New Delhi: The cool quotient of Ruturaj Gaikwad combined beautifully with Faf du Plessis’ flamboyance when Chennai outscored Super Kings Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Wednesday.
Gaikwad was calmly personified when he tore up the Sunrisers attack during his 75 off 44 balls after Du Plessis (56 off 38 balls) launched the initial attack, which made a target of 172 seem easier than it actually was.
The win was fifth place at CSK which helped them jump Royal Challengers Bangalore to the top of the table while Hyderabad stayed at the bottom. If Du Plessis swings off the field to overtake left-hander Jagadeesha Suchith for a six-year-old turn, Gaikwad will swing him back and pull him over the middle wicket for a boundary.
If Gaikwad’s outer boundary from Suchith over extra cover was a surprise, the use of pleat to cut off the bowler from the next delivery was just as enjoyable. There was a stage at the end of the Powerplay, when Du Plessis doubled the runs of his younger partner, but before one could hit an eyelid, the Pune batsman was level with the former Proteas captain.
And when both crossed 50, Du Plessis enjoyed Gaikwad’s repertoire of shots of the best seat in the house.
The temperament was there for all to see, and one would understand why MS Dhoni was sincere in giving the youngster every possible opportunity, despite a dry run at the start of the tournament.
A spot that his captain, Dhoni, called a bit tough before the start of the match, looked like a batting paradise. The dew did play its part, but the batsmen could not take away a grain of credit.
By the time Rashid Khan (3/36) quickly settled Gaikwad after an opening period of 129 runs, followed by Moeen Ali and Du Plessis, SRH captain David Warner had a resigned look on his face.
Earlier, after choosing to bat, the contrasting half-centuries of Manish Pandey and skipper Warner, as well as a cameo of Kane Williamson, ensured a decent 171/3 for SRH.
Warner (57 off 55 balls) and Pandey (61 off 46 balls) added 106 runs for the second wicket at the Kotla, but it was Williamson’s 26 that was not from 10 balls and Kedar Jadhav’s 12 off 4 balls that ‘ ensured a competitive total for SRH.
Lungi Ngidi was the best bowler for CSK and scored 2 for 35 of 4 overs, while Sam Curran (1/30) got the other wicket.
Warner, who passed 10,000 T20 runs in the course of his innings, sometimes appeared frustrated at the inability to force the pass on a track where the ball did not always get on the bat.
His 50th IPL half-century had three fours and two sixes, but it was not his usual aggressive, effervescent beat. He could not get going and his powerful hits went straight to the fielders.
Ngidi ended Warner’s misery by having him caught by Ravindra Jadeja when the batsman tried to make a delivery.
In contrast, Pandey was faster. The Karnataka right-hand man meant from the start, after being dropped after a few turbulent knocks. He beat Moeen Ali early in his innings for a big six, but could not get the big hits on a constant basis.
Ngidi fired Pandey for 61 thanks to an incredible effort by Faf du Plessis at long range, with a dive attempt.
Jonny Bairstow (7) fell early, looking for the field against Sam Curran, and could not control a pull shot caught by Deepak Chahar. He could not profit from a knockout in the first innings when Dhoni could not hold a nickname.
Captain Warner and Manish Pandey were muted and the first six overs yielded 39 runs.
Deepak Chahar (0/21) could not deliver the early breakthrough as usual, but the other bowlers ensured that SRH did not run away with momentum.
Source: Telangana Today