Delhi Crash to Sixth Successive Defeat

New Delhi: Daredevils plummeted to their sixth successive defeat, with a comical batting effort ensuring they managed only 83 runs chasing Chennai's impressive 169/4.

Delhi came into this game with high hopes of a home resurgence but pitted against a clinical Chennai Super Kings at the Ferozeshah Kotla, Jayawardene's men plummeted to their sixth successive defeat, a comical batting effort ensuring they managed only 83 chasing Chennai's impressive 169/4.

After having failed to bat out even 20 overs and putting on the lowest total in this edition, they are clearly the new whipping boys of this league.

Chennai ironed out the chinks in their line-up and played their by-now predictable plan of batting steadily if unspectacularly in the first 10 overs, before launching into a devastating late assault aided by MS Dhoni's muscular heaves.

Delhi, on the other hand, imploded so quickly into the chase that a packed house was more than half-empty when the game ended. Virender Sehwag hit Albie Morkel for maximum in the first over but the ace in the CSK pack on this occasion turned out to be Haryana import Mohit Sharma (3/10 off 3 overs), whose second over ensured Warner and Manprit Juneja's wickets.

Warner's woeful form continued as he chopped one on and a favourable LBW decision later, Jayawardene and Sehwag had all the work to do. But Jayawardene missed the flick, Chris Morris appealed successfully for another leg-before, and Sehwag holed out straight into the hands of deep square leg.

Before the sixth over had been bowled, Delhi were 30/4, and for a top-heavy line-up it was the end of the road. The rest came and went without putting up even a semblance of a fight, with only Kedar Jadhav's 31 ensuring they lasted 17.3 overs.

Reduced ticket rates for some stands ensured a good crowd, and it ended up cheering MS Dhoni (44 off 23; 5x4, 1x6) more than its own team. Dhoni brought back regular opener Michael Hussey, with whom he put on 74 runs in only 40 balls. Hussey played his role to perfection, carrying his bat through for an effective 65 (50b; 6x4, 2x6) and setting the stage for the dramatic strokeplay later on.

The first 10 overs produced only 60, and Delhi would have fancied their chances at that point.

The Devils made some changes of their own, bringing in Agarkar for Ashish Nehra and Jeevan Mendis for Ben Rohrer.

The decision seemed to have worked when Agarkar gave away only five runs off his first two overs, and 29 off his four, but he also dropped Dhoni at long off in the 16th over to tilt the scales in CSK's favour.

Given an unexpected lifeline, Dhoni latched into Morne Morkel in the 18th over, which produced 19, and Hussey too got into the act. The stage for the CSK assault was set by Hussey's 60-run stand with a relatively sedate Suresh Raina (30 off 32, 5x4), and Chennai will now be celebrating a resurgence of their own. For the Devils, the nightmare continues.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings won the toss and elected to bat.

Chennai Super Kings have have brought back Michael Hussey in place of S Anirudha. Dirk Nannes have been dropped due to injury.

Delhi brought in Ajit Agarkar in place of Ashish Nehra while Jeevan Mendis replaced Ben Rohrer

After five consecutive losses, Delhi will try to get off the mark at their home ground against the two time champions.

It's hard to believe the Devils — who will be looking to stave off a sixth successive defeat — were a model of efficiency just last season, becoming the first to reach the playoffs.

Teams:

Delhi: Virender Sehwag, David Warner, Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Manprit Juneja, Kedar Jadhav (wk), Irfan Pathan, Jeevan Mendis, Morne Morkel, Ajit Agarkar, Shahbaz Nadeem, Umesh Yadav

Chennai: Murali Vijay, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni (captain & wk), Albie Morkel, Chris Morris, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohit Mahipal Sharma

Brief scores
Chennai Super Kings 169 for 4 (Hussey 65*, Dhoni 44)
Delhi Daredevils 83 (Mohit Sharma 3-10, Ashwin 2-18)
Result Chennai Super Kings won by 86 runs
Points Chennai Super Kings 2, Delhi Daredevils 0
MOM Miachel Hussey (Chennai Super Kings)