IPL 2021: "His two overs in the middle were game-changing" - Ashish Nehra lauds Dwayne Bravo for his miserly spell against KKR
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) clinched their fourth championship title with their thumping 27-run victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Former India pacer Ashish Nehra believes the MS Dhoni-led side gained the upper hand by registering an imposing total of 192 in the all-important summit clash.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, the ex-cricketer pointed out how Dwayne Bravo, with his miserly spell, shifted the momentum of the contest in Chennai's favor. The veteran bowler brought his side back into the game with his inspiring bowling performance after an early onslaught from the Kolkata openers. Here's what Nehra said:
"The Chennai Super Kings got ahead in the game with their 1st innings total itself. When it came to bowling, the momentum of the game shifted completely after Dwayne Bravo gave away just 8 runs from his first 2 overs. Bravo was expected to play a major role in the death overs. But his two overs in the middle were game-changing overs for me.
The seasoned campaigner conceded just 8 runs from his first two overs. His tidy spell proved to be a game-changer and put the pressure back on the chasing team. With the required run-rate climbing, the KKR batters fell like nine pins in an attempt to up the ante.
Fantastic FOUR! 🏆 🏆 🏆 🏆
The @msdhoni-led @ChennaiIPL beat #KKR by 27 runs in the #VIVOIPL #Final & clinch their 4⃣th IPL title. 👏 👏 #CSKvKKR
A round of applause for @KKRiders, who are the runners-up of the season. 👍 👍
Scorecard 👉 iplt20.com/match/2021/60 https://t.co/PQGanwi3H3
"Shardul Thakur changed the match with his double-wicket over"
In the same video, Virender Sehwag pointed out how Kolkata could not make a comeback after losing two wickets in the 15th over. Shardul Thakur dismissed the dangerous-looking Venkatesh Iyer in the 11th over to give his side their first breakthrough.
He also sent Nitish Rana packing for a duck in the same over. Sehwag opined that Kolkata succumbed under pressure after that and they failed to make a comeback after losing wickets at regular intervals. He emphasized how not getting partnerships in the middle cost Eoin Morgan and Co. the championship.
"Shardul Thakur's over where he got the wickets of Venkatesh Iyer and Nitish Rana was a very important one. Sunil Narine also departed soon after that. The team could not make a comeback after back-to-back wickets."
Watch the full video here: