In the inaugural match of the Vivo IPL 2018, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) managed to restrict the home team Mumbai Indians (MI) for 165/4 runs in the first innings at the jam-packed Wankhede stadium and it was chased down by the visitors in a nail-biting match with just one bowl to spare. It was Dwayne Bravo (68) and Kedar Jadhav (24) who did the job for Chennai. However, in the first innings, it was, Surya Kumar Yadav, who top-scored for Mumbai by smashing 43 runs in 29 balls with six fours and a six after a sluggish start in the initial swinging conditions. Chennai needs 166 runs to start off on the winning note.
Mumbai Indians backing their strength of fast bowling and heavy batting prepared a greenish track, a trick that backfired in the initial overs. CSK opted for Watson to suit the swinging conditions and left out Murali Vijay and Shardul Thakur. Mumbai chose Mayank Markande instead of Rahul Chahar, which became the best decision for them as the youngster finished the game with the figures of 3/23 on debut along with that he also got the priced wicket of MS Dhoni as well.
During Mumbai’s innings, the match slowly started to move in hosts’ direction despite some early blows of Rohit Sharma and Evin Lewis. Ishan Kishan and Mumbaikar Surya Kumar Yadav started timing the ball sweetly. Ishan Kishan welcomed Imran Tahir in the 11th over with 14 runs off his first three balls.
The death overs were really interesting as the Pandya brothers had to face the challenge of Dwayne Bravo who is the top wicket-taker in the T20 World. The duo could score only three of Bravo’s 18th over but they made up for it in the next over bowled by Mark Wood by taking 17 runs off it. The last over by Bravo was another example of his amazing death bowling skills, he gave away only five runs.
Chennai started the chase decently but the fall of wickets in the crucial overs almost cost them the game but, when Jadhav and Bravi were ta the crease with 83/5 in twelve and a half overs chances of CSK were pretty less soon after the Jadhav got retired out as well. Following the wickets starts to crumble from the other end but DJ kept on scoring runs, the match turned in CSK favor in the 18th over. Despite 8 wickets down, Bravo smashed 20 runs in that over and took the momentum in CSK’s favor as they needed 27 in last 2 overs.
However, penultimate over was full of surprises as first two balls went for six off Jasprit Bumrah affected by Bravo again and the match turned on its head. with just 15 needed in 10 balls. On the fifth ball of the over Bravo went for another maximum and equation came down to run-a-ball as CSk needed 7 off 7. But, then again twist came as the Trinidadian got overjoyed and thrown his wicket.
With CSK 9 down they needed 7 off the last over with no batsman left, then came Jadhav back with this injured leg, but he played 3 consecutive dots ball, but followed after that won the game for the visitors as he smashed Mustafizur Rahaman for a six over deep fine leg and finished the game off with a four-over deep extra cover.
Till the 17th over of Chennai’s innings, no one even thought that they could win but it was the benefit of Bravo that did the job for the yellow army. Even in the first innings he bowled two crucial overs (18th and 20th) and finished the innings with a spell of 0/25. For his all-around performance, he was even adjudged as man of the match.
Brief Scores:
Mumbai Indians – 165 for 4 (Suryakumar 43, Krunal 41*, Watson 2-29) defeated by Chennai Super Kings – 169 for 9 (Bravo 68, Jadhav 24*, Markande 3-23, Pandya 3-24) by one wicket.
