Match Review:
Oh!!!! Never thought that CSK would get out to such a low score. With a depleted batting attack in the absence of likes of Hayden, Hussey and Oram it was on to the experienced and highly respected Fleming and Dhoni to deliver the goods. Raina who’s in a good form did show some resistance with some sensible batting but he could manage only 27 but it was Morkel whose lusty hitting saw CSK to a respectable total. He scored 42 off 33 deliveries with 4 hits to the fence and 1 above it. Only 4 CSK batsmen managed a score in double figures and rest getting out for “binary” scores.
Any guesses for the reason for this bad performance?????? Yeah u’r right. Its the brilliance of Sohail Tanvir of Rajasthan Royals that put CSK in a wanting situation. Sohail put Rajasthan Royals in the driving seat right from the start of the game by claiming the wickets of CSK batsmen Fleming and Patel in his opening over. At the end of the first over the score was 1 for the loss of 2 wickets. There was no looking back for Tanvir who with his different bowling style and action went on to claim 6 wicket off just 14 runs in 4 overs. The amazing part is that out of the 6 wickets he took 5 off them were Bowled. Batsmen getting bowled is the sight which every fast bowler relishes and wishes to see it happen again and again in his career. Munaf Patel also chipped in with 2 wicktes and it was an overall good bowling performance by Rajasthan Royals.
With a target of 110 to be chased in 20 overs, its always a game in the favor of the chasing team. Rajasthan Royals started off well with Smith and Asnodkar adding 78 runs for the first wicket before Asnodkar was out for 32 caught by Ntini off Vidyut. By then the opening partnership had inflicted major damage. It was the work of the coming batsmen to finish off the match at the earliest and they did so finishing the match in just 14.2 overs.
So in the end a splendid performance by Rajasthan Royals both with the ball and with the bat. But the whole credit goes to Sohail Tanvir’s deadly spell that put the match beyond the reach of Chennai Super Kings and then the sensible batting by Rajasthan’s batsmen. I think Shane Warne has been doing a lot of thinking and the result is obvious , they have been winning matches and now they are leading the standings. It was the second successive defeat for Chennai Super Kings.
Sohail Tanvir’s bowling figures- 4-0-14-6 is the best in T20 version of cricket so far.
Source:
For the complete Score card here.
Current IPL Standings with future fixtures here
List of all the Best figures in an innings in T20 here
For all the statistics quoted in the text- Cricinfo.com