Smith, Raina help Chennai Super Kings tame Delhi Daredevils

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings were facing two opponents on Monday night - Delhi Daredevils and Mother Nature. Chasing a tough target of 179 at the Ferozeshah Kotla, IPL 7 table toppers had to keep one eye on the Duckworth & Lewis par score every over due to a steady drizzle from around the 12th over of their innings.
They had the perfect man for the task in the middle - Dwayne Smith (79, 51b, 4x4, 8x6) - who according to his own coach Stephen Fleming is a great 'reader' of a cricket match.
The West Indian opener powered to his fourth fifty of the season with a knock studded with eight massive sixes on the small Kotla ground to set up an eight-wicket win - CSK's sixth on the trot - with skipper MS Dhoni smashing a six and four in the final over.
Smith looked completely unflustered during the chase, cruising to his fifty off 38 balls with two fours and six sixes - three of them in the same over off left-arm seamer Jaydev Unadkat. CSK also benefitted from another fine start by openers Smith and Brendon McCullum (32, 35b, 5x4) with the pair putting on 82.
Although the asking rate was touching 11 an over by the time Suresh Raina walked into the middle, there wasn't a hint of concern. Raina and Smith raised 50 of their second-wicket stand in just 26 balls - not only keeping up with the D&L par score but also the required run-rate. Smith almost settled the game in the 18th over itself when he smashed 4, 6, 4 off Mohammad Shami's last three balls.
Earlier, poor luck dogged the Daredevils through their entire innings again but a late onslaught by JP Duminy and Kedar Jadhav carried them to 178/5. Just when the side looked like getting on top, by some quirk of fate, CSK snatched back the initiative with a couple of wickets.
Duminy (28 n.o., 17b, 5x4) and Jadhav (29 n.o., 18b, 2x4, 2x6) managed to prop up the Devils, much like they had done against the Rajasthan Royals in the last match on Saturday. The duo put on 58 runs in just 34 balls for the sixth wicket.
For a while, Tamil was the flavour at the Kotla as Dinesh Karthik (51, 36b, 4x4, 3x6) and opener Murali Vijay (35, 30b, 2x4, 1x6) tore into the Super Kings attack.
The third-wicket partnership between the duo yielded 71 runs off just 50 balls after Delhi were left battling at 37 for 2. Daredevils' Rs 12.5 crore buy Karthik finally showed his worth with a sizzling display.
If Karthik had carried on for a few more over, a total of close to 200 was on the cards but the TN stumper was dismissed the very next ball after reaching his fifty.