Chennai: New captain, new team, same old result. Kolkata Knight Riders dropped three catches, then allowed Chennai Super Kings' spinners to get on top of them and eventually finished two runs short chasing a moderately challenging 154. Earlier, the fourth season of the Indian Premier League kicked off here at the Chidambaram Stadium accompanied with the usual colour and music.
MS Dhoni's Chennai were tactically ahead than the Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata. The Knights appeared unreasonably edgy despite a good start to the chase with Jacques Kallis' 54. The South African veteran added 64 with Mavindar Bisla. But all it took to spook Kolkata was some turn and bounce.
Dhoni shuffled his spinners, clawed back into the game, and eventually Tim Southee denied Rajat Bhatia the last-ball four needed for the win. Gambhir oddly came out to bat in the 18th over, a move which failed which his second-ball run-out.
It was a two-paced wicket. Srikkanth Anirudha set up the Chennai charge with his fifty IPL fifty. The opener outpaced Suresh Raina in making 64 after Murali Vijay had fallen for four in the first over. Chennai had earlier elected to bat.
Anirudha was dropped twice, once by Yusuf Pathan on 11 and then by Eoin Morgan on 32. Yusuf also put down Raina on 14. In a game of fine balances, the drops cost Kolkata the match. Raina made 33 and Dhoni 29. Chennai looked good for 170, but had a slow finish to the innings.
After a sturdy start of 64, Shadab Jakati teased Bisla out of his crease for a stumping. Yusuf walked out to finish off things quickly. He powered Jakati down the ground for a six. But the game turned in the 13th over by Suraj Randiv.
The Sri Lankan off-spinner with the ridiculously simple run-up and action kept the ball up to the bat and slipped in the odd doosra that kept Kolkata's batsmen guessing. Yusuf survived a stumping in that over, but ran himself out, courtesy a Dhoni direct hit, trying to steal a single that would have given Kallis his fifty.
Despite admitting later that he was tentative with the new team, Dhoni looked like he thoroughly enjoyed the day; that run out in particular.
Ravichandran Ashwin continued to impress. In four overs, he gave away just 26 and dismissed Kallis, who swept a simple catch to fine leg. Suresh Raina then slipped in a decisive over in which he dismissed Morgan while Gambhir was run out.
Morgan charged Raina, who saw the left-hander coming and fired in a quicker ball. Dhoni finished the easy stumping. Raina has in the past proven himself incredibly useful as a bowler for Chennai. Today was one more of those occasions.
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NIFT,
CEED,
NATA,
NID
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