Mumbai: Table-toppers Gujarat Titans put out an all-round bowling show to restrict Chennai Super Kings to a below-par 133/5 in 20 overs at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.
On a sluggish pitch, Ruturaj Gaikwad began really well for his 49-ball 53 but gradually slowed down as the innings progressed.
He found an ally in Moeen Ali but Chennai never found the acceleration they needed, faltering badly in the last five overs as the batters couldn’t hit a single boundary in that phase. For Gujarat, Mohammed Shami was pick of bowlers for 2/19 while Rashid Khan, Alzarri Joseph and R Sai Kishore picked a wicket each in a tidy bowling show.
Pushed into bowling first, Shami got the breakthrough when he found the outside edge of Devon Conway’s bat on a ball straightening and giving a straightforward catch to Wriddhiman Saha. But Chennai made a good recovery in power-play as Gaikwad and Ali took 32 runs off the last two overs of power-play.
While Gaikwad smacked two boundaries and a six off Yash Dayal in the fifth over, Ali hit Rashid for back-to-back sixes over leg-side. Gaikwad and Ali shared a stand of 57 runs off 39 balls before left-arm spinner Kishore took out the latter, who played one shot too many and mistimed a slog-sweep to deep mid-wicket.
Though Gaikwad continued to motor along, he wasn’t getting the required big hits from N Jagadeesan. After Gaikwad reached his fifty off 44 balls, Jagadeesan smacked a four and six off Kishore to boost the scoring rate going into the last five overs. But Gujarat triggered a slowdown from which Chennai could never come out.
Gaikwad danced down the pitch to heave across the line but was caught at deep mid-wicket off Rashid. Joseph bounced out Shivam Dube for a two-ball duck while Shami returned in the final over to take out MS Dhoni with a short ball pulled straight to mid-wicket. Such was Gujarat’s strong control over Chennai in the last five overs that they didn’t leak a single boundary while giving away 24 runs.
Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 133/5 in 20 overs (Ruturaj Gaikwad 53, N Jagadeesan 39 not out; Mohammed Shami 2/19, Alzarri Joseph 1/15) against Gujarat Titans
(IANS)
