A royal homecoming

CHENNAI: Ravichandran Ashwin delivered with both bat and ball on his ‘happy hunting ground’, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, as Rajasthan Royals edged out Chennai Super Kings by three runs in an Indian Premier League cliff-hanger here on Wednesday.

After contributing 30 runs in Rajasthan’s 175 for eight in the first essay, ‘Man of the Match’ Ashwin accounted for Ajinkya Rahane (31) and Shivam Dube (8) besides producing a match-influencing economical spell. Courtesy of off-spinner Ashwin (4-0-25-2) and leggie Yuzvendra Chahal’s (4-0-27-2) mastery, Royals just about managed to defend its score.

Pacer Sandeep Sharma (3-0-30-1) held his nerve in the last three balls of the final over after CSK skipper MS Dhoni (32 not out off 17 balls, 1 four, 3 sixes) and Ravindra Jadeja (25 not out off 15 balls, 1 four, 2 sixes) went berserk during their 59-run stand for the unbroken seventh wicket.

With Super Kings requiring 21 runs from the last over, Dhoni smashed sixes off the second and third deliveries, but Sandeep took Rajasthan home. As a result, the home side could only reach 172 for six off its stipulated 20 overs. Earlier, opening batter Devon Conway (50 off 38 balls, 6 fours) held one end up with his first fifty of the season.

In the first essay, high-on-confidence Chennai left-arm spinner Jadeja (4-0-21-2) put the brakes on the scoring rate with a double blow after in-form opener Jos Buttler (52 off 36 balls, 1 four, 3 sixes) and No.3 Devdutt Padikkal (38 off 26 balls, 5 fours) combined for 77 runs off just 41 balls for the second-wicket alliance.

Rajasthan stood at 88 for two in 8.3 overs when Jadeja had Padikkal caught at deep mid-wicket, where Conway was stationed. The visiting team could manage only 87 runs from the last 11.3 overs as Jadeja led CSK’s comeback. Two balls after Padikkal’s dismissal, RR captain Sanju Samson was bowled through the gate by Jadeja for a duck.

Dhoni and his troops deserve plenty of credit since the host was handicapped towards the end of the innings. Sisanda Magala could not be used in the death overs after he injured his hand while taking Ashwin’s (30 off 22 balls, 1 four, 2 sixes) catch off debutant Akash Singh’s bowling (2/40).

Promoted to No.5 to steady the ship, Ashwin stitched 47 runs with Buttler for the fourth-wicket partnership and made up for a slow start with two maximums off Akash in the 15th over. Buttler finished as the team’s top-scorer despite not being at his belligerent best while Shimron Hetmyer (30 not out off 18 balls, 2 fours, 2 sixes) did just what the doctor ordered.

Moeen Ali (1/21), who removed international teammate Buttler in the 17th over, had a tough day on the field as he dropped two catches at first slip.

BRIEF SCORES: Rajasthan Royals 175/8 in 20 overs (J Buttler 52, R Jadeja 2/21, T Deshpande 2/37, Akash 2/40) bt Chennai Super Kings 172/6 in 20 overs (D Conway 50, R Ashwin 2/25, Y Chahal 2/27)