Agencies/Chennai
Brendon McCullum, with a superb exhibition of batting pyrotechnics, and a matchless display of spin bowlers, guaranteed that the Chennai Super Kings overwhelmed the Kings XI Punjab by 97 runs in their Indian Premier League match, played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai last night.
The Kings XI chasing 193 for victory, were restricted to 95 for nine. The victory brought Chennai level with Rajasthan Royals on ten points, but ahead on net run rate with a game in hand. Kings XI, on the other hand, slipped below Mumbai Indians to the bottom of the competition.
The Super Kings’ openers - having won the toss and electing to bat - Dwayne Smith and McCullum set the wheels in motion with a display of power hitting, smashing 50 runs inside the first-five overs, to put the Kings XI under the hammer.
But, Smith’s (26 off 13-balls) aggression was brought to an unceremonious halt. Anureet Singh banged in a short delivery, which Smith tried to pull, but the ball grazed his thigh-pad and elbow and dropped onto the leg-stump.
McCullum’s innings was not without chance, dropped by Mitchell Johnson on 23, a mistake the Punjabis were made to rue. It was not a good day at the office for the Australian fast bowler, whose efforts with the ball were treated with scant respect, conceding 40 runs of his four overs, and his butter-fingers also dropped Suresh Raina on 13.
The New Zealand captain’s driving was out of the top drawer and he scored at a cracking rate, his half-century came of 32-balls, finding the ropes on five occasions and clearing them three times. However, the cavalry in the shape of Axar Patel and David Miller, came to the rescue. McCullum (66) lofted the ball towards long-off, and Miller running in, easily took the catch.
The Super Kings’ captain, MS Dhoni, arriving at the crease after the dismissal of McCullum, drilled a Karanveer Singh delivery back towards the bowler and Karanveer, diving to his left, deflected the ball onto the stumps, with the Raina out of his crease. Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja were the not out batsman at the end on 41 and 18 respectively.
The Kings XI’s run chase got off to an inauspicious start losing the wicket of Virender Sehwag on the fifth-ball of the first-over. He found himself stuck in the crease and spooned the Ishwar Pandey delivery into the hands of Faf du Plessis loitering at mid-off.
Then all hell let lose, as the visitors lost six for 34 off 43-balls. When chasing 193 this is not exactly what the doctor ordered.
Shaun Marsh, Miller, George Bailey, Murali Vijay, Patel and Johnson were all back in the dressing room, with the scoreboard reading 69 for seven. Jadeja finished with 3 for 22, Ravi Ashwin took two for 14 and Ashish Nehra took two for 16 off their four overs each.
Brief scores
Chennai Super Kings 192 (McCullum 66) bt Kings XI Punjab 95 for 9 (Jadeja 3-22, Ashwin 2-10) by 97 runs
Chennai Super Kings Brendon McCullum pulls for six. (BCCI)
