IPL 2018: Match 52, DD vs CSK, Review- Delhi steamroll CSK in a dead rubber to restore some pride

The match between the Delhi Daredevils (DD) and the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) had no significance as far as qualification scenarios are concerned. However, for CSK, the contest was important as they needed a victory to cement their position among the top two spots on the points table. Meanwhile, Delhi only had pride to salvage from the contest between the unequals.

The encounter was a witness to some spirited performance by the Daredevils as they managed to turn over the Super Kings by 34 runs. The cellar dwellers of the league pulled out a lacklustre performance with the bat and were set for yet another defeat. Nonetheless, their bowlers got a strangle on most of the most explosive batters in the tournament.

Delhi scramble but reaches a respectable score   

The wicket at the Feroz Shah Kotla has been a witness to some massive scores. Also, dew was expected to play a part and hence, MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to field first. Shreyas Iyer promoted himself and opened the batting with Prithvi Shaw. The latter flung his willow, got a couple away to the boundary, but eventually perished to a short-pitched delivery from Deepak Chahar.

Rishabh Pant was in at number three and he somewhat strained to inject momentum into his knock. In the tenth over, he caught hold of three deliveries from Harbhajan Singh and smacked 17 runs. Iyer, at the other end, didn’t seem fluent and meandered along at a run-a-ball. Nevertheless, the partnership racked 54 runs off 38 balls, which was broken by Lungi Ngidi.

Pant tried to break free and played an ugly hoick, but holed out to Shardul Thakur at deep mid-wicket. In the final delivery of the same over, Lungi delivered a body blow as he castled Iyer to leave the hosts in utter disarray. Glenn Maxwell, who was brought back into the eleven, pulled out the reverse sweep only to see his woodwork rattled by Ravindra Jadeja.

Thereafter Vijay Shankar played some marvellous strokes, but Delhi were in danger of falling way short of what they would’ve liked to achieve at the start. Abhishek Sharma who made an impressive debut was dismissed early by Thakur. Harshal Patel who has been a sort of pinch hitter for the team stomped in and played a breezy knock of 36 runs off 16 balls. In the last over, he plundered 26 runs off Dwayne Bravo and lifted the home team to 162 runs.

Rayudu’s knock in vain

The target wasn’t menacing by any means, especially for a batting powerhouse like CSK. Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson opened and notched a partnership of 46 runs off 37 balls. Watson smacked Trent Boult into the stands on a single occasion, but apart from that, he couldn’t find his timing. The Queenslander was pinned by Amit Mishra and his 23-ball vigil for 14 runs finally ended.

Rayudu, on the other hand, looked in ominous touch and peppered the boundary pretty effortlessly. The right-handed batsman raced away to yet another fifty in 28 balls and quite expectantly, the hosts strived for his prized scalp. Harshal Patel nipped him out as Rayudu couldn’t read his slower-ball and hit it down the throat of Maxwell. Meanwhile, the required rate jumped to 9.30 with ten overs left.

Sandeep Lamichhane, the Nepal prodigy, got rid of Suresh Raina and the task for Dhoni’s men seemed a tad tumultuous. Sam Billings succumbed to the guile of Mishra and all of a sudden CSK were four wickets down with a big ask still ahead of them. In the last five overs, the Yellow Army required 69 runs and someone had to put his hand up and guide them to victory.

Dhoni was in the middle, which was equivalent to assurance for the Super Kings. In the first ball of the fifteenth over by Lamichhane, Ravindra Jadeja smashed him for a six, but the tweaker made amends and conceded only 11 runs from the over.

In the 18th over, Trent Boult pinned MS Dhoni. The 36-year-old youngster had to do something and he muscled the ball down the ground and was caught by the DD skipper. Boult gave away four runs in the last over and completed the formalities. Most importantly, CSK still aren’t assured of a berth among the top two teams.

Brief Scores

Delhi Daredevils: 162/5 in 20 overs; (Rishabh Pant 38, Harshal Patel 36*; Lungi Ngidi 2/14, Ravindra Jadeja 1/19)

Chennai Super Kings: 128/6 in 20 overs; (Ambati Rayudu 50, Ravindra Jadeja 27; Trent Boult

Delhi Daredevils beat Chennai Super Kings by 34 runs

Player of the Match: Harshal Patel