The Super Kings have the knack of performing under pressure and that's what they did against Mumbai. Mumbai, in general, have chased well through the tournament but in a knockout situation, where the pressure is more, it would have been better had they batted first. They could have posted a better score and attacked with their bowling, led by Lasith Malinga.
Skipper MS Dhoni often saves his best for the big matches, and Wednesday was one such occasion. He is a different player when he looks to go for the shots and he played an amazing knock. The six that he hit over deep mid-wicket off Malinga in the second-last over was extraordinary.
If that was not enough, the six over extra cover by Dwayne Bravo a couple of balls later was bizarre. It was a delightful batting display by Dhoni and Bravo.
Chennai now face the Daredevils in their den. Delhi made a few mistakes against the Knight Riders. In conditions suited for spin bowling, they went for a predominantly pace attack. Maybe, that's because they trust their batting enough to chase down any score. If that was the case, it was baffling to see Ross Taylor come in almost in a no-win situation.
Chennai have the edge considering it's a home game and they adapt to pressure well.
(Writer is a former Aussie batsman.)
© HT
