Chennai Super Kings overcame a sluggish start to beat Central Districts in the second match of the second day of the Champions League T20. Chennai won rather easily in the end by a margin of 57 runs, but at one stage it had looked like the Super Kings were going the way of the other Indian team in the competition. Mumbai had been beaten by the Lions in the first match.
Chennai won the toss at the Kingsmead in Durban and decided to bat first. However, they were soon in trouble, as Matthew Hayden top-edged the first ball that he faced to the fine-leg fielder to walk back for a duck. Suresh Raina, another of India’s premier batsman also failed to play against the bouncing ball as he edged the ball to the slips. Chennai had lost two wickets for five in the second over.
The manner in which the pitch was bouncing about, it was becoming difficult for the Indian batsmen to adjust. Murali Vijay played an uncharacteristically slow innings of 19 (29 balls) and when Doug Bracewell sent him back – again off a short ball – the Super Kings had got to only 40 in the ninth over.
At this stage, it looked like the Chennai Super Kings would struggle to get to a score of 120. However, in a surprising move, captain MS Dhoni decided to promote A Srikkanth ahead of himself and Albie Morkel. The move paid rich dividends as he partnered S Badrinath well to get Chennai out of trouble.
The pair saw off an over or two to begin with, and after that, got to the business of getting the runs. Badrinath was excellent with his judgement as he rotated the strike and allowed the more aggressive Srikkanth to bat. Srikkanth thrashed a 29-ball 42, as the ball began to lose the hardness but the bowlers continued to bowl short.
Badrinath also flourished at the other end, smacking a six over cover to get a move on. He got to his 50, and a 15-ball 26 by Morkel saw the Super Kings get to 151 in their 20 overs.
This was far greater than what one had thought the score would be, and allowed the Chennai bowlers to dish it out to the Central Stags. None of the Kiwis could get a move on, and Lakshmipathy Balaji’s three wicket haul ensured that the Stags were bowled out for a paltry 94.
The lack of batting experience was a definite problem for the side, and that is where they struggled to get to the target. Badri was awarded the man of the match award.