Chennai taste first defeat, lose by 33 runs to Mumbai

Mumbai, April 4 - Defending champions Chennai Super Kings tasted their first defeat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 as they lost to Mumbai Indians by 33 runs here on Wednesday.

Chasing a target of 171, none of the Chennai batsmen were able to show resistance except Kedhar Jadhav, who played a fighting 58-run knock.

For Mumbai, Lasith Malinga and Hardik Pandya rattled the Chennai batting line-up, scalping three wickets each.

Chasing the target, Chennai started on a poor note, losing openers Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson cheaply. While Lasith Malinga accounted for Watson (5), Jason Behrendorff sent back Rayudu on a duck.

Chennai's most dependable batsman Suresh Raina also couldn't do much in the middle after managing just 16 runs off 15 deliveries.

It was Behrendorff who once again struck, giving the third blow to the visiting side, leaving Chennai reeling at 33/3 in 4.5 overs.

Jadhav (58 off 54, including eight boundaries and a six) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (12 off 21) then anchored Chennai's inning with a 54-run partnership. However, the skipper couldn't stay for much time in the middle as he fell to Hardik Pandya while trying to accelerate the run-rate.

Jadhav tried to keep one end in control but Malinga ended his laborious effort before Chennai lost Ravindra Jadeja (1) and Dwayne Bravo (8) in quick succession as the scorecard read 115/7 in the 18th over.

With 56 needed of the last two overs, Chennai's lower middle order couldn't help their side cross the line as Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur could only contribute with 7 and 12 runs respectively.

Earlier, despite a slow start, it was Hardik and Keiron Pollard's quick-fire play, which propelled Mumbai Indians to 170/5.

While most Chennai bowlers, who maintained a tight economy rate in 18 overs, went profligate in the last two overs as Pollard (17 unbeaten off 7) and Hardik (25 unbeaten off 8) hammered them all around the park to help their team post a fighting total.

Suryakumar Yadav (59) and Krunal Pandya (42) also made valuable contributions to the team's score.

Put to bat, the hosts were off to a slow start with just three runs coming from the initial two overs, before Chahar drew the first blood for Chennai. With runs not coming, de Kock handed an easy catch to Jadhav at square leg in the third over while trying to smash a delivery.

Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar then tried to repair the damage, adding 37 runs for the second wicket. But Jadeja cut short the former's stay, dismissing him on 13 as Mumbai were 45/2 in the eighth over.

With the addition of just five runs in the scorecard, Imran Tahir intensified Mumbai's troubles by sending Yuvraj Singh back to hut at 4.

Suryakumar and Krunal Pandya (42 off 32) then showed some resistance and stitched a 62-run partnership. Mohit Sharma finally broke the partnership by sending almost dangerous looking Krunal back in the 17th over. His knock was laced with five boundaries and a six.

While trying to shift gears and accelerate the run-rate, Suryakumar tried to clear the fence off a Bravo delivery, but ended up giving a catch to Jadeja at the long-on. It left the hosts at 125/5 in 17.6 overs.

Suryakumar's fighting innings contained eight boundaries and one hit into the stands.

Pollard and Hardik showed some quick hands towards the end as they hammered Bravo for 29 runs in the final over to help Mumbai reach 170/5 in the allotted 20 overs.

Brief score: Mumbai Indians 170/5 (Suryakumar Yadav 59, Krunal Pandya 42; Ravindra Jadeja 1/10) beat Chennai Super Kings 133/8 (Kedhar Jadhav 58, Suresh Raina 16; Hardik Pandya 3/20) by 33 runs

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IANS