Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed a superb half-century under pressure as Chennai Super Kings recorded a close six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL match here on Thursday.
Chasing a tricky 160-run target, Chennai were in a spot of bother after a good start but Dhoni lifted the side to its sixth win out of eight matches with an unbeaten 67.
Riding on comeback man Shikhar Dhawan’s scintillating knock of 63, Sunrisers Hyderabad recovered from early jolts to post a competitive 159 for six after electing to bat.
Ashish Reddy also played a very useful unbeaten cameo of 36 and his 43-run partnership with Dhawan was crucial in Hyderabad’s revival after losing three early wickets.
Hyderabad scored 59 runs in the last four overs and that propelled them to a fighting total.
Chennai openers Michael Hussey (45) and Murali Vijay (18) laid a solid platform with a 65-run stand. Spinner Amit Mishra dismissed both the openers with googlies but he grassed a chance offered by Dhoni when he miscued a hook off Dale Steyn and that proved a costly miss.
Mishra also scalped Suresh Raina (16) soon and that did affect Chennai’s run-scoring even thiugh Dhoni was at the crease.
Chennai needed 46 runs in the last four overs and Dhoni began the 17th over with two consecutive sixes off Dale Steyn.
Ishant Sharma got rid of Dwayne Bravo in the next over when the West Indies batsman tried to hit the paceman out of the park but found Reddy at deep mid-wicket.
Dhoni hit Steyn for a four and a six but the South African removed Ravindra Jadeja to leave Chennai requiring 15 runs from the last over. The Indian skipper hammered Ashish Reddy, who was a surprise choice for last over, for a six and two fours, steering the side to win with two balls to spare.
