CSK vs MI : Three epic IPL matches

#2 CSK won by 6 runs - April 23, 2008

Mike Hussey

It was the eighth match of the inaugural IPL season and the first game of the super-Indian derby. It had been just five days since the Indian Premier League commenced with Brendon McCullum registering the highest individual T20 score of that time. CSK had already won a game earlier in the tournament whilst MI were still looking to register their first victory of IPL. The game was held at Chennai's home ground i.e. Chepauk. The visitors won the toss and asked the hosts to bat first.

While batting first, Chennai's fiery start was followed by two crucial at regular intervals. After Mike Hussey's wicket, Suresh Raina came in and built and ebullient partnership of 104 runs with Matthew Hayden. After taking the team to the position of safety, Raina was soon dismissed. Hayden along with the Skipper MS Dhoni then took the charge and started to increase the tempo from both ends. Haydos's 81-run knock and Dhoni's 30-run cameo resulted in a mammoth total of 208 runs.

Chasing such a prodigious target was a herculean task for MI. What made the situation even worse was the lack of intent from the top order MI batsmen. Half of the side of visitors’ was back to the pavilion by the end of 15th over.

They needed 62 runs off the last 24 balls and what followed next was a 21-run over by P Amarnath. By the end of the penultimate over, Harbhajan Singh and Abhishek Nayar's heroics brought down the equation to 19 needed off the last 6 balls. Joginder Sharma was asked to bowl the last over. The Haryana lad gave 10 runs in the first two balls but covered up in the end eventually won the nail-biting match for his team.