11:00 AM
Editor
Skipper Yuvraj Singh's gamble of electing to field first backfired for Pune Warriors, who were handed a third consecutive defeat by defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the fourth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday. Chasing a below-par target of 143, Warriors rode on an aggressive start from Jesse Ryder but lost three wickets in eight balls during the early stages of their run-chase, and crashed to a 25-run defeat, and with that stumbled to eighth spot in the IPL points table.
The game-changer came in the last ball of the fourth over when R Ashwin slipped through the defense of Ryder with a quick arm ball that crashed into middle stump. The previous ball saw the Kiwi stroke a lovely straight six that bounced on the wet floor behind the sight screen, and suddenly, Chennai were under pressure. Thereafter, Ashwin cleaned up danger man Robin Uthappa in the sixth over, which left the onus on Yuvraj, who top-scored with 32, but couldn't steer his side home. Just as Yuvraj and Mithun Manhas were leading Pune's recovery courtesy a 38-run partnership, Doug Bollinger had Manhas caught behind, that effectively spelled curtains for the visitors.
When Yuvraj struck a glorious straight drive for a four off Suraj Randiv in the first ball of the 15th over, there was still hope for Pune. But, every attempt made by Yuvraj to use the long handle proved unsuccessful due to the two-paced nature of the surface. That was evident when India's World Cup star finally holed out to Shadab Jakati at mid-off. Chennai produced one of their best fielding efforts in the history of the IPL, and the catch that Jakati took to remove the Pune skipper was testimonial to that.
Michael Hussey was adjudicated Man of the Match for his knock of 61.
Earlier, CSK, who had won their previous two home fixtures batting first, managed only a total of 142-6 despite a brisk 64-run opening stand between Hussey (61) and Murali Vijay (31) that promised an eventual total in excess of 160. Yuvraj was not shy of innovating opening the bowling with a couple of IPL-4 debutants Nathan McCullum and Jerome Taylor who made the eventual difference of at least 20 extra runs.
Vijay looked scratchy, surviving two run-outs in back-to-back balls even as Hussey, who scored 83 in CSK's previous home fixture, played his trademark extra-cover drives and struck a sensational six over mid-off off Nathan McCullum that had a touch of class.
When Yuvraj struck a glorious straight drive for a four off Suraj Randiv in the first ball of the 15th over, there was still hope for Pune. But, every attempt made by Yuvraj to use the long handle proved unsuccessful due to the two-paced nature of the surface. That was evident when India's World Cup star finally holed out to Shadab Jakati at mid-off. Chennai produced one of their best fielding efforts in the history of the IPL, and the catch that Jakati took to remove the Pune skipper was testimonial to that.
Michael Hussey was adjudicated Man of the Match for his knock of 61.
Earlier, CSK, who had won their previous two home fixtures batting first, managed only a total of 142-6 despite a brisk 64-run opening stand between Hussey (61) and Murali Vijay (31) that promised an eventual total in excess of 160. Yuvraj was not shy of innovating opening the bowling with a couple of IPL-4 debutants Nathan McCullum and Jerome Taylor who made the eventual difference of at least 20 extra runs.
Vijay looked scratchy, surviving two run-outs in back-to-back balls even as Hussey, who scored 83 in CSK's previous home fixture, played his trademark extra-cover drives and struck a sensational six over mid-off off Nathan McCullum that had a touch of class.
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