IPL 2019: Chennai to face Mumbai in yet another final as spinners bamboozle Delhi

IPL 2019: Chennai to face Mumbai in yet another final as spinners bamboozle Delhi

FPJ BureauUpdated: Wednesday, May 29, 2019, 08:14 PM IST
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Chennai Super Kings. Photo by ARUN SANKAR / AFP) |

Visakhapatnam: All-round Chennai Super Kings rode half centuries from Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson to storm into their eighth Indian Premier League (IPL) final as they beat Delhi Capitals by six wickets in the Qualifier 2 at the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium here on Friday. After asking Delhi to bat first, Chennai bowlers put up a superb show to restrict the first time semi-finalists to 147/9. Chasing a modest 148 for victory, openers du Plessis (50; 39 balls; 7×4; 1×6) and Watson (50; 32 balls 3×4; 4×6) were off to a slow start but recovered in time to share a 81-run stand for the opening wicket. Chennai will now take on old foes Mumbai Indians in the final in Hyderabad on Sunday, the fourth time the two teams will be locking horns in the summit clash.

Earlier, Harbhajan Singh (2/31) and Bravo (2/19) used their reservoir of experience to good affect while Deepak Chahar (2/28) continued his rich form with the ball as Delhi never got going despite having Rishabh Pant at the crease for more than an hour. Ravindra Jadeja (2/23) and Imran Tahir (1/28), their best bowler this season, also returned impressive figures.
It was an uncharacteristic innings from Pant who was initially starved of the strike and then kept at bay by the Chennai bowlers as the 21-year old eventually managed 38 off 25 with the help of two fours and a six. Pant looked to be taking off when he hit Tahir for a four and six in the 17th over which yielded 14 runs. But Bravo bowled a brilliant 18th over in which he gave away just three runs besides accounting for Keemo Paul (3).Chahar dismissed Pant in the penultimate over with Bravo taking the catch at long-on before Trent Boult (6 off 3) and Ishant Sharma (10 not out off 3) smashed some lusty blows to take the score close to the 150-run mark. It all started with Chahar trapping young Prithvi Shaw (5) in front in the third over. Harbhajan then accounted for the in-form Shikhar Dhawan (18), the India southpaw giving a healthy edge to Dhoni who took the catch in his second attempt. Colin Munro and Shreyas Iyer then tried to steady the ship but just when the former was looking good, Ravindra Jadeja had him caught at deep square-leg by Bravo for 27 off 24 deliveries.

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals: 147/9 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 38; Deepak Chahar 2/28, Harbhajan Singh 2/31, Ravindra Jadeja 2/23, Dwayne Bravo 2/19); Chennai Super Kings: 151/4 (Faf du Plessis 50, Shane Watson 50)

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