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Only once had a 200-plus total been chased down at the Chepauk, and that was by Chennai Super Kings themselves, back in 2012 against Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, as comfortable a 200-plus score makes the defending team, KKR have had a habit of blowing away the lead that big scores offer them.
While Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu took CSK off to a flier, KKR's spinners in Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav did bring the visitors back in the contest. But it turned out to be Sam Billings's day as his frenetic 23-ball 56 helped the hosts chase the huge total down, with one ball to spare.
Russell nearly stunned CSK in their own den? How?
KKR seemed in complete control of their innings after the hosts put them in to bat first. However, there was a moment in the game when CSK turned the tables around when KKR lost three wickets for just nine runs in a space of 11 deliveries. But that wasn't to last for long as all it took for Russell to find the fence was two deliveries. And once the big-hitting West Indian had faced 11 deliveries, there came his first six as he chose his compatriot Dwayne Bravo - the hero from the other night - to send one sailing over long on. That though was just a trailer as Russell turned the screws on CSK by unleashing five sixes off eight deliveries - two off Shardul, two off Bravo and one off Watson. His fifty came off just 26 balls.
While Russell kept targetting the stands, CSK didn't help themselves by feeding the power-hitter with juicy deliveries either landing on a good length, or ending up full on his bat. Even as Russell had taken a liking to Bravo's slower balls, Dhoni stayed with his death over specialist to do the job for him. But it just wasn't Bravo's day as the first three of his final over went for three sixes, all pasted over the on-side field. That had taken Russell's tally of sixes to nine, and there were more to come. He began the final over - from Shardul - for a six, and ended it with another - his 11th of the innings. His blistering knock ensured KKR got over the 200-run mark.
Did the master skipper forget to use his favourite trick?
On a day when the spinners had done well for MS Dhoni, the master executor of spin traps against so many opponents - both international and IPL, didn't turn to two of his own, Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja, to do the job for him. Even after Bravo had been hit for three sixes in the 17th over, Dhoni trusted him to bowl the 19th over. Harbhajan had two overs left and so did Jadeja. In fact, the duo had done well while bowling during a tough phase when they didn't have the luxury of too many fielders outside the ring - Jadeja bowled his two inside the powerplay, while the offie bowled one on either side of the restrictions. And, both had snaffled the dangerous KKR openers - Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn, early on in the innings.
How did CSK deal with the pressure of needing a flying start?
Rather well.
Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu had to redeem themselves quickly after their not-so-good start to the tournament the other night. And they did that in style. Watson set the tone for the chase with a stellar 16-run over. However, it took little time for Rayudu to match up to the Australian, and in fact he overtook him too. While Watson chose Vinay Kumar, Rayudu went for Piyush Chawla, hitting him for two sixes and a four in the same over. At the end of Over No. 5, Watson had 31 off 15 while Rayudu had 32 off the same number of deliveries. By the time, the duo was separated, CSK had put 75 runs on the board, bringing the required rate down to almost nine an over.
How good was Sam Billings?
Very, very.
With 102 runs still left to be chased down from less than nine overs, Billings arrived at the crease, in his debut for CSK, and more importantly, in the team's return to the Chepauk. The Englishman hit a four off his second ball, and once he was dropped on 7 in the 15th over, he perhaps got a validation from the heavens that it was meant to be his night. His first reaction to the dropped chance was to hit a six off the next ball. He showcased his familiarity with fellow Englishman Curran, by hitting him for the second six in that over. He'd hit Curran for another six in the following over and then went after Russell. Billings was eventually dismissed by Curran, but the dropped chance from Curran himself, had a massive bearing on the result.
Was the low-on-confidence R Vinay Kumar the right choice for the first and last over?
R Vinay Kumar might have finished the last game with two wickets but he was still a bowler running really low on confidence and starting the innings with him was the biggest confidence booster the Karnataka pacer could have had. Especially with the cushion of runs he had up front. However, his diffidence came to the fore immediately as he conceded 16 off the opening over. That he would return to bowl the decisive over, where he had to defend 16, was a huge gamble from Karthik, which didn't pay off.
How much did KKR's poor fielding hurt?
Quite a lot. To the extent of losing them the game.
KKR got lucky with Suresh Raina. Once the left-hander pulled his hamstring, he struggled for movement since. But when two of Chennai's favourites - Raina and Dhoni - were in there, a dropped chance of either of them was a culpable offence. Kuldeep had floated one just outside off and Raina, who couldn't quite get under it, lofted it high up in the air towards cover. Curran seemed to miss the ball in the lights before he ran for his life to get to the ball. However, that fraction of a lost second proved decisive as he fluffed a chance.
The error of the night though had to come later when two English debutants were having a go at each other. Sam Billings made room for himself off Curran's bowling, in the 15th over, but miscued it high towards mid off. Robin Uthappa, who was without his wicketkeeping gloves, got the timing of his jump completely wrong and dropped a crucial catch. Billings went on to add 47 runs off the next 17 balls he faced.
The last straw came when skipper Dinesh Karthik missed a straightforward run-out chance with Jadeja way out of his crease. That moment came when Jadeja inside-edged one delivery onto the pads and the ball rolled away onto the side wicket. Karthik was quick to get rid of his gloves, turn around and had all the time to knock the stumps down, but he missed and by a mile. Jadeja, in the end, hit the shot that sealed the game for CSK, in the final over.
Where do both teams go from here?
CSK may just head to the discotheque of their team hotel while KKR players might quickly retire to their respective rooms. Although skipper Karthik seemed quite composed at the post-match presentation, saying that they will take it on the chin and move on. But defeats such as these can hurt in the final stages of the tournament with qualification scenarios coming into the picture. However, he'd be happy that this has come early in the tournament. Another thing that would make his team happy is that they play their next two fixtures in the comforts of their home, Eden Gardens. CSK have some time off before they play their next game in Mohali, on April 15.
(CRICBUZZ)
