The clash between the two relegated teams in the IPL took place at Chennai Super Kings‘ adopted home ground in Pune.
Rajasthan Royals found the hosts too hot to handle, as they lost the match by a massive margin of 64 runs, thereby, receiving a major blow to the points table downwards.
Shane Watson showed why wine only gets better with age, as he led the onslaught with both bat and ball.
Here’s look at the five game-changing moments.
Rahul Tripathi’s costly miss
Rajasthan Royals needed inspiration after winning the toss and electing to field. However, Rahul Tripathi, placed at the slips, dropped a simple catch in the very first over of the match.
Watson, who was batting at eight, was given a life up front. Binny ended up conceding 33 in his two-over spell, and Watson went on to post his 3rd IPL ton.
The knock Watson played created the difference between CSK and RR at the end of the day. Therefore, in theory, Tripathi dropped the catch that cost Royals 98 runs.
Olden is Golden feat. Shane Watson
Continuing from the pattern this week, Shane Watson smashed the second ton this season, following the Chris Gayle’s century last night.
Many criticized the selection of Shane Watson and Chris Gayle into sides before the start of the season.
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However, the two successive ton in the IPL by the men in their late 30 only goes to show that even Old is Gold’ in this form of cricket.
Watson propelled CSK over 200 with his knock of 106 off just 57 balls at a thumping strike rate of 185. Watto entertained his home crowd with fifteen hits to the boundaries, six off them over it.
Shreyas Gopal’s three-wicket haul
The onslaught by the men in yellow at the other end eclipsed Shreyas Gopal’s spell. Gopal, who turned the match around for his side against RCB by dismissing Virat and AB, had three wickets to show for.
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Gopal, yet again, removed the big guns from the equation which fractured the middle-order of CSK. The leggie picked up the wickets of Raina, Dhoni and Billings to make inroads into the CSK lower-order.
Deepak Chahar Spell
Rajasthan Royals were in dire need of an electric start from Klaasen and Rahane while chasing a mammoth 205. The Royals introduced Klaasen in place of Short for early fireworks.
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Unfortunately, they faced the charismatic Deepak Chahar bowling lightning spell with the new ball. Chahar swung the ball and clinched a couple of wickets and also bowled himself out when the ball was new in the powerplays.
Royal guns of RR misfiring
The big names in the Rajasthan Royals failed collectively as a unit, in all departments of the game. Starting from Unadkat, and Stokes to Klaasen and Buttler to Rahane, the big names were weighed down by the heavy price tags.
Unadkat’s form with the ball has been appalling even after coming back to his former home ground where he had all the success last year.
Stokes was unable to provide the necessary breakthrough even though he played a lone hand with the bat.