Having let Chennai amass the IPL's highest total in their first fixture, Punjab didn't do their chances of making it six wins in a row any good, as Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side piled up an impressive 181-4 at the MA Chidambaram stadium here yesterday. However, Punjab staged a remarkable recovery as they conceded just 37 from their last five overs.
Powered by Suresh Raina's (26) early fireworks and some lusty hitting led by Dhoni (60 not out), Chennai have forced Mohali on the backfoot once again. But it was an imacculate 47-ball 64 from Subramaniam Badrinath that got them out of jail early on.
That Sreesanth remains an enigma in cricketing circles was vindicated during this game. The India speedster was innocuous in his first over, starting off with a couple of wides before Sivaramakrishnan Vidyut blasted him through the covers twice. But as has so often been the case, the bowler returned to get rid of the opener with a peach.
His second over was equally dramatic, with the bowler getting smashed on his toe by a firm shot from Suresh Raina on his follow-through. Limping by now, Sreesanth then bowled a wide that should have been penalised for two runs instead of one, but removed Stephen Fleming in the same over as Chennai lost both their openers who provided them a rollicking start to their run chase in Delhi two days back.
Suresh Raina and Badrinath, batting at No. 4 for the first time in the competition, stepped it up with remarkable urgency, pushing for the twos and picking the gaps in between, before Dhoni and Badrinath's 91-run stand lifted them to a commanding position.
Dhoni's susceptibility to spin bowling has been picked up by sides in the competition, as Shane Warne and Pragyan Ojha's success against him show. But the Indian One-day captain didn't let Piyush Chawla settle down, repeatedly stepping out and launching him into the stands
Powered by Suresh Raina's (26) early fireworks and some lusty hitting led by Dhoni (60 not out), Chennai have forced Mohali on the backfoot once again. But it was an imacculate 47-ball 64 from Subramaniam Badrinath that got them out of jail early on.
That Sreesanth remains an enigma in cricketing circles was vindicated during this game. The India speedster was innocuous in his first over, starting off with a couple of wides before Sivaramakrishnan Vidyut blasted him through the covers twice. But as has so often been the case, the bowler returned to get rid of the opener with a peach.
His second over was equally dramatic, with the bowler getting smashed on his toe by a firm shot from Suresh Raina on his follow-through. Limping by now, Sreesanth then bowled a wide that should have been penalised for two runs instead of one, but removed Stephen Fleming in the same over as Chennai lost both their openers who provided them a rollicking start to their run chase in Delhi two days back.
Suresh Raina and Badrinath, batting at No. 4 for the first time in the competition, stepped it up with remarkable urgency, pushing for the twos and picking the gaps in between, before Dhoni and Badrinath's 91-run stand lifted them to a commanding position.
Dhoni's susceptibility to spin bowling has been picked up by sides in the competition, as Shane Warne and Pragyan Ojha's success against him show. But the Indian One-day captain didn't let Piyush Chawla settle down, repeatedly stepping out and launching him into the stands
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