IPL 2021, SRH vs CSK: Who won yesterday's match?

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) came up with yet another clinical effort to brush aside the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six wickets in Match 44 of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) in Sharjah. With their triumph on Thursday, CSK became the first franchise to book a spot in the IPL playoffs.

After CSK’s bowlers restricted SRH to 134 for 7, their in-form openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (45 off 38) and Faf du Plessis (41 off 36) got the team off to a fantastic start, adding a brisk 75. There was a brief flutter as CSK slid to 108 for 4. However, Ambati Rayudu (17 not out) and MS Dhoni (14 not out) guided CSK to victory with some smart cricket.

After scoring only 12 from the first three overs, Gaikwad and Du Plessis helped themselves to one six each against Bhuvneshwar Kumar. While Gaikwad swiped the experienced SRH pacer over midwicket, Du Plessis cleared his front leg and clubbed one over wide long on for a massive maximum. The South African veteran helped himself to two more fours in Jason Holder’s first over.

SRH leggie Rashid Khan bowled the last over of the powerplay and it was an eventful one. After top-edging a sweep for four, Gaikwad danced down the wicket and lofted the wily bowler over his head for a maximum. Next ball, the CSK opener was trapped by a googly as he missed his sweep. Gaikwad, however, took the review and survived as replays showed the ball touching his gloves.

Du Plessis raised CSK’s fifty in style, lofting Siddharth Kaul down the ground for a six. He then cut one to the extra-cover boundary as CSK found it all easy in the chase. In the 9th over, Gaikwad came down the track and smashed one straight to Rashid. It was hit with fierce force though, and there was no chance of the bowler holding on to it.

There was some consolation for SRH as Gaikwad (45 off 38) fell to Holder. The CSK opener tried to loft a back of a length delivery but ended up slicing the ball towards mid-off as the delivery bounced a little more than he expected. SRH skipper Williamson completed a sharp overhead catch.

Moeen Ali came in and hit a couple of fours before perishing for 17 in a freak manner. He tried to pull Rashid but got a thick edge into his thigh pad. The ball then rolled back onto the stumps. Holder (3/27) then raised SRH’s hopes by dismissing Suresh Raina (2) and Du Plessis in the same over. While Raina was trapped plumb in front with a yorker-length delivery, Du Plessis miscued a short ball to midwicket.

As things got slightly tense, Dhoni had a close shave. In the 18th over, the CSK skipper drove Kaul uppishly towards extra cover, where Jason Roy flung himself him to his right. He got a hand but the ball did not stick. The next ball, Rayudu went inside out over extra cover and got a four.

With 16 needed off the last two overs, Rayudu all but sealed the game for CSK, clobbering Bhuvneshwar over long-on for a maximum. Dhoni then crunched a short one between deep midwicket and long-on for four.

In the final over, the CSK skipper turned back the clock and walloped Kaul to deep midwicket for a huge six as Chennai not only got past the winning line but also confirmed their IPL playoff berth.

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SRH struggle again, post 134 for 7 batting first

CSK pacer Josh Hazlewood. Pic: IPLT20.COM

SRH’s lean run with the bat continued as they posted a below-par 134 for 7 after being sent into bat by CSK. Wriddhiman Saha (44 off 46) was the only SRH batter to show some application as Josh Hazlewood (3/24) and Dwayne Bravo (2/17) starred with the ball for CSK.

After a couple of quiet overs, Saha jumped into action by smashing Deepak Chahar for two sixes. A back of a length ball was swatted to deep midwicket while one pitched outside off stump was guided over the bowler’s head.

Roy fell cheaply as he bottom-edged Hazlewood to Dhoni, having made two. Thanks to Saha, SRH reached a decent 41 for at the end of the powerplay. However, their IPL captain Williamson fell soon after, missing his flick to be trapped in front by Bravo for 11.

Saha had a lucky escape in the 9th over as he cut Shardul Thakur straight to point. CSK had no reason to celebrate as the bowler overstepped. The SRH wicketkeeper batter carried on in dogged fashion, seeking some support. He did not get much from Priyam Garg (7), who top-edged a short of a length delivery from Bravo straight up in the air.

Saha himself perished in similar fashion a couple of overs later as he too got a top-edge trying to take on Ravindra Jadeja and the catch was pouched safely by Dhoni. The young SRH pair of Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad shone briefly. Samad thumped Hazlewood over long-on for a maximum after which Sharma went inside out and cleared the ropes off the same bowler.

It was too good to last, though. Immediately after being lofted for six by Sharma (18), Hazlewood had his revenge as the batter hit the next one straight to long-on. Samad (18) also perished in the same over, lobbing a catch towards point, where Moeen timed his jump to perfection. Hazlewood registered his career-best IPL figures as SRH stumbled past 130.

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IPL 2021, SRH vs CSK: Who was the Man of the Match?

CSK pacer Hazlewood enjoyed his day out in the middle, claiming three wickets against a tentative SRH batting line-up. He claimed the big wicket of Jason Roy early and later added the scalps of Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad.

Bravo had another memorable outing. He conceded only 17 and also sent back Williamson and Garg. With the bat, CSK openers Du Plessis and Gaikwad starred again with crisp 40s.

For SRH, Saha played a fine hand of 44 while Holder claimed three big wickets to keep the side’s hopes alive.

Hazlewood was named Man of the Match for his excellent bowling spell.