Opener scores quickfire 96 to hit form as CSK beat SRH to reclaim top spot
CSK's Shane Watson in full flow against SRH yesterday. Pics/AFP
Shane Watson bounced back to form with a glorious 53-ball 96 as Chennai Super Kings thumped Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here yesterday to reclaim top spot in the points table.
Manish Pandey (83 not out) and David Warner (57) helped SRH post 175-3 in 20 overs. Watson, however, made light work of the target with some incredible hitting. The Australian's dismissal in the 18th over ended an 80-run partnership for the third wicket with Ambati Rayudu (21). With nine runs required off the final over, Kedar Jadhav's (11 not out) six brought the equation down to two off four balls. In the end, CSK won with one balls to spare.
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Sunrisers Hyderabad's Manish Pandey celebrates his half century against Chennai Super Kings in Chennai yesterday
Earlier, Pandey and league's current leading run-scorer David Warner (57 off 45 balls) added 115 runs for the second wicket to lay the foundation for a decent score on what was the best batting track on offer at the Chepauk.
Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh struck an early blow, having the in-form Jonny Bairstow caught behind in the second over for a duck. He was the most successful bowler with figures of 2-39 in four overs while Deepak Chahar picked up the wicket of Vijay Shankar (26 off 20 balls).
Despite the early dismissal of Bairstow, the visiting team didn't get tied down as the irrepressible Warner and Manish Pandey kept hitting those boundaries and sixes. They brought up the team's 50 in the sixth over.
Pandey who has not been in the best form, hit his straps, scoring freely and was not afraid to go over the top. Dhoni's shuffling of the bowlers didn't make much of an impact as Warner and Pandey kept attacking.
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