IPL 2021 | SRH vs CSK: Hits and Flops as Rayudu, Hazlewood sail Super Kings to Playoffs
It has been a fairy tale comeback story for the Chennai Super Kings so far in the Indian Premier League 2021. After becoming the first team to get knocked out in the 2020 edition of the league, to becoming the first team to qualify in the 2021 edition, it has been one full circle for the Super Kings in this journey, which was completed as they went past Sunrisers Hyderabad, what ended up becoming a fairly tight match, even though it was easy peasy for the most for the Yellow Army. With vintage MS dhoni finishing the match with a six that cleared the ground of Sharjah, it was nothing but a shot full of nostalgia for all the CSK fans as they celebrated their team’s entry into the Playoffs. This loss almost made certain that Sunrisrers, who might have harboured some hopes of some distant shot at qualification, are done for this season. Although mathematically they still remain in the race, even a miracle could hardly salvage them. There were many heroes for the Super Kings, as they were rightfully required as well on a sluggish pitch of Sharjah. Some flop shows on both sides also made for the interesting match that it turned out to be. All the Hits and Flops shall therefore be discussed below. Hits Josh Hazlewood It was thought that the wicket of Sharjah would support spinners or at least bowlers that have great slower balls, like Dwayne Bravo. Well, it did, but there was one bowler who did not have the ingredients to make the perfect dish on that singeing wicket, but still came out trumps. Aussie Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the bowlers for the CSK as he took wickets as and when they were required. He first removed the dangerman from the last game, Jason Roy for a meagre two and then came back in the 17th over to remove two dangermen Abhishek Sharma and Abdul Samad, who could have dragged the SRH total to around 150, which was eventually restricted to 134. Thus in two very crucial periods of play, the 30-year-old bowler, who missed the first leg, was there to get his team past the hurdle. As a result of his best IPL figures of 3/24 from four overs, he was rightfully adjudged Man of the Match. Ambati Rayudu If Hazlewood was the hero with the ball, Rayudu, who has now almost become Mr Dependable for the Super Kings shone with the bat once again. Coming in at a time of crisis when CSK lost three quick wickets in a space of seven balls and five runs, Rayudu kept his calm and did not meltdown under pressure. He was joined at the other end by MS dhoni who didn’t really look in the best of the forms and almost got out to a blinder of a catch by Roy at mid-on. When Dhoni got a second lease, CSK still needed 20 off 14 balls and that’s when Rayudu started owning the pitch. He first hit Kaul, who till then had given only two runs off four balls in the 18th over, for four. Then in the 19th, when Bhuvneshwar Kumar came to bowl, he hit him for a six on the second ball and killed the game then and there with just 9 required off 10 balls. In total, the 36-year-old scored only 17 runs, but all of them weighed in gold as fast as CSK’s qualification to Playoffs is concerned. Ruturaj Gaikwad Scoring runs on the Sharjah wicket is very difficult and especially if the team is batting in the second innings. Getting a partnership going is even more difficult and hitting 45 off just 36 balls while opening the batting is nothing less than a match-winning 50. Ruturaj Gaikwad, the man who has made the opening batting position in the CSK lineup his own, achieved all those feats and embellished his knock with a hammering of Rashid Khan, probably the most difficult of the bowlers to hit on Sharjah wicket. But after achieving all that, one shot too many became the reason for his downfall as Holder trapped him leg before wicket. Although his innings came to end at 45 off just 36 balls and included three fours and two sixes, the impetus he provided with a great start went a long way in making this win happen. Flops Kane Williamson Although there were a lot many people who could be considered a flop in this game for Hyderabad and some even for CSK, being the skipper the onus was on Williamson to perform and get his team to a decent total after they were asked to bat first after losing the toss. The responsibility increased on the shoulders of the Kiwi man especially after the hero from the last game, Jason Roy got out quickly. Wriddhiman Saha was there with him and all that Williamson needed to do was provide him with the support initially and then take the mantle. However, he failed to do so and was out for just 11 off 11 balls. Williamson missed the trick in his captaincy too when he could have introduced left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma, an ideal matchup for Dhoni, just as the latter walked in. Historically Dhoni has struggled against left-arm spin and Rayudu, usually, a great player of spin hadn’t settled down by that time either. The introduction of Sharma could have been the move that would have made Hyderabad stay in the hunt even after this game, but not to be. Bhuvneshwar Kumar At the end of the first innings, commentators said that the two people who could turn the game in SRH’s favour were Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar with the ball in their hands. Though Rashid still delivered with a crucial wicket of Moeen Ali, Bhuvneshwar almost seemed as dull as the wicket in Sharjah. First, he couldn’t give his team the early breakthrough and went for 17 in the two overs that he bowled upfront. And then he came back to bowl the 17, he was still good enough and gave away only four runs to keep his team in the game. Just when it was thought that the Meerut born will make the game even more interesting by bowling a killer 19th over, he gave away 13 runs when 16 were required off the last two. In total, he gave way 34 off his four overs. And in the four matches so far in the UAE leg, the 31-year-old has picked up only two wickets, making his selection in the Indian World Cup squad questionable. Now, having qualified for the Playoffs, the CSK would focus on resting important players like Bravo and Hazlewood, Rayudu etc for a few matches, starting with the next one against Rajasthan Royals. The Sunrsers would look to play party poopers when they face KKR in their next game.
 "Somya Kapoor")
