Chennai gets super sting - TeluguPeople.com News

CHENNAI: One cannot expect Albie Morkel to score 28 runs in one over every time he comes out to bat. Chennai Super Kings learnt the harsh truth on Saturday.

When the equation read 17 off six balls from a Azhar Mahmood over, Mo'rkel holed out the first ball to Marsh at long off. With that CSK's hopes evaporated as King's XI Punjab inflicted a seven-run defeat in an IPL match at Chepauk here. Requ'iring 157 for win, CSK made 149 for 8 in 20 overs.

CSK's overconfidence, Mandeep Singh's half-century and tidy bowling by Punjab bowlers, particularly Azhar Mahmood at the death, helped David Hussey's boys post a thrilling win.

CSK paid the price for shuffling their batting order unnecessarily. Wriddhiman Saha, who was sent in early, cut a sorry figure making 6 off 14 balls. Had Dwayne Bravo or Morkel got that two overs to play things could have been different.

Chasing a competitive total, CSK began with a bang with Faf du Plessis and S Badrinath going full thr'ottle. Badri cut and pulled with panache, while Du Plessis waited for the right delivery to score.

The South African slammed three fours in an over off Parvinder Awana. His sixes off Praveen kumar and Bipul Sharma were effortless.

In an attacking mood, Du Plessis (29) was caught off guard by chan'ge of pace and Mahmood made no mistake of the caught and bowled offering. Badri followed soon, getting got out in trying to increase the run-rate.

Suresh Raina went for an ambitious shot off a quicker one from leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and missed the line to be stumped by N Saini.

In a surprising decision, MS Dhoni sent Saha ahead of himself and accomplished match- winners like Bravo, Morkel and Ravindra Jadeja. Saha's misery ended when Hussey castled him.

Dhoni arrived to a roar and went back without making much of an impact. After playing a ball from spinner B Bhatt, he went out of the crease in order to take a run without knowing where the ball exactly went.

Wicketkeeper Saini picked the ball from behind and effected the run out, reducing CSK to 88 for 5. Jadeja too perished to Chawla and CSK were in dire straits at 98 for 6. With the last recognised pair of Bravo and Morkel in the middle, the equation read 50 off 24 balls.

Bravo made 30 and gave his best but Morkel succumbed to the pressure. Earlier, opting to bat, Punjab got off to an excellent start with openers Mandeep and Shaun Marsh striking the ball well as CSK pacers Nuwan Kulasekara and Morkel erred.

Mandeep was more aggressive of the two as he picked up boundaries in every over of all the CSK bowlers with ease. Marsh used his feet well to once square drive Raina to the fence.

Marsh got out after looking well-settled. However, by then the pair had done the job, adding 68 for the first wicket. A single off Ashwin in the square leg area ringed in Mandeep's maiden IPL 50.