IPL 2019, CSK vs KKR: Deepak Chahar, Faf du Plessis guide Chennai Super Kings to seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders

Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in Chennai on Tuesday.

Patience is a virtue, and there is no reason it shouldn’t apply to the shortest format of cricket. Kolkata Knight Riders, however, showed no signs of that against Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday. ((Full Scorecard))

Deepak Chahar celebrates a wicket with his teammates. (AFP)

On a weary MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch, that misjudgment meant the visitors slumped to 108/9 in 20 overs. Champions CSK eased to victory, reaching 111/3 in 17.2 overs and regaining top spot in the points table. Faf du Plessis was 43 not out.

The previous three matches at Chepauk gave ample evidence that rather than going for the glory shots on the slow and low strip, grinding it out is the best option, especially if one has a marauding batsman in Andre Russell coming down the order.

What transpired was the Jamaican found himself in an unfamiliar territory. Known to toy with the bowlers in the later overs, Russell arrived in the ninth over with his team down to 44/5. He rode his luck and pounced on chances late in the innings to be 50 not out (44b – 5x4, 3x6).

If only his teammates had taken a cue from his approach, KKR would have managed a fighting total. CSK bowlers kept a tight line and lured batsmen to their doom. The KKR top order fell playing across the line while the lower order was no match for CSK’s spin troika of Harbhajan Singh, Imran Tahir and Ravindra Jadeja.

After MS Dhoni opted to bowl, the home team’s ‘whistle podu’ army didn’t have to wait for long to get to celebrate. The first three overs yielded three wickets and just nine runs.

Opener Chris Lynn tried to pull a straight delivery off Deepak Chahar to fall leg before. With little bounce on the sluggish track, technique more than power was required but the KKR batsmen’s approach was nowhere ideal.

As Harbhajan Singh gave the ball air, Sunil Narine fell into the trap attempting a heave. What resulted was a top-edge and a catch at point by Chahar. Narine could be excused for his batting naivety, but not number three Nitish Rana. The young Indian batsman, not learning from Lynn’s dismissal, tried to pull to a low delivery from Chahar to be caught by Ambati Rayudu at mid-wicket.

With the top-order gone, KKR captain Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa had to revive the innings. But the latter became the third batsman to fall playing across the line.

Off a slower short ball from Chahar, Karthik went for the pull and was caught by Kedar Jadhav. Karthik tried to stem the rot dealing in singles and twos but could not go beyond the ninth over, falling to Harbhajan.

Russell played a very uncharacteristic knock. He waited for his chances and even got a life on eight when Harbhajan dropped a skier off Imran Tahir.

Dhoni’s boys targetted the batsmen at the other end. Jadeja, Tahir and Harbhajan mopped up the tail and Russell had only one-match old Harry Gurney for company in the last three overs.

Russell farmed the strike and even missed a few deliveries. Undeterred, he kept charging and found his touch in the last over against Scott Kuggeleijn with two fours and a six. That meant KKR crossed the 100-run mark.

It was not enough despite Narine accounting for CSK opener Shane Watson and number three Suresh Raina in the first five overs. Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu stitched a 46-run stand, devoid of any flashy shots, and put CSK in control.

Though Rayudu departed with CSK on 81, du Plessis and Kedar Jadhav ensured there were no late hiccups.