IPL History: CSK's 3 most memorable wins against MI

#2. The Finals at Mumbai in 2010

Suresh Raina - The big match player for CSK

CSK and MI reached the final of IPL 2010. The MI was appearing in a final for the first time and that too at their home ground.

CSK won the toss and safely decided to bat first in the big final. The CSK openers Murali Vijay and Matthew Hayden gave their team a solid start putting on 44 runs for the first wicket. However, both the openers departed before the score crossed 50.

CSK’s man for the crisis, Badrinath too departed cheaply. CSK were in a spot of bother with the score reading 67 for 3 in the 12th over. Their run rate was just above 5 with only 8 overs to go. At this juncture, the CSK skipper MS Dhoni joined the IPL superman Suresh Raina.

The MI had a weak link in their bowling armory in the form of Kieron Pollard as their 5th bowler. Raina targeted that weak link milking 31 runs from Pollard’s last 2 overs. Even the main bowlers Lasith Malinga and Zaheer Khan were not spared on their comeback spells.

Raina reached his 50 off 24 balls. He and Dhoni added 72 runs in 6 overs to bring some respectability to the CSK total. After Dhoni’s dismissal for 22, Albie Morkel played a cameo scoring 15 off 6 balls and CSK reached a decent total of 168. Raina remained not out on 57 off 33 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes. The match was in the balance at the halfway mark.

Ashwin started CSK’s bowling efforts with a maiden. In the next over, Doug Bollinger got rid of Shikhar Dhawan. However, Abhishek Nayar who was promoted to No. 3 and Sachin Tendulkar were quick to get off the mark and the partnership was assuming dangerous propositions. Mumbai reached 67 for 1 at the end of 11 overs.

With the match perfectly poised for a close finish, Dhoni got into the act. Nayar dropped the ball at short square leg and took off. Tendulkar refused to budge and Dhoni had ample time to aim at the stumps and effected a direct-hit. That was the turning point of the match.

For some strange reasons, MI promoted Harbhajan at No. 4 who lasted for just 2 balls. The sudden loss of 2 wickets in one over stalled MI progress. Both Tendulkar and new batsman Ambati Rayadu had to slow down to consolidate. The asking rate jumped up to 12.71 with 7 overs to go. In the14th over, Raina conceded 15 runs to Ambati Rayadu.

Shadad Jakati then removed the well-set Tendulkar for 48 in the 15th over. In the same over, Saurabh Tiwary became Jakati’s second victim. The stage was set for Kieron Pollard’s arrival with MI needing 69 off 31 balls. But Mumbai made another tactical blender by sending in JP Duminy ahead of Pollard. Duminy wasted precious deliveries and got out to Muralitharan for 6 off 7 balls.

Finally, Pollard arrived at the crease with MI needing an improbable 55 in 3 overs. The 18th over was bowled by CSK’s most successful bowler of the season Doug Bollinger. Pollard had no other choice except to swing his bat around. He hit 2 fours and 2 sixes in that over to reduce the target to 33 in 2 overs.

Albie Morkel bowled an excellent 19th over in which he gave away only 6 runs and took the wicket of danger man Pollard off the last ball of his spell. In between, Rayadu had to sacrifice his wicket to keep Pollard going. The loss of those 2 wickets in the 19th over virtually sealed Mumbai’s fate as CSK won the finals by 22 runs.

CSK won the IPL trophy for the first time.

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