History has it that spinners play a huge role at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. The pitch provided for match No. 49 of this year’s IPL was dry, shorn of grass, unlike what was seen at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai on May 3 for the Gujarat Titans vs Punjab Kings.
The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spinners checked the flow of runs in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) innings after the speedsters gave away 51 runs in the first five overs. CSK’s Moeen Ali (2 for 28), Ravindra Jadeja (0 for 20) and Maheesh Theekshana (3 for 27) combined to give only 75 runs in 12 overs for an economy rate of 6.25 per over. The CSK speedsters Mukesh Choudhary, Simarjeet Singh and Dwaine Pretorius leaked runs and let RCB run away to a comfortable 173 for eight.
Taking cue from CSK, RCB employed spin right from the first over, left-armer Shahbaz Ahmed starting the proceedings as the Team in Yellow began their run chase.
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The CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway were on the attack mode like they were in their previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad when they raised 182 three days ago at the same venue.
Just when it seemed that the Gaikwad-Conway duo would take CSK to yet another comfortable victory and stay in contention for the Play Offs came Shahbaz for his second over in the innings’ seventh. Shahbaz, who gave away nine runs in his first over with Conway hitting a couple of boundaries, came back well to consume Gaikwad, who pulled to wide long-on for substitute Suyas Prabhudessai to hold on to a straight forward catch.
Off-spinner Glenn Maxwell came into the attack in the eighth over and had Robin Uthappa, the man who along with Shivam Dube destroyed RCB in their previous meeting at DY Patil Stadium three weeks earlier. Uthappa cut straight to Prabhudessai again at point as CSK lost two wickets in two overs.
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The onus was on Conway to take CSK to victory as he was playing the spinners well, sweeping them with good effect. Maxwell took his second wicket in his second over when Ambati Rayudu, who has in the past played match-winning innings for CSK against RCB, played for the turn and shaped to play the Australian on the off-side. However, the ball straightened up and bowled him. Another big blow from Maxwell made it all the more difficult for CSK.
The target was looking to be achievable for CSK as Ali and Conway built their partnership. However, it was another spinner, the leg-spinner from Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga who split the left-handed pair. He induced Conway to sweep, but the New Zealander failed to keep the ball along the ground and ended up giving Shahbaz a catch at deep backward square leg.
With CSK top four back for 109 in 14.1 overs and needing 65 in 35 balls with Dhoni and Jadeja at the crease, it was all but over for CSK. And that's how it ended with RCB winning quite comfortably in the end.
RCB owe it to their spinners, especially Maxwell, for the vital strikes and taking them to their much-needed victory. The win also ended CSK’s dominance over them as Dhoni’s team had won each of their last four clashes in the last three years.
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