IPL 2018 Qualifier 1: The match between CSK and SRH showcased a superb display of cricket where the bowlers ruled the day but in the end a superb batting displpay by Faf du Plessis ensured that the ‘Whistle Podu’ team moves to the Final while SRH goes to the Elimanator to get another chance.
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The bowleres from both sides were on full display in the first qualifier between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, both deserving teams fighting it out to make it to the IPL 2018 Final. After out into bat by CSK, S unrisers were quickly in trouble and were reduced to 36 for 3 with there star bat and captain Kane Williamson out cheapaly. The Chennai team kept their pressure and stranglehold througout the 20 overs and with wickets falling regularly and key hitters being out it was always going to be a very modest total. SRH were struggling to put a target of 120 runs where in walked Carlos Braithwate and changed the complexion of the match with a nice cameo innings of 43* including 4 big hits for maximum. Suddenly the SRH were in familiar territory defending 139 and with their excellent bowling this season they could put a decent fight.
CSK in a spot of trouble with Siddharth Kaul’s swing
CSK began disastrously losing Shane Waton in the first over but this was quickly countered by Raina who hit 3 boundaries in the 2nd over
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Superb leg spin by Rashid Khan
At 24/3 CSK could do little but play out the next few overs and that’s precisely what Dhoni and du Plessis did for the next 4 overs, pushing the balls in the gap and taking singles. Here’s where Williamson went for the kill and introduced Rashid Khan and he delivered superbly. The first ball was a faster googly and next one was a regular leg spinner which was easily blocked by Dhoni. The third ball was a superb flighted googly that made Dhoni lunge forward and push through the cover – teh reuslt being the ball taking a slight inside edge crashing through the gate to the stumps – CSK 39/4 bringing Bravo to the crease. Bravo lasted a couple of overs and fell prey to Rashid Khan’s guile where a faster leg spinner put slightly outside the offstump caused Bravo to nick which was taken up gleefully by Dhawan in the slip. Such was the control of Rashid Khan that he ended with figures of 4-11-2 (11 runs from 4 overs with 2 wickets). With 57/2 the ‘whistle podu’ team was quickly losing the plot and the situation did not help with Jadeja giving a return catch to Sandeep Sharma to fall at the score of 62.
Faf du Plessis Masterclass
At the other end Faf du Plessis was held fighting a lone battle. Seeing the collapse, something must have triggered in Faf su Plessis because he changed gears and started opening up his shots. With a couple of cameo hits by Chahar and in the end by Shardul Thakur he also found superb gaps especially over extra cover. The 17th over was the crucial over bowled by Carlos Braithwate and his inexperience in the death bowling was quickly exposed as Faf hit some beautiful shots – one over the extra cover to the boundary and a maximum shot over mid-wicket which carried a long way into the stands. The 3o odd runs in 3 overs was quickly reduced to 24 off 12 balls and suddenly the match situation changed. A couple of lusty straight blows by Shardul Thakur in the 19th over reduced the match to 10 runs off 7 balls and eventually needing 6 runs off the last over to be bowled by Kumar. Faf du Plessis ended the match by hitting the first ball straight for a six to push CSK to the final and showed a wonderful display of masterclass batting to take CSK to the Final.
In the end it was superb contest between the two best teams of the IPL 2018, led by two excellent and calm captains.