Mon, 25 Apr 2011 - IP Chennai vs IP Pune, IPL 2011, 29th Match - Bulletin

Clinical bowling scripts impressive win

It is not often that fielding decides the fate of a match but it turned out to be so with Chennai successfully defending a par score of 142 courtesy a brilliant fielding display. Chennai fielders effected two run-outs and held on to some brilliant catches none better than the one by Shadab Jakati to dismiss Pune’s key batsman Yuvraj Singh.

Chennai bowlers throughout bowled in good areas and even a free stroke maker of Yuvraj’s caliber couldn’t get the boundaries going. Pune hopes of avoiding a hat trick of defeats were dented early with double strikes from fast bowler Albie Morkel and spinner R Ashwin reducing them to 40 for 4 in the sixth over. Although Captain Yuvi and veteran Mithun Manhas tried to resurrect the innings but sustained pressure from the Chennai bowlers and fielders didn’t let them run away with the game. With batsmen not able to get the big shots away, required run rate kept mounting Chennai got the wickets in a cluster in the end overs.

Morkel and Doug Bollinger were brilliant in their comeback spells claiming crucial wickets and keeping a lid on the score rate as visitors fell short by 25 runs. Hardly an error was seen in the field and all bowlers were spot on with their execution to make a small target impossible for Pune. Morkel who is yet to fire with the bat had figures of 3 for 29 and Ashwin and Bollinger claimed two wickets each to script an impressive win for their team. None of the Pune batsmen could take game to Chennai bowlers with Yuvraj consuming all of 43 balls in his 34 and Manhas and Nathan McCullum also failing to get things moving resulting in a poor Pune show with the bat.

Earlier, Michael Hussey again proved his mettle again by playing a well paced innings of 61 runs to help his side to 142 against disciplined Pune bowling effort. It was a typical Hussey innings in which he batted through tough times and rode on lucky breaks to take his side to a competitive total on a pitch in which shot making wasn’t easy. There were some vital contributions from Murali Vijay and MS Dhoni as well but there wasn’t enough from others that limited home team from posting a big score.

Pune despite displaying shoddy performance in the field were terrific with the ball as fast bowling pair of Alfonso Thomas and Jerome Taylor shared five wickets between two of them not to let Chennai batsmen to take game away from them.

Chennai were looking good for good score with openers Hussey and Murali Vijay taking them to 63 in the nine overs without being separated but a terrific over from Thomas in which he removed Vijay and Suresh Raina (clean bowled) to peg home team back.

Vijay, who was lucky to survive two run out chances and looked scratchy during his 29-ball 31, in partnership with Hussey came through some disciplined bowling performance from visitors to lay a good platform for the team for a big score. With two wickets gone in one over, Hussey and Dhoni were forced to go into rebuilding mode and Pune made most of it sneaking some five tight overs.

Hussey whose three of the six boundaries came off inside and outside edges did play some trademark Hussey cover drives and chip sides on his way to 61 off 48 balls while Dhoni mightn’t have commanded the proceedings but stroked at more than run a ball to give some impetus to meandering innings.

Spinner Rahul Sharma after hit for a four and six beat Dhoni in flight to have Chennai captain stumped for 21-ball 28 and Taylor had wickets of Hussey and big hitting Albie Morkel for duck inside three balls to prevent Chennai from late charge.

Taylor playing his first match of IPL this season was very pacy and had figures of 3 for 30 in his four while Thomas gave away only 29 runs in as many overs taking two wickets as well.

Murali Karthik was very unfortunate with batsmen inside and outside edging to yield runs from seasoned left arm spinner while Sharma gave away only 29 runs in his four overs.