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Chennai: The smiles are back and the whistle podu is finally loud and clear at the Chepauk. It's still not known whether Chennai will be in the playoffs in a week's time, but they have finally made a statement of intent, that too against the hottest team in the competition.
Their emphatic nine-wicket win over Delhi on Saturday night has taken Dhoni's boys to 15 points and they are still in a sudden-death situation as they approach the last two games in Kolkata and Mohali over the next one week.
For CSK Michael Hussey made 38 while Murali Vijay remained unbeaten on 48 with Suresh Raina making 28.
Delhi, of course, have all but sealed one of the top-two slots, and they lacked the intensity that is so crucial in this format. With the wicket not exactly conducive for stand-and-deliver strokeplay, it needed one among the top-four to stick around for a while.
But the likes of Virender Sehwag (4), David Warner (8) and Mahela Jaywardene (8) couldn't quite do that and the Chennai spearhead Ben Hilfenhaus (3-27) deserves all the credit for restricting Delhi to a paltry 114-5. The Aussie paceman removed Sehwag with a beautiful outswinger that knocked the skipper's off stump in the very first over.
Venugopala Rao (27 off 24 balls) and Yogesh Nagar (44 off 47 balls) tried to do the repair job, but Chennai, by then, had assumed control. Dhoni changed his bowlers around, tightened the noose, and it was difficult for the lower-order to find the big shots against canny bowlers like R Ashwin and Dwayne Bravo.
From there, it was an absolute cakewalk for the Chennai batsmen and the opening pair of M Vijay and Mike Hussey put on 75 runs off the first 10 overs to make it a completely one-sided affair. While Vijay found his touch, playing some lovely shots both off the front and backfoot, Hussey looked the perfect accumulator, making maximum use of every opportunity that came his way.
He also ensured that the Chennai top order didn't miss Faf Du Plessis, who was still recovering from fever and couldn't take part in the game.
Brief scores
Delhi Daredevils 114 for 5 (Nagar 43*, Hilfenhaus 3-27)
Chennai Super Kings 115 for 1 (Vijay 48*, Hussey 38)
Result Chennai Super Kings won by 9 wickets
MOM Ben Hilfenhaus (Chennai Super Kings)
Points Chennai Super Kings 2, Delhi Daredevils 0
