Fine all-round show by Chennai Super Kings players guided them to a thrilling two-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2011 IPL opener at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
Chasing 154 runs for victory, Kolkata finished at 151/7 in 20 overs. Kolkata, who were cruising at 93/2 at one stage, needed nine runs from the final over, but fell short.
Manoj Tiwary took Kolkata towards victory, after few quick setbacks in the middle, as he scored a flashy 15-ball 27 that included one boundary and two sixes.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin gave Chennai Super Kings crucial breakthrough as he got rid of Kolkata Knight Riders’ opener Jacques Kallis, who slammed 37-ball fifty, in the 2011 IPL opener.
Kallis plundered seven boundaries in his half-century knock. Kolkata were 111/2 after the end of 15 overs. Suresh Raina dismissed Eoin Morgan to reduce Kolkata to 119 for 4.
Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir ran himself out in search of a second run. Kolkata lost 3 wickets in the span of 8 runs.
Kolkata lost Yusuf Pathan in the form of second wicket after he was run out by some brilliant work done by Chennai skipper MS Dhoni.
Pathan, who survived a stumping appeal a delivery before, couldn't stay for long in the middle. Pathan only contributed 11 runs off 12 balls, which included one hit over the ropes.
Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati did the trick for Chennai Super Kings as he broke the crucial opening partnership between Manvinder Bisla and Jacques Kallis for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Manvinder Bisla and Jacques Kallis gave Kolkata blistering start against Chennai as the duo added 64 runs for the first wicket.
Bisla, who scored 29-ball 27, misread Jakati’s turner and he missed the ball completely as Chennai skipper MS Dhoni made no mistake to remove the stumps in a flash.
Earlier, Srikkanth Anirudha cashed in on two dropped chances to hit 64 runs as reigning champions Chennai Super Kings scored a competitive 153 for four against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Anirudha shared a 75-run stand with Suresh Raina (33) for the second wicket and then combined with his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (29) to raise 49 runs to help Chennai cross the 150-run mark at the M A Chidambaram stadium.
Kolkata's sub-standard fielding helped the cause of the hosts as they spilled three catches.
Anirudha's knock came off 55 balls and was studded with six fours and two sixes. Albie Morkel came up with a useful 9-ball 15 and finished off the innings with a huge six off Jacques Kallis.
For Kolkata, Kallis (2/34) was the most successful bowlers but he was quite expensive. Paceman Laxmipathy Balaji put up a fine show, though his went wicket-less, as he gave away just 25 runs in his quota of four overs.
Gambhir's decision to hand the ball to Iqbal Abdullah paid as the left-arm spinner dismissed Murali Vijay in the last ball of the first over.
Looking for his second boundary, Vijay gave charge to Abdullah but his shot went straight to Rajat Bhatia at mid-on.
Chennai could have been in deep trouble had Yusuf Pathan not dropped Anirudha and Raina in a gap of six balls.
Pathan had a caught and bowled chance when Anirudha mis-timed a drive but could not hold on to the opportunity.
Balaji bowled a superb next over by not allowing Raina to explode with his impeccable line and length and created an opportunity but the buttered-fingered Pathan spilled the chance at mid-on.
Anirudha was dropped at his individual score of 11 while Raina was on 13 at that time.
Chennai could manage 32 runs from the first five overs but Anirudha hit Kallis for three boundaries in the next over to start the fireworks.
Continuing with his good touch, Anirudha smashed leg-spinner Sarabjit Ladda for the first six of the event over long-off after Raina had scored a boundary in the same over.
Raina and Anirudha, son of India's chief selector K Srikkanth, took Chennai to 78 at half-way mark but the partnership was broken when Pathan dismissed Raina.
The breakthrough, though, came after another goof-up in the fielding as Eoin Morgan had given Anirudha a second life by dropping him in the previous ball in the 11th over.
Raina's dismissal affected the run-rate as the next five overs fetched just 29 runs and only two boundaries were hit.
Dhoni broke the shackles with a massive six off Ladda and then Anirudha joined the party with a six over square leg.
Kallis had Dhoni caught behind and then bowled Anirudha in the second ball of the last over.
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