Twitter Reactions: Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan maul Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede

Shardul Thakur got Dhawan plumb lbw for 85 in the 17th but the game was all but over by then as Rishabh Pant hit the winning runs.

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Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals
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Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Capitals. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)

The battle of the master and the apprentice it was in Match 2 of the Indian Premier League. In round one, it was the apprentice who trumped the master as Delhi Capitals made a mockery of a tall chase at Wankhede, winning the game by 7 wickets. Having won the toss on a track that he felt was “soft underneath”, Rishabh Pant inserted CSK to bat. Amidst the talks of how rusty they could have been, the daddy’s army did feel the heat even as their opponents had neither Kagiso Rabada nor Anrich Nortje, both fulfilling their quarantine protocols.

CSK was pushed into early trouble by Chris Woakes and Avesh Khan, who both found movement in the air as well as off the track, and bagged a wicket upfront. Khan trapped Faf du Plessis lbw for a duck, whereas Woakes, three balls later, delivered a ripper that induced an outside edge from Ruturaj Gaikwad for Shikhar Dhawan to gobble in the slips. 33/2 at the end of the powerplay, it seemed that the haunts of 2020 were back for CSK, only for Suresh Raina, who was badly missed last year, and Moeen Ali to change the tide.

Raina, Rayudu, and Curran power CSK to 189

The left-handers partnered for a 53-run stand from only 38 balls, shifting gears at the right time to claw out of the initial trouble. Ali smacked Ravi Ashwin for consecutive fours in the 6th over before whacking two sixes in the 8th, however, attempting a hat-trick of sixes while trying to reverse sweep the off-spinner proved costly as Dhawan took a magnificent catch running behind.

In to replace Ali, Amabati Rayudu got into his groove as he deposited Ashwin for a six in the 10th over, with Raina pressing the accelerator from his end continuously. CSK completely made up for their slow start in overs 12-13, which produced 36 runs and the 33-ball 66-run partnership between Raina and Rayudu laid the perfect platform for a strong finish for them.

DC struck thrice in quick time as Tom Curran removed Rayudu soon before Raina was dismissed run out as Ravindra Jadeja, unfortunately, collided with the bowler, leading to a mix-up. Only a couple of deliveries later, MS Dhoni, while trying to pull Avesh Khan, inside-edged the ball onto his stumps to perish for a duck.

While it seemed that DC might pull things back, a ruthless assault from Sam Curran – he slammed four fours and two sixes in his 15-ball 34 – powered CSK to 189.

‘Shaw’shank redemption amidst the many misses for CSK

After a terrible last season, all eyes were on how Prithvi Shaw fares and the youngster did not disappoint. Carrying his incredible form from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Shaw made an easy business of a massive chase alongside Shikhar Dhawan, who helped him in no small measure.

The pair announced their intentions from the onset, playing attacking but risk-free cricket to provide their side the briskest start possible. Much to their disappointment, CSK bowlers lacked the bite to control either of the two batsmen, who were on song and seemed in no mood to stop. And on a day when batsmen made the most of good balls, missing line and offering width did little help to CSK’s cause.

Shaw, who played some breathtaking strokes en route to his glorious 72 from 38, was dropped twice and he rubbed salts to CSK’s wounds, smacking a boundary three balls after his second life to bring up his fifty off 27 balls. In similar rhythm, Dhawan followed suit, notching up his half-century off 35 balls, as they added a mountainous 138-run opening stand from merely 82 balls that killed the chase completely.

An off-balance Shaw picked out Ali in the deep off Bravo in the 14th over and Shardul Thakur got Dhawan plumb lbw for 85 in the 17th but the game was all but over by then as Rishabh Pant hit the winning runs.

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