Chennai: The magic of Chepauk was in full view on Monday night, but it wasn't enough. A slow pitch, the spin choke, the sea of yellow in the stands — everything seemed to fall into place. However, Ishan Kishan stood in the way.
As a 'still unfit' MS Dhoni — the architect of many such magical nights for CSK — watched from the dressing room, Kishan played the kind of innings expected from a top Indian batter. The victory took Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) into the playoffs along with Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bangalore, while Chennai Super Kings' (CSK) hopes now hang by a thread.
Chasing 181 was not going to be easy on a pitch where the ball refused to come onto the bat. Add to that the dimensions of Chepauk, which are not exactly over-boundary friendly. Wickets fell around Kishan, and even the trusted wrecker-in-chief Heinrich Klaasen got out at the wrong moment, stumped off left-arm wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad after a brilliant 47 off 26 balls.
But Kishan found the zone seen during India's famous win against Pakistan in Colombo a few months ago. He gave himself a little time, allowed Klaasen to prosper during their 75-run third-wicket partnership, and then cut loose once the South African was dismissed. In the 18th over, bowled by left-arm pacer Mukesh Choudhary, Kishan found the big hits and took 15 runs, virtually killing off the game.
Kishan fell with six runs still needed, but SRH did enough to get over the line in the 19th over. CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, however, was disappointing with his handling of resources and failed to bowl his spin ace Akeal Hosein for four overs. The left-arm finger-spinner finished with 1/21 off three, and it remains a mystery why the captain did not use him again when he had bowled so well in the early stages of the Klaasen-Kishan partnership.
While Kishan was the hero, SRH skipper Pat Cummins deserves special mention. Cummins came on when CSK opener Sanju Samson was going great guns. Varying his pace and using the surface smartly, he removed Samson and then got the wickets of in-form Kartik Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad to put the brakes on the CSK innings.
Cummins used the lack of pace on the pitch brilliantly and was well backed up by Eshan Malinga, Praful Hinge, and Sakib Hussain. All of them kept hitting hard lengths, took pace off the ball, and made the CSK middle order huff and puff.
Dewald Brevis still tried to break free with a quickfire 44, but when Malinga got his wicket in the 18th over, CSK's hopes of a 190-plus total took a hit. That proved costly in the end as SRH held firm to enter the last four, beating a team that has consistently bothered them over the years.
Dhoni still unfit
MS Dhoni could not get fit in time for CSK's final home game, as revealed by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad at the toss. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter's absence was felt as CSK failed to defend a modest total.
