IPL 2018: Highlights: Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils: Chennai scrape past Delhi

Shane Watson fifty was the cornerstone of Chennai Super Kings innings

Pune, April 30: Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming remained clear and confident about his team's composition even when others ridiculed it as a bunch of old geezers.

In the latest instance of the vindication of Fleming's view, three men in their 30s came together to power Chennai Super Kings to a 13-run win over Delhi Daredevils and to the top of the IPL table in Pune on Monday (April 30).

The 36-year-old Shane Watson (78, 40b, 4x4, 7x6), his age-club member MS Dhoni (51 n.o, 22b, 2x4, 5x6) and 32-year-old Ambati Rayudu (41, 24b, 5x4, 1x6) took Chennai Super Kings, who were asked to bat first, on a jet ride to 211 four 4. It was always going to be a tough chase and Delhi Daredevils gave a good fight before ending up at 198 for five.

Watson and another member of the 30s club Faf du Plessis provided a strong foundation to Chennai Super Kings through a century opening alliance in a shade over 10 overs. Of course, Faf, who was playing second game of this IPL, looked rustic and struggled for timing.

It meant that Watson had to do the bulk of scoring and acceleration and the big Australian did not complain. Watson kept Chennai Super Kings ahead of the game with a barrage of sixes. He plonked his front foot forward and send the ball soaring over long-off, the arc between long-on and mid-wicket and occasionally over square leg as Chennai Super Kings sped on a race bike.

Daredevils made a brief comeback into the match dismissing Du Plessis and Suresh Raina in quick succession. Watson threw his wicket away attempting a big shot over long-off off leg-spinner Amit Mishra. He could not clear Liam Plunkett, who had a forgettable match after two excellent games, and Watson's anguish told volumes about the missed chance of getting his second three-figure score in this IPL.

But that in no way hurt Chennai Super Kings as a team. Skipper Dhoni and Rayudu teamed up for the fifth wicket to realise 71 runs in six overs in a show of brutal yet intelligent hitting. Dhoni used his power-packed bottom hand to telling effect to muscle the ball to the fence and over it.

It was an uninhibited exhibition of brawn interspersed with Dhoni's characteristic haring between the wickets. But at the other end, Rayudu, who has become such a priced member of the Chennai Super Kings establishment this season, was more sophisticated but no less effective.

Rayudu picked the gaps on the field with finesse and even the six he smashed off Plunkett, an overhead straight drive, was filled with class and timing.

Asked to score an improbable 212 to win, Daredevils, whose season has seen more downs than ups, gave a good account of themselves. They made a brisk beginning through the clean hitting of Colin Munro and the dismissal of Prithvi Shaw, who got marching orders from IPL debutante pacer KM Asif from Kerala, did not slow down Delhi.

The run out of in-form skipper Shreyas Iyer put Delhi in a spot but Rishabh Pant carried the fight for Delhi with a sparkling fifty (79 off 45 balls with seven fours and four sixes). Pant scooped, drove, pulled and shuffled his way to his 50 and Vijay Shankar also reached a half-century (54 off 31 balls with a four and five sixes).

The profligacy of Dwayne Bravo, the trusted death over specialist of Chennai Super Kings, played a big part in Daredevils getting that closer to the target. The erred length Bravo bowled left Dhoni a frustrated man, often signalling to the Trinidadian to vary his length.

But the total Dad's Army put on the board was more than enough for them to walk past the line.