The Chepauk has been reason for many a team's downfall this season in the Indian Premier League, and once again, the slow nature of the track came to bite home team Chennai Super Kings on Friday, April 26.
Chennai had beaten Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday, April 23, on what looked like a better-playing wicket. But once again the pitch played truant. There was some spin in the track and the ball was not coming on to the bat easily.
After Chennai Captain Suresh Raina won the toss and elected to field, his bowlers did well to restrict Mumbai to 155/4.
Captain Rohit Sharma (67 off 48) top-scored with his first half-century this season and at the backend, Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya hammered 27 runs in the last 2 overs.
Chennai were done in early when they lost opener Shane Watson in just the second over, flicking the ball straight into the hands of the fielder at short third man.
With the ball not coming on to the bat easily, the Super Kings batsmen found the going tough.
The Pandya brothers -- Hardik and Krunal -- bowled well to keep the runs down and take wickets inside the Powerplay.
Even though Murali Vijay put on a dogged display at one end, Hardik first took out Raina, who miscued and was caught by Suryakumar Yadav for 2.
In the next over Krunal struck as Ambati Rayudu got foxed by the arm ball -- it came quick and straight and rattled his leg stump.
Vijay kept looking for boundaries and was dropped a couple of times, but losing three wickets and making just 40 runs inside the Powerplay cost Chennai dearly.
The Mumbai bowlers continued to choke Chennai with regular wickets and with no Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the middle -- he was sidelined with fever -- the home team looked a pale shadow of themselves.
Malinga finished with 4/37 as Chennai eventually fell short by 46 runs to record their first loss at home this season.
