#MIvsCSK #Chennai #Qualifier1

CSK opt to bat

MI In : Jayant Yadav - Out : Mitchell McLanahan

CSK In : Murali Vijay - Out : Kedhar Jadhav

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Jayant Yadav, Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Lasith Malinga

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir

This is a match in which everything went wrong for CSK, right from the toss, I was extremely cautious to make use of the opportunity to bowl first on such a slow track and then chase the given target judiciously with a strong knock from one batsman, To hold the chase aloft.

Eventhough M .Vijay was included in the XI ,CSK peristed with the opening combination of Watson and Faf .

Yet, It didn't work this time, As Faf and then Raina were dismissed in consecutive overs (The second and the third over of the innings, Faf hit a turning delivery by Rahul Chahar, Straight to substitute Anmolpreeth Singh at backward point. That brought an end to Faf's 6(11) 1x4

MI's surprise inclusion, Jayant Yadav gave the second breakthrough for his team, As the off-spinner himself caught the ball that Raina tried to hoick across the line against the turn.Raina's contribution was just 5(7) 1x4

Watson fell to Krunal Pandya in the last delivery of the powerplay. Jayant Yadav took a great catch at Mid-On to bring yet another failure to Watson's season. CSK's 6 over the score was a mere 32-3.

After 6 more overs were done and the run rate was still below 6 Murali Vijay got out stumped by Decock and eventually became Rahul Chahar's second wicket for the day.The score was 65/4 in 12./1 overs

After Vijay's exit, Dhoni joined with Ambati Rayudu. From 65/4 in 12.1, The score reached 91/4 in 15 overs The 14th over saw the first two sixes .

Exactly 40 runs came off the final 5 overs. The 15 run penultimate over by Malinga, featured two consecutive sixes by Dhoni .

Although Dhoni survived off Bumrah's No ball, That over had only nine runs coming off it and therefore CSK had to settle with 131/4 (20), Largely due to the 66 run stand between Rayudu and Dhoni, Which unfolded in 47 deliveries.

132, Although below par, Still looked tricky to chase considering the pitch.

Deepak Chahar trapped Rohit Sharma LBW in only the second ball of the innings, After conceding a boundary, to begin with.Quinton De Kock attempted an inside out shot and mistimed it towards long -off instead. Faf completed a smart catch to confirm QDK's exit with just two boundary scoring shots off 12 balls. At that juncture, MI were 21-2 in 3.2 overs.

MI's eventual powerplay score was 44-2

An 82 run stand which came in 63 balls between Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, came to an end in the 14th over when Tahir's skidder cleaned Ishan Kishan up.

Tahir dismissed Krunal for a golden duck with a catch of his own bowling in the very next ball.

The subsequent over by Jadeja, Saw a sharp catch being put down by Watson at slip. This became a boundary and also Surya's second life after having been put down by M.Vijay at mid-on in the 3rd ball of the fifth over, Which was bowled by Chahar.

Without much trouble moving ahead, Suryakumar Yadav solidly traveled to 71 off 54 with 10 fours, To ensure MI booking their slot to Hyderabad to face the winner of Qualifier 2, In the final on Sunday. He also got the man of the match.

This is the fifth time that I have qualified for the final.

CSK will face the winner of the eliminator (Either DC or SRH ) in the second qualifier at Vishakapatnam on Friday, While the eliminator is scheduled for Wednesday.

- Kumaran Kumanan

Images Courtesy - iplt20.com