Determined Raina takes CSK into the finals

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Suresh Raina eased Chennai Super Kings way into the third final in four IPL tournaments, swinging his way to a match-winning 73 no (50balls, 4x4, 6x6) as the defending champions won by six wickets in the DLF IPL4 playoff at the Wankhede.

Royal Challengers Bangalore found the early stranglehold exerted by bowlers slipping away as Albie Morkel joined in the fun, leaping in delight after hitting the winning runs. CSK chased down 175 with two balls to spare, 177-4 in 19.4 overs after a night dedicated to big hitting.

Raina teamed up with Badrinath in a 63-run stand for the third wicket to infuse into CSK chase after the inimitable Zaheer Khan chained openers Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay. Sreenath Aravind gained inspired as RCB celebrated twin breakthroughs. The left-hander crumbled to the turf with cramps, then got up and went about smashing the bowlers all over the field. Kohli’s smile turned into scowl after conceding 16 runs in his second over, teammate Mithun looked on helplessly as 23 runs were stolen off his third over.

Badrinath enhanced his reputation as a run-machine in CSk’s impressive batting line-up, rattling up 34 from 32 balls faced with a slew of fluent drives and audacious shots. Dhoni entered the battle at 70-3 in the 11 over, 105 away from the RCB total and kept finding spaces for forceful drives. Vettori and Gayle came on to check the run flows.

Raina and Dhoni went on firing away, putting away anything in range to take the score with striking range (100-3 in 14.1 overs).

Vettori turned to Zaheer for damage control, Raina and Dhoni kept firing away without missing a beat to steal 20 runs off the India strike bowler’s fourth over. The CSK left-hander lashed four boundaries and four sixes to cross half-century mark in 44 balls, the pair put on 61 runs in 35balls lost his captain during the no-holds barred assault. Morkel took up the baton, with 45 runs away from target, to heave two sixes off Aravind, Raina swatted a huge six in the 19th over as the playoff headed for a thrilling climax.

With 12 runs required off six balls and a final place at stake, Vettori brought himself on. Morkel smashed one boundary past mid-wicket, ran singles hard and pulled CSK past the tape with a six off the fourth ball from the RCB captain. He remained unbeaten on 28 runs off 18 balls (1x4, 3x6).

Kohli stepped in to fill the breach after CSK strike bowler Ravichandran Ashwin had lured dangerman Chris Gayle to his doom like a moth drawn towards the flame. The West Indian lasted nine balls, took a hit on the shoulder off Bollinger. He took charge in the fourth over, kept his focus on rotating strike as wickets fell around him and punish the bowlers at the death. For a youngster given reins of captaincy in Daniel Vettori’s absence, the RCB number three put on another astonishing display of controlled hitting.

Earlier, Ashwin was held back till the fourth over by the CKS skipper. Bollinger tried to wind up Gayle after a ball pitched short struck the left shoulder. The RCB opener could not contain his patience after blocking the off-spinner’s first ball, swatted the second into the mid-wicket stands and fell for the bait immediately afterwards.

The breakthrough delivery was pitched on leg-stump and skid after pitching to hit Gayle’s front pad below the knee roll. The batsmen intended to sweep, aiming to disrupt the off-spinner’s length and paid the price after failing to connect. The off-spinner roared in joy when umpire Simon Taufel upheld the appeal, CSK fielders ran upto their strike bowler. Dhoni replaced him with slow left-arm bowler Jakati after just two overs, the strike bowler had won the battle of wits against Gayle, forcing RCB to come out with an alternate plan. The spotlight on the West Indian giant from the first ball allowed young opener Mayank Agarwal to flex his muscles at the pace bowlers. The Karnataka youngster used the IPL stage to make a statement with exhilarating strokeplay. He quickly got into position and hit on the rise against Morkel and Bollinger.

Mayank was off the blocks straightaway, a boundary first ball off Morkel straying in line on the leg side. He stepped out to clear long-off twice effortlessly, showcasing power in his arms for 34 off 33 balls (5x4). Bravo preyed on the young opener’s anxiety to cash in on form by shortening the length seeing the batsmen shaping to step out and Bollinger on the fence did his part coolly as the ball soared high towards the floodlights then arching down. Murali Vijay kept his nerve on the ropes at long-on to pouch the next catch offered by RCB.

A B De Villiers, stepped out against spin for a heave against the line, went back.

Pomersbach stepped in to strike lusty blows, displaying his value as a hard-hitter (29 off 18 balls, 2x4, 2x6). The left-handed Aussie, earlier donning Kings XI Punjab colours before attracting RCB attention in IPL4, used the bounce off the track for back-to-back shots against Bravo. A delicate cut past Dhoni raced along the carpet to third man, then a brutal pull high to mid-wicket saw the fielders keeping track of the ball flying over their heads like a rocket.

Bollinger’s persistence paid off as Pomersback swung and missed.

Ashwin was escorted off the field for treatment after a knock on the head from a Tiwary shot, the ball hit too hard back for the bowler to get time to take evasive action. RCB batsmen ran two runs as the off-spinner fell at the crease stunned and disoriented, got up rubbing the side off his head as worried teammates surrounded him. Kohli matched Tiwary’s assault with forceful strokes down the straight in a 42-run stand.

Two sixes off Morkel in the penultimate over showcased his form in an unbeaten knock laced with five fours, three sixes. The RCB top-scorer recorded 50 off 36 balls and walked off with head high, proving once again Bangalore’s high expectations from him were not misplaced.

Scoreboard

RCB:

M Agarwal c Bollinger b Bravo 34 (33b, 5x4)

C Gayle lbw b Ashwin 8 (9b, 1x6)

V Kohli (not out) 70 (44b, 5x4, 3x6)

A B de Villiers c Vijay b Jakati 11 (10b, 1x6)

L Pomersbach b Bollinger 29 (18b, 2x4, 1x6)

S Tiwary (not out) 9 (6b, 1x6)

Extras (b2, lb7, w5) 14. Total (four wkts, 20 overs) 175

Fall of wkts: 1-30, 2-65, 3-85, 4-133

CSK bowling

A Morkel 4-0-40-0

D Bollinger 4-0-20-1

R Ashwin 4-0-33-1

D Bravo 3-0-28-1

S Jakati 4-0-37-1

S Raina 1-0-8-0

CSK:

M Hussey lbw b Zaheer 0 (4b)

M Vijay lbw b Aravind 5 (5, 1x4)

S Raina (no) 73 (50 balls, 4x4, 6x6)

S Badrinath c Aravind b Mithun 34 (32b, 5x4)

M Dhoni c Mithun b Zaheer 29 (19b, 3x4, 1x6)

A Morkel (no) 28 (10b, 1x4, 3x6)

Extras (b1, lb1, nb2, w4) 8. Total (four wkts, 19.4 overs) 177

Fall of wkts: 1-3, 2-7, 3-70, 4-131

RCB bowling

Z Khan 4-0-31-2

S Aravind 3-0-31-1

A Mithun 3-0-32-1

V Kohli 2-0-19-0

D Vettori 3.4-0-42-0

C Gayle 4-0-19-0

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