Chennai Super Kings sailed through the Sunrisers Hyderabad challenge, recording their fourth win with a seven-wicket triumph in match 29 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Chasing a target of 135 runs at MA Chidambaram Stadium, the four-time champions achieved their target in 18.4 overs, at the loss of only three wickets.
Although the wicket did look two-paced during Hyderabad’s innings, it seemed that Chennai’s opening pair, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway were batting on a completely different track, with the first three overs producing 28 runs.
After a couple of economical overs, the wind was knocked out of Sunrisers’ sail in the sixth over, when Conway took the attack to Marco Jansen and accumulated 22 runs in five deliveries – smashing four boundaries and a maximum.
At 60/0 after six overs, Chennai faced a required run rate of run-a-ball, and opted to play to the situation’s demand instead of extending the onslaught. Accordingly, the next four overs produced only 26 runs, whilst Hyderabad eventually managed to get a wicket in the 11th over, with Gaikwad getting run out after scoring 35 runs.
IPL 2023: Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway set-up and opening partnership of 87 runs.
(Photo: BCCI)
Ajinkya Rahane’s exemplary performance graph of this season had a rare blip, as he lost his wicket to a Mayank Markande delivery in the 15th over. Yet, Chennai were already into the three-figure by then, and cruising towards a well-deserved victory.
Although Ambati Rayudu soon followed suit, adding his name to the list of Markande’s wickets, Devon Conway stood firm to take his team over the line, with eight deliveries to spare. The Kiwi recorded his third straight half-century for the Super Kings.
Earlier, Chennai’s bowling unit produced a collective, pristine performance, as Sunrisers Hyderabad could score only 134/7 against the MS Dhoni-led team.
Although their total suggests a slightly different story, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s batting order did not capitulate right from the very beginning. Instead, they had a rather decent start, wherein they might not have dispatched the ball into the stands frequently, but did keep the scoreboard ticking at a steady rate.
IPL 2023: Sunrisers Hyderabad had a decent opening partnership before everything fell apart.
(Photo: BCCI)
The first four overs of the match produced 34 runs without the loss of any wickets, with both Abhishek Sharma and Harry Brook getting starts. The fifth over resulted in Chennai’s first wicket, where Brook found Ruturaj Gaikwad with a mistimed shot, and since then, Hyderabad could not get any momentum in their innings.
Sharma, being re-instated as an opener, did prove a point by scoring a 26-ball 34, but defying matchups, left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja got the better of the left-handed batter in the 10th over. Rahul Tripathi’s contribution was not very significant either, as whilst he did score 21 runs, he also faced as many deliveries before becoming Jadeja’s second victim of the game.
Having lost a couple of wickets in quick succession, Hyderabad needed nothing more than a partnership, with the onus being on skipper Aiden Markram, who has been in decent nick in this tournament, and Mayank Agarwal, who played a 48-run knock in his last fixture.
Yet, neither could deliver, with the pair departing inside the next two overs – scoring only 14 runs combined in 16 deliveries.
IPL 2023: Ravindra Jadeja picked up a three-wicket haul for CSK.
(Photo: BCCI)
Amid the incessant fall of wickets, Heinrich Klaasen opted against playing his natural, attacking game, and instead focused only on the risk-free singles. The South African wicketkeeper-batter scored 17 runs before losing his wicket to Matheesha Pathirana.
The decision to promote Marco Jansen ahead of Washinton Sundar did not pay the desired dividends either, with the young all-rounder from the rainbow nation scoring only a 22-ball 17.
Chennai’s death bowling proved to be immaculate, as they conceded only 29 runs in the last five overs. Whilst Ravindra Jadeja starred with a three-wicket haul, the Sri Lankan duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana proved to be economical.
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