It was a disappointing show from the Punjab Kings (PBKS) batting order as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) pacers dominated the proceedings, restricting the hosts to 139/9 and clinching a 28-run win.
The first breakthrough came in the second over itself when Tushar Deshpande cleaned up an in-form Jonny Bairstow for just 7 off 6 balls. Bairstow’s dismissal was followed by Rilee Rossouw’s wicket who failed to open his account and was out for 0 off 3 in the same over.
The Super Kings bowlers were spot on with their line, length and pace and didn’t let the PBKS batters cut loose. In the first four overs, the hosts could only manage 16 before Prabhsimran Singh and Shashank Singh finally decided to take on the opposition.
In the very next over, the two gathered 15 runs with Shashank doing the bulk of scoring. Later, Prabhsimran joined the party and thrashed a maximum and a four off Deshpande as PBKS eventually ended the Powerplay with a score of 47/2.
It seemed that the home side was back in the chase but it was too early a call. PBKS suffered a massive collapse and it started with Shashank’s dismissal after a 53-run stand with Prabhsimran.
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The right-hander miscued one off Mitchell Santner at the end of the 8th over and was caught at long-on by Simarjeet for 27 off 20. One over later, Jadeja removed Prabhsimran for 30 off 23. He was caught at long off by Sameer Rizvi while trying to go for a big stroke.
The misery just kept adding up as Punjab lost three more wickets in a span of just over three overs with the likes of Jitesh Sharma (0 off 1), Sam Curran (7 off 11) and Ashutosh Sharma back in the dugout. The hosts were left struggling at 78/7.
Jadeja returned with figures of 3/20 in 4 overs.
Chahar, Patel step up for PBKS
Punjab Kings had earlier restricted Chennai Super Kings to 167/9 in 20 overs on a surface that looked pretty decent for batting in Dharamshala on Sunday.
PBKS won the toss and opted to bowl first in this reverse fixture against the CSK.
Punjab had the momentum on their side as they were coming into this game on the back of two stunning wins in the competition and they carried it in this fixture as well.
Arshdeep provided the opening breakthrough as he sent Ajinkya Rahane back in the hut for just 9 off 7 in the second over, courtesy of a good catch from Kagiso Rabada.
Rahane’s departure brought Daryl Mitchell in and he, alongside skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, tried to rebuild the innings. While Mitchell showed intent and didn’t shy away from taking his chances on the ones bowled in his arc, Gaikwad opted for a cautious approach.
But the captain pushed the paddle in the final of the powerplay where CSK gathered 19 off Harpreet Brar. Gaikwad hit a maximum over long-on in that over and followed it with a couple of boundaries in the over. Later, Mitchell also struck a four.
Just when CSK thought that they were back in the game, spinner Rahul Chahar scalped two wickets on the trot in the eighth over. The right-handed bowler first dismissed Gaikwad for 32 off 21. The CSK captain tried to cut one through the off side but ended up getting an under edge and was caught by Jitesh Sharma behind the stumps.
This was followed by Shivam Dube’s wicket who also edged one to the wicket-keeper while trying to cut an outside off-stump delivery and left CSK tottering at 69/3. Chahar’s double-wicket over certainly pushed the Super Kings on the backfoot as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. There was no significant contribution from any of the batters barring Ravindra Jadeja who got 43 off 26.
Chahar eventually finished with figures of 3/23 in his 4 overs.
Heartbreak for Dhoni fans
The MS Dhoni fans in Dharamshala were left shellshocked as the legendary batter was dismissed for a first-ball zero. The fans had been waiting to see Dhoni come out to bat since the departure of Moeen Ali but the likes of Mitchell Santner and Shardul Thakur made them wait for quite long.
However, the disappointment was even bigger. Harshal, bowling the penultimate over, cleaned up Dhoni for zero on the very first ball. Patel bowled a slower off-cutter on the stumps that dipped on Dhoni and the batter completely missed it.
The PBKS bowler also picked up three wickets for 24 runs in his 4 overs.
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