Sabkush Headlines: Tight Bolling sends Chennai into the finals!

Sabkush Headlines: Tight Bolling sends Chennai into the finals!
Tight Bolling sends Chennai into the finals!

Mahendra Singh Dhonis boys made every run count as they put the Deccan Chargers under pressure by taking wickets at regular intervals. After sending back the dangerous Adam Gilchrist (15) early, the Super Kings looked sharp with their fielding and played with purpose from the very start. With players like Rohit Sharma (2) and Herschelle Gibbs (18) back in the dug out with the scoreboard reading 48/4, it was clear that the Chargers were going to make a mess while chasing something as easy as 142/7. Dhonis decision to play three spinners worked as the trio of Ashwin, Muralitharan and Jakati made full use of the turning wicket. While the run-rate was going up, the Chargers were comforting themselves with the presence of Andrew Symonds in the middle. Symonds (23) wouldnt last too long as he was caught by Murali Vijay at midwicket off R.Ashwin. Man-of-the-Match Doug Bollinger (4/13) along with Muttiah Muralitharan (1/16) and Suresh Raina (1/0) then wiped out the tail to take the Chennai Super Kings into the final against the Mumbai Indians on April 25. Earlier the Chennai Super Kings won the toss and elected to bat first. Their innings began with the Deccan Chargers dropping two sitters. Matthew Hayden (8) was the lucky batsman after he was dropped twice- first by R.P Singh at extra cover and then by B Sumanth @ gully. He wasnt so lucky the third time around when Ryan Harris had him caught by Andrew Symonds at cover. Murali Vijay then showed R.P Singh how to hit a lofted drive over midwicket for six and a beautiful drive off the backfoot past point! Ryan Harris though was not interested in any such lessons as he had Vijay (15) trapped lbw when the former tried playing across to a ball that was moving in. The absence of a stroke meant the ball would have hit leg stump. This wicket meant Chennai moved to 25/2.