Report : M30 - KKR vs CSK

01 May, 2015

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Report : M30 - KKR vs CSK

Courtesy their seven wicket victory at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday, the Kolkata Knight settled scores with the Chennai Super Kings, avenging for their two-run defeat in Chennai two days ago. In a keenly fought match where the pendulum swung to and fro on several occasions, KKR rode on the back of contrasting half-centuries from Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell to chase down 166 in 19.5 overs and climbed up one place in the standings.

KKR started their chase in right earnest with Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir adding 33 runs in the first four overs. CSK broke the opening pair when Mohit Sharma found the outside edge of Gambhir’s bat and Ronit More held on to the catch at the thirdman boundary. The KKR skipper had scored 19 from 16 balls which included two meaty blows into the midwicket stands.

CSK pounced on the opening and tightened the noose by picking up the wickets of the off-colour Manish Pandey and Suryakumar Yadav. Andre Russell joined hands with Uthappa with the score reading 57 for 3 after 9.1 overs and the pair helped the team past the finish line. Both batsmen returned with half-centuries; Uthappa brought up his first half-century of Pepsi IPL 2015, while Russell brought up his second half-century of the season in style, hitting a Dwayne Bravo delivery with disdain into the stands at midwicket.

If Uthappa’s knock was a workman-like effort – crawling to his half-century off 40 balls, Russell hit four fours and as many sixes to get to the milestone in 25 balls. Uthappa, who was given a reprieve on 28 when MS Dhoni missed a stumping chance off Negi, remained unbeaten on 80 from 58 balls, while Russell made 55 from 32 balls. The pair added 112 in 10.4 overs as KKR got past the finish line with one ball to spare.
For CSK, Ashish Nehra had a rare poor day in the office, going wicket-less while conceding 36 runs in his four overs. The left-arm spinner Pawan Negi bowled his four overs tidily, conceding only 23 runs and picking up the wicket of Manish Pandey in his four-over spell. Debutant Ronit More and Mohit Sharma (4-0-22-1) were the other wicket-takers for the visitors.

Earlier in the evening, CSK were put in to bat after their skipper MS Dhoni called wrong at the toss. The visitors were rocked first ball when Ryan ten Doeschate pulled off a blinder at cover point to send Dwayne Smith on his way. Brendon McCullum wasn’t perturbed losing his partner and played his brand of cricket; he smashed three boundaries and as many sixes and dominated the 43-run partnership with Suresh Raina.

CSK, who were 43 for 1 when Raina was dismissed, slipped to 72 for 5 when Faf du Plessis and MS Dhoni were dismissed – courtesy some very smart spin bowling from Brad Hogg and Piyush Chawla - in the space of seven balls. Then came the rebuilding through a 57-run partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo.

Bravo picked up a boundary down the ground and Jadeja hit one over the ropes in Hogg’s third over – the fourteenth over of the innings, to end a period of play where the hosts called the shots. CSK lost Bravo in the seventeenth over when he the Trinidadian didn’t pick a slower delivery from Russell, played all over it but didn’t make any contact and had his stumps disturbed.

Pawan Negi, playing his third game in two seasons with CSK, took the opportunity to impress upon his team management. The left-hander opened his account with a cheeky boundary, but then stamped his authority on proceedings when he smashed Pat Cummins for three boundaries in the eighteenth overs. Hogg was at the receiving end in the following over when the left-hander charged down the ground and hit one inside out over the cover boundary. Though he was dismissed the very next delivery, his blitz had ensured that CSK would present the hosts a competitive target.

One should not overlook the contribution of Jadeja, who walked in to bat with his team in a critical situation, but hung around, and stitched together two critical partnerships – with Bravo and Negi. He made 24 from 30 balls and hit one boundary and a six before he was dismissed in the nineteenth over. CSK, who were 104 for 5 after 13 overs, added 61 runs in the final seven, to finish at 165 for 9.

For KKR, Brad Hogg was yet again the star performer; the 44-year old chinaman bowler dismissed two of CSK’s top four, and then returned to pick up the wickets of the Jadeja and Negi. There was plenty of drama and numerous appeals in the four overs bowled by the Australian which cost KKR only 29 runs. Russell picked up two wickets, while Cummins, Umesh Yadav and Piyush Chawla picked up a wicket apiece. Cummins in particular had a forgettable day, being hit for five boundaries and three sixes and conceding 54 runs in his four overs.

Brief Scores

Chennai Super Kings 165-9 in 20.0 Overs (Brendon McCullum 32, Brad Hogg 4-29) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 169-3 in 19.5 Overs (Robin Uthappa 80*, Andre Russell 59*)

Man of the Match: Andre Russell ,for his 2 for 20 and 32-ball 55.