CSK Seal Final Berth For 10th Time After Beating Gujarat

Tuesday at Chepauk, Chennai Super Kings took us on a familiar journey down memory lane. CSK compiled a respectable total of 172/7 before suffocating the Gujarat Titans batsmen with spin to secure a 15-run victory in IPL Qualifier 1.

Sunday's IPL final in Ahmedabad will be CSK's eleventh in fourteen years (they were suspended for the 2016 and 2017 seasons). The defending champions Gujarat Titans will now await the winner of Friday's Eliminator between LSG and MI in Qualifier 2, which will be contested on their home turf in Ahmedabad.

CSK's batting effort was led by Ruturaj Gaikwad's 60 off 44 balls as the opener. Gaikwad defied the conditions to make a defining contribution on a surface that was holding up and providing appreciable sway.

In retrospect, GT captain Hardik Pandya's decision to bowl benefited CSK. Even MS Dhoni stated that he would have fielded first had dew been a factor in the decision, but CSK spinners had no difficulty gripping the ball in the second innings. Maheesh Theekshana (4-0-28-2) and Ravindra Jadeja (4-0-18-2) spun a web, leaving GT with 102/6 after their innings. Rashid Khan's scintillating 16-ball 30 merely reduced CSK's victory margin.

As soon as the Titans were reduced to 41/2 during the Powerplay, it became evident that they would have a difficult time pursuing the ball. The initial indication came in the sixth over, when Theekshana captured Pandya at point. Jadeja's first over provided additional proof that the CSK spinners were in action. Shubman Gill attempted to draw a short ball by the left-arm spinner, but was unsuccessful due to the ball's vicious turn.

Instantaneously, Jadeja realized he was in business. Dasun Shanaka was dismissed by a clumsily executed reverse sweep to short third man, which was caught by Theekshana. David Miller, Gill, and Rahul Tewatia were all dismissed within ten deliveries. The fact that Gill's batters labored (42 - 38b) despite scoring consecutive hundreds prior to Tuesday is indicative of the difficulty they face.

When CSK batted, their first six overs were trouble-free, and they reached 49/0 with Gaikwad holding the early strike. This should not have occurred. In his first game of the season, seamer Darshan Nalkande captured Gaikwad at midwicket in the second over of the innings. However, the bowler had overstepped, resulting in a free shot that Gaikwad dispatched over mid-on for six.

More suffering ensued for Nalkande. Gaikwad immediately followed the six with a check drive that raced through cover for four. Gaikwad did not spare Mohammed Shami when he bowled a similar length in the following over, beating the mid-off fielder to the left for another boundary.

The ease with which Devon Conway could throw the ball away diminished. The left-hander's first boundary was scored off the final ball of the fourth over thanks to a smash through point, ruining what had otherwise been a good over by Nalkande.

Gaikwad was also fast to capitalize on scoring chances against the wrist spin duo of Rashid and Noor Ahmad. Against Rashid, he cleared his front leg and drove four runs in the air before drawing a short ball by Noor through the vacant deep square leg region for a similar outcome.

Gaikwad reached his fifty off 36 deliveries thanks to a cut through point for four against Mohit Sharma. An inside-edge for four followed in the same over, but Sharma exacted vengeance in the eleventh over to terminate an opening stand of 87 runs. Shivam Dube, who was sent in at No. 3 to capitalize on the strong start, was dismissed in the very next over. Dube, who is typically menacing against spin, was a little too eager in his pursuit of a huge hit against Noor, and was bowled out by a googly that crashed into the stumps on the third delivery.

After Dube's dismissal, CSK scored only 17 runs off of 15 balls, a modest slowdown. But Nalkande was again targeted. Pandya intended to fulfill the rookie's quota prior to the final surge, but CSK did not relent. Conway drove a wide delivery for four runs, whereas Ajinkya Rahane's wristy stroke cleared the square leg boundary for six.

Ambati Rayudu completed the 18-run over by racing down the pitch and hitting a four through extra cover, despite the fact that the next delivery from Nalkande had dismissed Rahane. Conway (40 - 34b) fell off the first delivery of the next over, but Rayudu, Jadeja, and Moeen Ali gave them the push they desired. The final five overs produced 47 runs, which ultimately proved insurmountable for GT.