Jadeja all-round show halts PBKS run

Ravindra Jadeja scored a 26-ball 43 with the bat and returned figures of 3 for 2 with the ball © BCCI/IPL

Ravindra Jadeja's all-round show helped Chennai Super Kings pip Punjab Kings by 28 runs in Dharamshala and bring the hosts' five-match winning streak against them to a screeching halt. His timely acceleration at the death, in a 26-ball 43, helped CSK to a respectable 167/9 and later the spinner bagged 3-20 with the ball as Punjab Kings' batting imploded spectacularly in a game that was decided in the middle-overs.

Where was the game won?The middle overs.

CSK struggled themselves, managing only 57/4 in the overs between 7 to 15, but Punjab completely lost the track there. The collapse of 5 for 16 triggered by Jadeja's three-fer, including both the set batters - Shashank Singh and Prabhsimran Singh - never allowed any room for late recovery that Punjab have twice famously pulled off in this season previously.

Chennai Super Kings

Powerplay:Gaikwad and Mitchell lay the platform

CSK: 60/1 (RR:10, 6x4s, 2x6s)

Put in to bat first, after Ruturaj Gaikwad lost yet another toss, CSK lost Ajinkya Rahane early but the skipper joined hands with Daryl Mitchell to forge a 57-run stand. It was Mitchell, who got sent one-down today, who helped the team switch gears when he pulled Arshdeep Singh for a four and followed it up with a six down the ground Gaikwad then joined the party in the final powerplay over, taking down Harpreet Brar almost single-handedly. Brar had conceded only 17 against CSK in Chennai and here the flurry of boundaries and that welcome with a six from the CSK skipper meant they looted 19 off the left-arm spinner's single over alone, after which he never bowled again in the match.

Middle: Chahar, Harshal blow away CSK middle-order

CSK: 57/4 (RR: 6.33, 7x4s)

Unlike Brar, Chahar continued his good run of form and dented CSK as soon as he took the ball. The legspinner had both Gaikwad and Shivam Dube, who bagged his second golden duck on the trot, edging behind to Jitesh Sharma as CSK lost two in two. Moeen Ali got a promotion too, and did well to avoid the hat-trick ball but Harshal Patel joined the wicket-taking party and struck in his first over, trapping the dangerous Mitchell LBW after a brisk 19-ball cameo worth 30. Pushed to the backfoot, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen attacked pace briefly, picking up a couple of boundaries each, However, Curran returned and took out Moeen with a short, pace-off ball.

Death: Jadeja switches gears to help CSK finish strong

CSK: 50/4 (RR 7.14, 3x4s, 3x6s)

Chahar returned at death and struck again, but CSK held back Dhoni and promoted Shardul Thakur instead. And he vindicated the call with a cameo of 17, taking on Curran albeit with the help of a reprieve. However, it was followed by an excellent 19th over from Harshal - where he cut short the Shardul fireworks and ensured there'd be none from Dhoni, who was cleaned up with a slower off-cutter. Jadeja's couple of big hits in the final over - worth 16 - helped CSK to a respectable 167/9.

Punjab Kings

Powerplay: Prabhsimran-Shashank lead recovery

PBKS: 47/2 (RR: 7.83, 5x4s, 2x6s)

A miserly first over from Mitchell Santner was followed by a devastating one from Tushar Deshpande, who beat both the heroes with the bat in Chennai - Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossow - for pace. The English opener ended up dragging an inside edge onto the stumps, while the South African was cleaned up for a three-ball duck. In four overs of PowerPlay, PBKS had crawled to only 16/2 but had the in-form Shashank Singh in the middle alongside Impact Sub opener Prabhsimran Singh who helped the team move on by taking on Richard Gleeson. Together the pair next went after Deshpande to ruin his powerplay spell with a 16-run third over.

Middle: A collapse of epic proportions

PBKS:44/6 (RR: 4.88, 3x4s,1x6)

Santner returned and bowled one too full to be dispatched for a four right over his head by Shashank but he course-corrected quickly and had the PBKS batter hole out the very next ball to fall for just 27. Jadeja then got into the act, getting the other set batter to hit one straight to the fielder at long-off. As if losing both set batters wasn't enough, Jitesh Sharma became the second wicketkeeper in the game to be handed a golden duck, by Simarjeet Singh. Ashutosh Sharma was hit on the body twice by the medium pacer, even got a reprieve, but Jadeja put CSK firmly in control when he sent back the PBKS finisher and their stand-in captain both in the space of three balls as Punjab lost five wickets for just 16 runs to all but crash out. Harshal briefly reignited hopes when he whacked Simrajeet for a six and a four but the medium-pacer had the last laugh.

Death: PBKS bow out in style

PBKS:48/1, RR: (9.6, 4x4s, 2x6s)

Only the formalities remained for CSK but Chahar delayed the inevitable with a few lusty blows towards the end. Richard Gleeson was at the receiving end, hit for a 4, 4, 6 in his third over and another six by Rabada in the last one of his spell. However, Punjab's rotten luck in 'home' games and home turfs to a fifth successive game. They had lost four consecutively in five matches at Mullanpur, their new home in New Chandigarh, and now started the second home leg in Dharamsala with a loss too.

Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 167/9 in 20 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 43; Rahul Chahar 3-23, Harshal Patel 3-24) beat Punjab Kings 139/9 in 20 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 30, Shashank Singh 27; Ravindra Jadeja 3-20, Tushar Deshpande 2-35) by 28 runs

What's next for the teams?

Punjab host RCB next at this adopted home, on May 9, while CSK head to Ahmedabad and take on Gujarat Titans the following day.

© Cricbuzz

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