Bowlers steal show as Chennai restrict Delhi to 147/9

Chennai Super Kings bowlers put up a superb show to restrict Delhi Capitals to 147/9 in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Qualifier 2 at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium here on Friday.

Harbhajan Singh (2/31) and Dwayne Bravo (2/19) used their reservoir of experience to good affect while Deepak Chahar (2/28) continued his rich form with the ball as Delhi never got going despite having Rishabh Pant at the crease for more than an hour.

Ravindra Jadeja (2/23) and Imran Tahir (1/28), their best bowler this season, also returned impressive figures.

It was an uncharacteristic innings from Pant who was initially starved of the strike and then kept at bay by the Chennai bowlers as the 21-year old eventually managed 38 off 25 with the help of two fours and a six.

Pant looked to be taking off when he hit Tahir for a four and six in the 17th over which yielded 14 runs. But Bravo bowled a brilliant 18th over in which he gave away just three runs besides accounting for Keemo Paul (3).

Chahar dismissed Pant in the penultimate over with Bravo taking the catch at long-on before Trent Boult (6 off 3) and Ishant Sharma (10* off 3) smashed some lusty blows to take the score close to the 150-run mark.

It all started with Chahar trapping young Prithvi Shaw (5) in front in the third over.

Harbhajan then accounted for the in-form Shikhar Dhawan (18), the India southpaw giving a healthy edge to M.S. Dhoni who took the catch in his second attempt.

Colin Munro and Shreyas Iyer then tried to steady the ship but just when the former was looking good, Ravindra Jadeja had him caught at deep square-leg by Bravo for 27 off 24 deliveries.

Iyer (13) departed soon after, skying a Tahir googly to backward point where Suresh Raina completed a good catch. Axar Patel (3) too failed to contribute, holing out to Tahir at third man off Bravo's bowling.

Harbhajan then sent back Sherfane Rutherford (10) and it all looked downhill from there for the first time qualifiers.

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals: 147/9 in 20 overs (Rishabh Pant 38; Deepak Chahar 2/28, Harbhajan Singh 2/31, Ravindra Jadeja 2/23, Dwayne Bravo 2/19) vs Chennai Super Kings.

--IANS

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