IPL 2018: DD Vs CSK, Highlights: Delhi spinners tame formidable Chennai batting line up

New Delhi, May 18: Delhi Daredevils bowlers put up a disciplined effort and did the unthinkable as they defeated a formidable Chennai Super Kings side by a whopping margin of 34 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 here on Friday (May 18).

Defending a respectable total of 162, Delhi spinners Amit Mishra and Sandeep Lamichhane spun their web and restricted Chennai to 128/6 in the stipulated 20 overs at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.

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But credit should be given to the way Delhi performed as a combined bowling unit. Their bowlers kept things tight for CSK from the very first over and never allowed Chennai batsmen, barring Ambati Rayudu, to free their arms in the tricky run chase. Already out of the play-offs race Delhi would take some confident booster from the dead rubber.

This loss would hurt CSK, who were considered as favourites before this game, for they had the opportunity of finishing at the top of the table with a win tonight.

Rayudu, who was lone batsman from both the sides to score a fifty in the game, kept CSK in the hunt but his dismissal in the 10th over gave an opportunity to the hosts to put pressure on the new batsmen i.e. Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni.

Delhi Daredevils in #IPL2018 have so far won just 4 games
beat MI - the 3 time #IPL title winner
beat KKR - the 2 time IPL title winner
beat CSK - the 2 time IPL title winner
beat RR - the inagural IPL winner#DDvCSK

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) May 18, 2018

Rayudu, who has been the top scorer for Chennai in this season, scored 50 off 28 balls before getting caught in the deep by Glenn Maxwell in the deep off Harshal Patel.

Mishra (4-0-20-2) and Lamichhane (4-0-21-1) operated brilliantly when Dhoni and Raina were batting and never allowed them to free their arms as they choked the run flow. Lamichhane then accounted the wicket of Raina (15 off 18) to push CSK further on the back foot.

3K runs for our Bahubali in IPL! Stand up Roar whistles. We just can't get enough. Keep whacking them Rayudu! #WhistlePodu #Yellove #DDvCSK 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/wm3qpvSQaQ

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 18, 2018

Sam Billings, who started the season with a bang with his match-winning knock against KKR in Chennai, remained a shadow of his name. He was dismissed for 1 off a googly from Mishra.

Innings never really took off. Everything bit low-key at the #IPL today?

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 18, 2018

As the asking rate kept mounting, Chennai required 56 from the last 18 deliveries and boundaries had almost dried up. Trent Boult (4-0-20-2) bowled the 17th over and forced Dhoni to attempt a big shot which never got the elevation and Iyer pouched him comfortably at long-on.

Great to be watching my first #IPL2018 match at the #FerozShahKotla stadium in #Delhi. What an electrifying atmosphere! Thank you @BCCI for your hospitality. All the best to both the teams! #DDvCSK #BowledOverByCricket #DDSquad #WhistlePodu #Yellove #DilDilli pic.twitter.com/38IfE4gfbQ

— Ken Juster (@USAmbIndia) May 18, 2018

CSK's hopes were all but gone after Dhoni's dismissal. Ravindra Jadeja (27* off 18), Dwayne Bravo (1) and Deepak Chahar (1*) couldn't do any damage to the Delhi bowlers in the remaining balls to come.

Chennai would have to go back to drawing board after this shambolic defeat. They'll have to try and rectify their death-bowling woes and as far as batting is concerned they would hope that it was just a bad outing.

Thala Milestone! Being the finisher he is, this one is so very special! #WhistlePodu #Yellove #DDvCSK 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/iSmnHpbDY7

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 18, 2018

Earlier, Dwayne Bravo's 26-run over proved once again leaked too many runs and an explosive 65-run stand between Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel guided Delhi Daredevils to a respectable total.

All-rounders Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel scripted Daredevils' recovery after a pedestrian performance from the top-order. Shankar (36 no off 28) and Patel (36 no off 16) lent some respectability to the total with an unbeaten 65-run stand off 32 balls.

Patel also put up a spirited show with the ball as he kept the likes of Dhonis, Rainas, and Jadejas silent. The right-arm medium pacer finished his full quota of overs with 1/23 and was awarded the man of the match for his all-round show.

Only the second time in #IPL2018 that CSK have failed to chase down a target. The other loss was against KXIP that they lost by 4 runs.#DDvCSK #CSKvDD #IPL

— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) May 18, 2018

Opener Prithvi Shaw (17 off 17) couldn't give his team a decent start as he was dismissed by Deepak Chahar in the power-play. Rishabh Pant (38 off 26) and Shreyas Iyer (19 off 22) stitched a crucial partnership of the second wicket but they both were dismissed by Lungi Ngidi in an over and that broke the backbone of the hosts.

Seasoned campaigner Glenn Maxwell (5) and young Abhishek Sharma (2) couldn't do much with their batting either. But the partnership between Shankar and Patel in the death overs ensured the host bowlers had something to fight for.

While the focus is on #CSK’s lack of bowling prowess in the death overs, the form of Billings and a little underwhelming Raina (he’s expected to have clocked 400 by now) mustn’t go unnoticed. #DDvCSK #IPL

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 18, 2018

Lungi Ngidi (2/14) broke the backbone of Delhi batting by removing skipper Shreyas Iyer (19 off 22) and top run-getter Rishabh Pant (38 off 26) in the 11th over. The final flourish included a 26-run final over where Dwayne Bravo was hammered for four sixes. It was an inconsequential game but a sizable number of MS Dhoni fans blended with the home team's supporters to make it a packed house.

No. of opening pairs used by each team in this IPL:

DD - 8
RR - 7
RCB - 7
SRH - 5
CSK - 3
KXIP - 3
KKR - 3
MI - 3#DDvCSK

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) May 18, 2018

RCB and Sunrisers chased down 180 plus target with ease in the previous two games at Kotla and expectedly the CSK skipper Dhoni had no hesitation in bowling first. Delhi were sluggish at the start, mustering just 39 runs in six-over Powerplay.

Prithvi Shaw (17 off 17) was out cheaply for the third game in a row after he played a loose stroke to be caught at long-on. Iyer opened the innings with Shaw in Jason Roy's absence and DD skipper's innings too was a shaky one.

Most expensive overs by CSK bowlers in the IPL:
26 - C Kapugedera (vs MI, Mumbai, 2008)
26 - Ravindra Jadeja (vs MI, Mumbai, 2015)
26 - Dwayne Bravo (Tonight)#DDvCSK #CSKvDD #IPL2018 #IPL

— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) May 18, 2018

The captain shared a 54-run stand for the second wicket with the in-form Pant but the South African pacer Ngidi removed them in the same over to leave Delhi reeling at 81 for three. Iyer was bowled while making room for a big shot while Pant's mistimed hit aimed over midwicket, was pouched at third man.

26 runs in the last over for #CSK. 8 overs of spin for 41 runs and three wickets by #DD spinners. Moments that sealed the deal for #DD. Three overseas players were enough to beat one of the best sides this season. #DDvCSK #IPL

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) May 18, 2018

Delhi had lost two of their main batsmen shortly after Pant punished veteran Harbhajan Singh for two sixes and a four in the 10th over, which leaked 17 runs. The momentum of the Delhi innings picked up from the Harbhajan over did not last long.

Playing for pride after another sorry season, Delhi batsmen looked out of sorts. But eventually, their bowlers ensured they had the last laugh in a game where they were termed the underdogs from the beginning.