 Jayasuriya century blows away Chennai Super Kings
15th May 2008 07:00 IST
Agencies
Earlier, Subramaniam Badrinath and Mahendra Singh Dhoni revived the visitors with a 95-run stand after the hosts' pace attack had taken early control.
Badrinath, struggling initially before picking up pace, struck his second successive half century in the IPL when he made 53 off 32 balls with seven fours and two sixes while his skipper Dhoni made an unbeaten 43 in 35 balls with six fours and a six as the fifth wicket pair pulled Chennai out of the hole with their near-century stand in 61 balls.
The recovery came after the Mumbai Indians pace attack put them on the rack to leave them gasping at 46/4 in the ninth over as the duo mixed authentic and streaky shots.
Put in to bat, Chennai began well by hitting a string of boundaries in the second over before being rocked by the Mumbai attack to be pushed on the back foot.
However, the Chennai Kings' total was inadequate against Mumbai Indians' strong batting line-up that included the fit-again Tendulkar for the first time in the tournament.
In the top-order, Stephen Fleming (26), dropped on one, and fellow-opener Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (16) got a start but failed to flourish to the full.
Suresh Raina made only one run before edging a rising ball from Dwayne Bravo to keeper Yogesh Vijay Takawale to leave Chennai at 28/2 in the sixth over.
Then two wickets fell in one over of Dhawal Kulkarni at the same total of 46, those of Fleming - who faced 29 balls and played the cut shot well to hit four fours, and man-in-hurry Kapugedara (1 in 2 balls).
Fleming, after striking the young medium pacer for a four to square point, dragged the next ball on to his stumps when playing well away from his body.
Sri Lankan Kapugedara fell for nought, edging a rising ball from Kulkarni that left him off the pitch to stumper Takawale.
Shaun Pollock then came back for his fourth and final over and troubled Dhoni also bowled a maiden over.
Badrinath, who played some audacious scoop shots to fine leg, and Dhoni, who hooked Rohan Raje for the first six of the innings in the 18th over, took the score past the 100-mark in the 16th over.
The last five overs fetched 67 runs for the visiting team as the pace bowlers, after Pollock had finished his quota, were punished at will. |
