Agencies/Mumbai
The Chennai Super Kings inflicted yet more pain on the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League last night, as they cruised to a six-wicket win at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Chasing a challenging 184 to win, and maintain an unbeaten start to the 2015 campaign, MS Dhoni’s charges tore out of the starting blocks, with openers Dwayne Smith and the in-form Brendon McCullum notching a blitzkrieg 109 off just 7.1 overs. Smith made a 30-ball 62, and overshadowed his Kiwi counterpart, who chipped in with 46 off 20 balls. Smith smashed four sixes and carved eight boundaries.
Lasith Malinga, often a talisman for Mumbai, went at ten to the over, while the returning Harbhajan Singh leaked 44 runs in his four-over quota. The 50 came up in just 25 balls, with Smith needing just 22 for his half-ton.
Once the openers departed, Suresh Raina administered the last rites for Chennai, cruising to a classy 43 not out, off 29 balls. Dwayne Bravo finished the contest in style, clubbing a six off Kieron Pollard, to seal the points with 20 balls to spare. Earlier, it had been Pollard who had inflicted some pain on the bowlers, as he smashed a much-needed 64 for the hosts to lift them to 183 for seven, after a sluggish start. Ashish Nehra had struck with just the fourth ball of the match after Rohit Sharma had won the toss and elected for Mumbia to bat first.
Sharma did weigh in with 50, but he was one of three Nehra victims, the former Indian swing merchant ending with figures of 3-23.
Aside from Pollard’s late show, only Ambati Rayudu’s 29 was a notable contribution for the hosts. As it was, their 183 for seven was well short of testing the powerful Chennai side, who barely broke a sweat on the way to their third straight win. For the Mumbai Indians, however, it was a fourth straight loss and they prop up the early-season table.
Chennai Super Kings’ opener Dwayne Smith scored a 30-ball 62 in Mumbai yesterday. (BCCI)
