IPL 2019: Shane Watson takes CSK to a 6-wicket win over SRH
After two successive losses Chennai Super Kings returned to winning ways, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the 41st match of IPL 2019 played at M A Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on Tuesday. With this win, CSK go back to the top of the points table.
CSK captain MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bowl first. It was a perfect start for the hosts as Harbhajan Singh dismissed Jonny Bairstow for 0.
But then Manish Pandey, promoted to number 3, played some spectacular shots along with David Warner. At the end of six overs, SRH were 54 for 1.
After the powerplay both batsmen showed their class by putting consistent pressure on the CSK bowlers. Pandey reached his fifty off 25 balls and Warner followed him by getting to his fifty off 39 balls.
Harbhajan then got his second important breakthrough, dismissing Warner for 57. Warner and Pandey had added 115 runs for the second wicket.
Pandey and Vijay Shankar put on another valuable stand, adding 47 runs for the 3rd wicket. In the last few overs, the CSK bowlers restricted the run flow and kept SRH to a score of 175 for 3 in 20 overs.
Chasing the target of 176 runs, Faf du Plessis was brilliantly run out for 1 run. Suresh Raina then came to the crease and immediately put pressure on the SRH bowlers.
At the end of six overs, CSK were 49 for 1.
Shane Watson returned to form with some attacking strokeplay too. After the powerplay, Watson and Raina showed the full range of their strokes and made batting look easy.
Rashid Khan got the breakthrough by dismissing Raina for 38 off 24 balls. Watson and Raina had added 77 runs for the second wicket.
Watson showed his power hitting abilities in the middle overs and reached his fifty off 35 balls while Ambati Rayudu gave him full support. It was an amazing display of batting by Watson who opened his shoulders more and more as the innings went on.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar eventually dismissed him for 96, but the damage had already been done. Watson and Rayudu had added 80 runs for the 3rd wicket.
The Hyderabad bowlers tried their best to defend the target, but CSK won the match by 6 wickets with one ball to spare.
Brief scores: CSK 176 for 4 in 19.5 overs (Shane Watson 96, Suresh Raina 38, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/18, Rashid Khan 1/44) beat SRH 175 for 3 in 20 overs (Manish Pandey 83*, David Warner 57, Harbhajan Singh 2/39, Deepak Chahar 1/30) by 6 wickets.
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