Chennai Super Kings’ dominance was absolute. Posting a comfortable 58-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final on Saturday, CSK retained the IPL title. They also kept the unbeaten record at MA Chidambaram Stadium in this year’s tournament intact.
It was an electrifying atmosphere with a jam-packed stadium and the crowd going all out in support of the home team. Local heroes Murali Vijay and Ravichandran played a crucial part in Chennai’s title triumph.
Chasing 206 for win, Bangalore could muster only 147 for 8 in 20 overs. Ashwin opening the bowling dismissed the dangerous Gayle in the fourth ball of the innings. Gayle’s intended drive ended as a faint snick to Dhoni behind the stumps. There was mini celebration on the field as Ashwin was mobbed by the CSK players for picking the prize wicket again. The loss of Gayle demoralised the Bangalore side. All the batsmen went for predetermined shorts to step up the run-rate but failed to read the ball and perished. Virat Kohli scored 35. He fell leg before to Suresh Raina, which ended Bangalore’s hopes. Tiwary’s unbeaten 42 only managed to delay the inevitable.
Earlier, Vijay celebrated his return to the national Test squad with a punishing 95 (52b, 4x4, 6x6). For once Mike Hussey decided to play second fiddle to a rampaging Vijay. The duo sprayed shots all over the field and added 159 runs for the first wicket to put CSK in a position of strength. CSK made 205 for 5 in their allotted overs. Vijay was in an attacking mode from the word go. He used his feet well and was timing the ball to a nicety. Hussey too after being shaky in defence initially played with aplomb later and entertained the capacity crowd with his strokeplay.
When the duo looked like playing the entire quota of 20 overs, Hussey holed out to Abhimanyu Mithun off Syed Mohammed at the deep in the 15th over. He made 63 off 45 balls with the help of three sixes and three fours. Dhoni promoted himself to one drop and scored runs at will. He hit Gayle for two sixes in an over to take CSK near the 200-run mark. Vijay, who looked tired mainly due to the humidity, like Hussey holed out to Vettori off Aravind. Opting to bat, Chennai Super Kings got off to an excellent start, Both Hussey and Vijay were cautious but at the same time did not hesitate to punish the loose ones to the fence. Having played together as a pair for a while they had excellent understanding.
Running between the wickets was spot on. They took sharp singles and also created avenues for twos. In other words, runs came at a brisk pace. Hussey played the mediumpacers well as one saw him cart Zaheer over the ropes, but he had little difficulty in reading spinner Gayle. He compensated for that on being harsh on Syed once carting him over the ropes. On the other hand, Vijay was comfortable with both the mediumpacers and spinners. He struck both Arvind and Gayle for huge sixes.
While doing so he executed fine footwork and excellent sense of timing. All the sixes were clean hits. Vettori kept shuffling his bowlers thick and fast but met with no success. Personally he was able to contain the duo in the sense that he did not concede boundaries. Barring a confident lbw appeal by Gayle where Hussey was lucky not to be ruled out, none of the bowlers looked like picking up a wicket. Vijay took a single to reach his 50, while Hussey reverse sweeped Vettori to the fence to reach his half-century.
