 5
IPL final against Mumbai Indians:
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni started the turnaround, Suresh Raina
capitalized on two dropped catches to score a crucial fifty, and Chennai
Super Kings converted a middling innings to a total they would have
settled for it offered before the start of the final.
A formidable Mumbai Indians bowling line-up found a new hero in
Dilhara Fernando, but he dropped Raina when he was struggling. Chennai
went from 68 for 3 after 12 overs to 168, the highest total in IPL
finals, and Raina went from 13 off 13 to 57 not out off 35.
Chennai went with the old-fashioned approach of keeping wickets in
hand, never mind the slow start, and with Murali Vijay breaking free,
had reached a perfectly acceptable 40 for no loss at the end of
Powerplay.
Fernando, through, removed Vijay with his split-finger slower ball in
the eighth over, and the run rate stayed under six until the start of
the 13th over. Kieron Pollard ended Hayden’s 31-ball 17-run misery, and
S Badrinath soon holed out to make it 67 for 2 in the 12th over.
Dhoni left alone the first ball he faced, was beaten by a leg cutter
after that, was almost bowled the next ball, and worked a single to end
that testing Fernando over.
Dhoni had the final word, though, a punch for four to end the
over.Zaheer Khan was brought back in the next over. He produced a top
edge that neither Fernando nor Abhishek Nayar claimed. Raina produced
timing and a four and a six to take Chennai to 108 after 15 overs. In
the next over, Pollard eked out a skier from Raina which Zaheer dropped.
The next ball Raina made room and lofted over extra cover for six. The
next ball was hit to Tendulkar and cannily they stole a second run. And
the next was slogged over midwicket for six.
Chennai Super Kings: 168 for 5 (Suresh Raina 57 n.o, Mahendra Singh
Dhoni 22, Dilhara Fernando 2 for 23). |