Chennai crush Pune in the Battle of the Cities

Hussey scored a scintillating 61, as Chennai scored 140/5. We dont know what happened to CSK batting, but there it is at just 7 per over.

We are not saying 150 is a bad score, but then scores over 200 have been recorded.

Dhoni was out for 26, dancing down the wicket and getting stumped. Now Badrinath and Aniruddh are playing and they are 142/6 at the end. The last over by J Taylor was superb and he claimed the wicket of Aniruddh. He took 3/30 and Thomas took two wickets !

Pune need 143 to win. It is gettable, but then cricket is a game of grand vicissitudes.

Disciplined bowling by Chennai saw Pune tottering. They defended 142 runs well with a superb fielding and bowling performance. Dhoni's team has batted first and won many matches and this quality makes Chennai a cut above the rest !

Cometh the hour and cometh the man and it was the hour of Albie Morkel. He was sadly out of form and was dropped from the SA squad. But today he came back to form with a magnificent performance.

It was Bollinger and Albie Morkel who started the counter offensive. The Pune openers got a barrage of short pitched deliveries and 142 runs looked formidable.

Ashwin bowled Ryder with an arm ball, as Ryder played for an off break. Monish Mishra tried to steer a ball, but only succeeded in edging it onto his stumps. Manish Pandey also was out like M Mishra, edging one onto his stumps, undone by the slowness of the pitch. Ashwin then bowled Uthappa round his legs and Pune had lost four wickets in just six overs !

Yuvraj crossed 1000 IPL runs. Chennai applied pressure and Raina and Ranadiv bowled well. Manhas mishit Ranadiv for six, but edged Bollinger to Dhoni.

Inspired by some quality fielding by Raina, CSK ers flung their bodies in the field, saving lots of boundaries. Yuvraj holed out to Jakati and the match was over.

Pune continued to be the most economical side in IPL so far and restricted Chennai to 142 earlier. Pune ended up at 117/9. Chennai moved to sixth place and Pune to 8th in the IPL Points Table.

Yuvraj looked sadly out of form and touch seemed to have deserted the WC hero. He scratched around for his 34 off 43 balls. It was the situation which nerved him. Pune had lost six wickets for 100 and he was up against the inevitable. His agony was ended when Jakati took a catch.
Pune was 40/4 and then it was almost over. He could not battle it alone and it was not his fault, but the situation !

Dhoni hit Yuvraj for a mighty six but was dealing with singles after that. He scored 26. Hussey was out when he tried to loft Taylor and was held at long on by Manish Pande !

A great match, in which Chennai proved that they have the bowling and the fielding to defend 142 ! Other teams beware !