Chennai batting proves too much for Bangalore

BANGALORE: Chennai Super Kings beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by eight wickets in their last league game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2014. Chennai first bowled well to keep Bangalore to 154 and then fashioned a clinical run-chase to move to the second spot in the IPL 2014 Points Table.

Virat Kohli’s splendid innings of 73 off 49 balls helped Bangalore to the 154 for six. It was an innings that only saw Kohli get going as the others couldn’t build on their starts. Bangalore had made numerous changes for this game and the biggest news was that Chris Gayle was out. Chennai brought back Samuel Badree and Ashish Nehra.

Chennai kept a hold on Bangalore early, as they were 34 for three in the powerplay. Kohli, then built a foundation with Yuvraj Singh and then unleashed his range of strokes in the last six overs. Bangalore could score 66. Some of the shots he played were amazing. The mid-wicket boundary was peppered with the big hits. The spinners were charged and smashed there, whereas the seamers were hit with all power of the wrists.

For Chennai, Ashish Nehra was the pick of the bowlers with three for 33. He had got the early wicket of Rilee Rossouw and then the important scalps of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli with some beautifully bowled Yorkers.

In reply, Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Smith started the innings all guns blazing. Ravi Rampaul and Mitchell Starc bore the brunt of their fury as they were smashed with disdain down the ground. Chennai raced to 50 inside four overs before Smith fell for 34 off 16 balls.

After the fall of Smith’s wicket, Chennai slowed down and took a little more than ten overs to get their next fifty runs. But, with du Plessis holding fort and batting sensibly, MS Dhoni shifted gears. In the 16th over bowled by Yuvraj, a stumping chance was missed off the first ball and then Dhoni teed off with two sixes. From that point onwards, it was all Chennai and nothing could stop them. They won the game with 14 balls to spare.