08:28
Karthick Dharman
Chennai thrashed hosts Rajasthan a massive 63-run margin during their IPL match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday. Score | Photos
Batting first Chennai put on board a mammoth 196 runs on board with all their batsmen performing in the middle. Opener Murali Vijay was the most impressive with 53 runs on board.
A 197-run target was never going to be an easy one for the hosts and that's what happened. The Rajasthan batsmen were already under pressure and it got multiplied when they lost their opener Rahul Dravid in the fourth over of the innings when the total was 27.
Shane Watson too didn't last long and fell in the sixth over after scoring a scanty 11. While Doug Bollinger drew first blood for Chennai, R Ashwin claimed the second wicket to reduce Rajasthan to 48/2.
Rajasthan's hopes were shattered when their Kiwi import Ross Taylor too walked back with a scanty total on board. And it was South African Albie Morkel who sent him back to reduce Rajasthan to 63/3 in the 8th over.
Ashok Menaria was the next to take a walk back to the Rajasthan dugout, with Ashwin sending him back on two in the 10th over and the Rajasthan scoreboard read 70/4.
Finally, Ajinkya Rahane and Johan Botha tired to do the unthinkable - bat against a charged up Chennai attack. They even helped Rajasthan cross 100-run mark at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Rahane batted and scored a dogged 52, but the target was too steep and Chennai bowlers were bowling a good line. Chennai's West Indian recruit Dwayne Bravo scalped him on the first ball of the 15th over with Suresh Raina performing the final honours in the deep. Rajasthan were reduced to 105/5.
The rest of the Rajasthan batsmen merely paid quick visits to the crease as Chennai bowled the hosts out for 133 with nine ball to spare.
Chennai innings
Chennai batsmen smashed Rajasthan bowlers all across the park as they posted a mammoth 196/3 against the hosts during the 52nd IPL match on Monday.
Opener Murali Vijay was especially impressive scoring a quick-fire 53.
Earlier, Rajasthan captain Shane Warne won the toss and elected to bowl against Chennai in the 52nd IPL match of the season and 11th for both teams. The match was also one of the last few games for Rajasthan captain Shane Warne, who will stop playing pro cricket post IPL-4.
Chennai openers Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay got off to a good start against Rajasthan scoring more than eight runs an over. Both scored at decent pace and would have carried on further had a Johan Botha ball not broken their stand in the 10th over.
The offie tried variation and bowled a yorker that took away Hussey's leg stump when he was batting on 46 and the Chennai total was 77.
But that hardly made a difference to Chennai's tempo as soon Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina got on with a fine partnership putting 58 runs on board. It was only in the 15th over that Rajasthan were able to break their partnership.
A mix-up in Shane Warne's over saw Vijay get run on 53 when the team total was 135. His 40-ball innings was decorated with two fours and three sixes.
Post Vijay's fall Suresh Raina and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni further increased the run rate even as the Rajasthan bowlers struggled on home surface.
The reason could have been that Rajasthan were playing on a different track in this match, adjacent to the one that was used in the last 10 games. Whatever be the reason, Chennai clearly benefited off it as their batsmen were enjoying batting on the surface.
Raina and Dhoni had added 44 runs for the third wicket before Rajasthan pacer Amit Singh struck to despatch him in the 19th over on 43. Chennai were 179/3 at the stage.
Finally, Dhoni, who scored an unbeaten 41, and Albie Morkel batted on for the remaining overs to help Chennai to an impressive 196/3.
Posted in: Breaking News
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