CHENNAI, India, CMC – An uncharacteristically, resolute half-century from Andre Russell and a tidy spell from fellow West Indies star Sunil Narine failed to inject a spark in the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings claimed a seven-wicket victory in the Indian Premier League yesterday.
Russell continued his rich vein of form with the bat with an even, unbeaten 50 to prop up the MI batting and carry them to 108 for nine off their allocation of 20 overs, after they put in to bat in the 23rd match of the tournament at Chidambaram Stadium.
Off-spinner Narine followed up with two wickets for 24 runs from 3.2 overs, but South Africa international captain Faf Du Plessis hit 43 not out to lead a successful run chase for CSK 16 balls remaining.
CSK stumbled to 35 for two in the fifth over, after Narine had former Australia captain Shane Watson caught at square leg for 17 ion the third over and Suresh Raina caught at mid-on for 14 by a back-pedalling Piyush Chawla.
Du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu got the CSK chase back on track with a stand of 46 for the third wicket before Chawla struck in the 15th over to leave the home team needing 28 off remaining 32 balls.
The leg-spinner had Rayudu caught at short extra cover for 21 from a top-edge sweep to leave CSK on 81 for three before Du Plessis dominated a brief stand with Kedhar Jadhav to get the hosts over the finish line.
MI are now one of three teams with six points on the table, but they are sandwiched between fourth-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad and sixth-placed Delhi Capitals, due to an inferior net run rate.
Earlier, Russell cracked five fours and three sixes off 44 balls and saved MI from total implosion, after they plunged to 47 for six in the 11th over.
He shared two minor stands added some meat to the total, putting on 29 for the seventh wicket with Chawla and the same number of runs – unbeaten – with last-man England international Harry Gurney.
Deepak Chahar was the most successful bowler for CSK with three for 20 from four overs, and former India international Harbhajan Singh and South Africa international Imran Tahir took two wickets apiece.
