With their performance in the opening IPL 2023 Qualifier match on Tuesday, Chennai Super Kings will be overjoyed with their result on a rather slow MA Chidambaram track.
The opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway added 87 runs together, with the former scoring a half-century. At one point, even the commentators debated whether Chennai should opt for a 160-run total.
But two cameo performances at the very end of the innings, one from Ambati Rayudu (17 off 9) and the other from Ravindra Jadeja (22 off 16), allowed CSK to defeat Gujarat Titans with 172 for seven.
Chepauk’s numb response to Dhoni’s shocking dismissal and Hardik’s refusal to celebrate
Despite a strong conclusion, the Chepauk crowd was a little let down by MS Dhoni’s limited batting time after the skipper was unexpectedly dismissed in IPL Qualifier 1.
After Rayudu was dismissed at the conclusion of the 17th over, Dhoni entered the field. He only managed a single against the slower, wider delivery of the first ball he faced from former CSK teammate Mohit Sharma.
In the fifth ball of the over, when Dhoni came back to bat, Mohit stuck to his plan of attack against the legend. Dhoni threw his bat at the ball, but he was unable to get it to rise to the desired elevation for a catch over cover.
Although it was a significant wicket given the form Dhoni has been in throughout IPL 2023. Hardik Pandya was stationed there, and did not celebrate despite taking the catch easily. As they have throughout the entire season, the crowd was roaring its support for Dhoni during his brief time at the crease. But with that dismissal, there was abruptly absolute silence.
Darshan Nalkande, who was making his season debut, tricked Gaikwad with a slower one, but it was regrettably ruled a no-ball. The CSK opener did not look back as he severely punished the GT attack with his fourth consecutive half-century against the team. He currently holds the IPL record for most goals against GT.
Conway’s 40-run knock, however, made him appear utterly uncomfortable while Gaikwad was cruising with his runs. In the eleventh over, Gaikwad’s dismissal by Mohit Sharma marked the first breakthrough. Before Mohammed Shami put an end to Conway’s struggle. With two wickets at a rate of seven runs per over, Shami was Gujarat’s best bowler. Mohit took two wickets as well for 31 runs.
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