Punjab Kings spinners Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar’s miserly spell during the middle overs set the foundation for their side’s seven-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings at the MAC Stadium on Wednesday.
Opting to bowl first, PBKS restricted CSK to just 162 for seven as the spinners squeezed the runs dry without conceding a single boundary.
Chasing 163, cameos from Jonny Bairstow 46 (30b, 7x4, 1x6) and Rilee Rossouw (43, 23b, 5x4, 2x6) ensured PBKS got its fifth straight win over the five-time champion.
CSK’s hopes of defending the total took a big hit when Deepak Chahar limped off in pain on his run-up before the third ball of the innings.
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Despite losing Prabhsimran Singh early, Bairstow and Rossouw quickly put the pressure back on the Super Kings bowlers as they added 64 for the second wicket. Rossouw started in style with a straight drive and a pull of Richard Gleeson before finding two more boundaries off Mustafizur Rahman in the next over.
Chennai’s only chance to stage a fightback was with its spinners, especially in the absence of the in-form Matheesha Pathirana (niggle) and Tushar Deshpande (illness). But Bairstow wasted no time going after Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali, smashing them for four boundaries and six. Though both batters missed their half-centuries, Sam Curran and Shashank Singh guided their side home without further trouble.
If not for Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 62-run knock, Chennai Super Kings would not have ended up with a respectable score. | Photo Credit: RAGHUNATHAN SR/ The Hindu
Earlier, Super Kings started strongly and got to 55 for no loss at the end of the PowerPlay. But what followed was a phase of play that is unthinkable in modern-day T20 cricket, as the host failed to score a single boundary off the bat for 55 balls.
Brar (two for 17) and Rahul (one for 13) sent in seven overs during this phase, conceding just 30 runs while taking three wickets on a two-paced pitch that offered turn for the tweakers.
Left-arm spinner Brar struck twice in the eighth over with a smart piece of bowling by slowing it down to have Rahane caught in the deep and then trapped Shivam Dube leg-before.
If not for Ruturaj’s grinding knock (62, 48b, 5x4, 2x6), CSK would not have ended up with a respectable score. But with dew settling, it was never going to be enough.
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