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Johannesburg - Suresh Raina cruised to a half-century as the Chennai Super Kings completed a comfortable 37-run win over the Pune Warriors in their Indian Premier League match at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in Pune on Tuesday.
According to the supersport.com website, the elegant Raina became the first man to reach 2 500 IPL runs when he reached his fifty, off 42 balls, before eventually making his way to 63 not out off 50 balls with five fours and a six as Chennai posted a formidable 164 for three on a slow pitch.
Pune were only able to respond with 127 for nine with seamer Mohit Sharma claiming 3-21.
Full scorecard
VIDEO: Pune v Chennai, highlights
Raina may have held Chennai’s innings together but it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who ensured that the visitors would compile a competitive total with some superb late-innings hitting.
Dhoni struck the first two balls that he faced for a four and a six which set the tone for the rest of his innings and he bashed his way to 45 not out off a mere 16 balls with four fours and three sixes.
Dhoni gave a wonderful exhibition of finishing an innings with the bat and he seemed able to find gaps in the first at will.
Fittingly, he ended the innings with a 97-metre straight six off the bowling of seamer Ashok Dinda.
Raina and Dhoni eventually plundered 61 runs off just 4.3 overs for an unbroken fourth-wicket stand.
Chennai, after winning the toss and electing to bat, slipped to 28 for two with the in-form Michael Hussey (5) bowled by paceman Kane Richardson and Wriddhiman Saha (13) trapped leg-before by leg-spinner Rahul Sharma
But Raina and Subramaniam Badrinath combined for a third-wicket stand of 75 off 9.5 overs with Badrinath contributing 34 off 31 deliveries.
The right-handed Badrinath took 23 balls before hitting his first boundary. He hit the next ball that he faced for four as well to raise the 50-run partnership between himself and Raina off 43 deliveries.
Badrinath eventually departed in the 16th over when he hoisted a delivery from medium-pacer Luke Wright to Steve Smith at long-off.
Pune made a disastrous start to their run-chase and Mohit Sharma made the initial breakthrough when he had Aaron Finch (15) caught behind by keeper Dhoni before the same bowler trapped Tirumalasetti Suman (0) leg-before with his next delivery.
Robin Uthappa (10) was then run out as Pune plunged to 29 for three in the fourth over.
Mohit Sharma claimed his third wicket when he had Yuvraj Singh (5) caught behind to leave the bowler with figures of 2-0-11-3.
Luke Wright (2) was then run out backing up when the bowler, Albie Morkel, tipped a Steve Smith drive on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end as Pune lurched to 54 for five before Abhishek Nayar (2) became the third batsman to be run out in Pune’s innings.
According to the supersport.com website, the elegant Raina became the first man to reach 2 500 IPL runs when he reached his fifty, off 42 balls, before eventually making his way to 63 not out off 50 balls with five fours and a six as Chennai posted a formidable 164 for three on a slow pitch.
Pune were only able to respond with 127 for nine with seamer Mohit Sharma claiming 3-21.
Full scorecard
VIDEO: Pune v Chennai, highlights
Raina may have held Chennai’s innings together but it was Mahendra Singh Dhoni who ensured that the visitors would compile a competitive total with some superb late-innings hitting.
Dhoni struck the first two balls that he faced for a four and a six which set the tone for the rest of his innings and he bashed his way to 45 not out off a mere 16 balls with four fours and three sixes.
Dhoni gave a wonderful exhibition of finishing an innings with the bat and he seemed able to find gaps in the first at will.
Fittingly, he ended the innings with a 97-metre straight six off the bowling of seamer Ashok Dinda.
Raina and Dhoni eventually plundered 61 runs off just 4.3 overs for an unbroken fourth-wicket stand.
Chennai, after winning the toss and electing to bat, slipped to 28 for two with the in-form Michael Hussey (5) bowled by paceman Kane Richardson and Wriddhiman Saha (13) trapped leg-before by leg-spinner Rahul Sharma
But Raina and Subramaniam Badrinath combined for a third-wicket stand of 75 off 9.5 overs with Badrinath contributing 34 off 31 deliveries.
The right-handed Badrinath took 23 balls before hitting his first boundary. He hit the next ball that he faced for four as well to raise the 50-run partnership between himself and Raina off 43 deliveries.
Badrinath eventually departed in the 16th over when he hoisted a delivery from medium-pacer Luke Wright to Steve Smith at long-off.
Pune made a disastrous start to their run-chase and Mohit Sharma made the initial breakthrough when he had Aaron Finch (15) caught behind by keeper Dhoni before the same bowler trapped Tirumalasetti Suman (0) leg-before with his next delivery.
Robin Uthappa (10) was then run out as Pune plunged to 29 for three in the fourth over.
Mohit Sharma claimed his third wicket when he had Yuvraj Singh (5) caught behind to leave the bowler with figures of 2-0-11-3.
Luke Wright (2) was then run out backing up when the bowler, Albie Morkel, tipped a Steve Smith drive on to the stumps at the non-striker’s end as Pune lurched to 54 for five before Abhishek Nayar (2) became the third batsman to be run out in Pune’s innings.
