IPL 7, CSK vs MI, Highlights: Mohit Sharma, Brendon McCullum set up comfortable win for Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings crushed Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in Dubai on Friday. Catch all the highlights here (Scorecard | Commentary | Points Table | Full Schedule):

Mohit Sharma, Man-of-the-Match: I was asked to mix my pace on this pitch. We bowled well and restricted them to 141 but it was still a good score on this wicket but thanks to our openers, we got home easily.

 

That's the end of this game. Another double-header tomorrow in Abu Dhabi. Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore followed by Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab.

 

MS Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings captain: The death bowling was superb. They had a partnership going in the middle overs but we managed to restrict them to a small total, so all credit goes to the bowlers. We realised here in the last game we played here that the slower one really worked here. Our plans were perfect and the bowlers executed them very well. The best thing so far is our openers have not competed with each other but they have complemented each other very well. It's crucial not to fire on all cylinders but to score at a brisk race. The openers are doing a good job and we have the firepower to back them up.

 

Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians captain: I was disappointed at not being able to get to 160. We did not get off to a good start but batted well in the middle and did not finish off well. The bowlers tried hard but 142 was not a big target - we were short by 15 runs. I got out at the wrong time. Pollard was coming off an injury, so I wanted to bat till the end. There is some work to do with out batting but the bowlers have done well in all the three games.

 

23:19 (IST)Chennai Super Kings win by seven wickets. After restricting Mumbai Indians to 141/7, CSK were off to a blazing start, thanks to Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum, who batted through the innings. Smith departed for a 22-ball 29 but McCullum ensured that CSK never really were on the backfoot even when Suresh Raina and Faf du Plessis perished to Harbhajan Singh. The Super Kings were never under any kind of pressure, chasing a mediocre score and MS Dhoni (14 not out) joined McCullum towards the end as CSK reached their target without much trouble. Mumbai Indians are now the only side without a win in the Indian Premier League 2014.

 

23:12 (IST): FOUR! McCullum cracks that over extra-cover. They don't want to wait till the last over. After three splendid overs, Malinga delivered a no-ball and that dashed all of MI's hopes of a fightback. CSK are 133/3 and they need 9 from the last two overs.

 

23:09 (IST): Malinga in his last over has bowled a no-ball. Free hit. And SIX! Dhoni smokes that into the stands. Any hint of pressure in the last three overs has now gone. This should be a walk in the park for Dhoni and his men now.

 

23:07 (IST): Zaheer has bowled out and at the end of the 17th over, CSK are 120/3 and need 22 off the last three overs.

 

23:02 (IST): WICKET! Pollard dropped Faf, then a miscue from Faf dropped short of Anderson at midwicket before Harbhajan finally got him in the same over, getting him stumped by Gautam. CSK: 114/3 off 16 overs.

 

22:57 (IST): Another fine over from Malinga - three off it. CSK: 107/2 after the 15th.

 

22:50 (IST): Strategic timeout with the Chennai Super Kings on 104/2 off 14 overs. They need another 38 from six overs and have eight wickets in hand. Mumbai Indians have all the catching up to do, if they want to make a match out of it.

 

22:47 (IST): SIX! Short of a length from Zaheer and McCullum muscles it over the stands. Great hitting by the CSK opener. That also brings up the 100 for Chennai Super Kings.

 

22:45 (IST): McCullum brings up his fifty, CSK take 10 off the over and they are now 95/2 with seven overs left.

 

22:43 (IST): FOUR! McCullum hammers that one to the fence. This is now CSK's game to lose from hereon.

 

22:41 (IST): Rohit Sharma is trying all his options and he has turned to Pollard now, with the game slipping away quickly from the Mumbai Indians.

 

22:39 (IST): FOUR! Great footwork from McCullum who charges down the ground to play another flat-batted shot against Harbhajan. CSK are 85/2 after 11 overs.

 

22:36 (IST): Malinga brought back into the attack and he delivers a great over - just two off it. Chennai Super Kings are 78/2 after 11 overs.

 

22:30 (IST): SIX! Ravi Shastri is impressed by McCullum's bat speed as the Kiwi captain takes Harbhajan on. Superb shot that. CSK are 76/2, halfway into their innings.

 

22:26 (IST): Ojha will bowl out here. McCullum and Faf du Plessis the batsmen for CSK in the middle.

 

22:23 (IST): WICKET! Harbhajan lures Raina out of the crease and Gautam whips the bails off in a flash. Great work by both bowler and 'keeper. CSK have lost their second and they are now 61/2 off 7.4 overs.

 

22:21 (IST): Harbhajan Singh replaces Corey Anderson in the attack. A change was on the cards after Anderson gave away 14 in his first.

 

22:19 (IST): Back after the timeout and it's Raina who joins McCullum in the middle.

 

22:15 (IST): SIX! Smith continues to tear into Ojha. WICKET! Smith goes airborne again but this time it was a mistimed shot and Anderson ran in to take a very good catch. CSK 57/1 off 6.2 overs and it's a strategic timeout.

 

22:14 (IST): FOUR! Another spanking drive from McCullum brings the 50 up for the Super Kings. Fourteen runs off the over as CSK race away to 51/0 after 6 overs.

 

22:11 (IST): FOUR! McCullum blazes that through the off-side as Anderson continues to pay for his poor length.

 

22:09 (IST): FOUR! Corey Anderson in the attack and McCullum shows who's the boss. Cracking shot from the Kiwi captain.

 

22:04 (IST): As expected, Malinga in the attack. He is now one of the four national captains in this game tonight.

 

22:02 (IST): FOUR! Struck on the up by McCullum and it's turning out to be expensive from Zaheer. FOUR! That was short from Zaheer and McCullum dismisses it from his presence. CSK: 32/0 off 4 overs.

 

22:00 (IST) SIX! Dwayne Smith is dealing in sixes now. That one off Zaheer was bludgeoned and it toasted the sight-screen. Brutal.

 

21:57 (IST): SIX! Smith sends Ojha packing into the stands. He had a look at the left-arm spinner for the first over and now takes full toll. SIX! Another one, this one as flat as they come. Beautifully hit. CSK: 15/0 after 3 overs.

 

21:56 (IST): Good over from Zaheer comes to an end. Mumbai Indians are 2/0 after two overs.

 

21:54 (IST): Ravi Shastri, on commentary, says Zaheer will have to do some damage early because the swing won't last for more than three or four overs. But right now, Zak is moving it both ways and is making life a little uncomfortable for both of CSK's openers.

 

21:52 (IST): Zaheer Khan to bowl the second over. McCullum on strike and Zaheer gets swing straight away.

 

21:50 (IST): Pragyan Ojha bowling the first over to Dwayne Smith, who is opening the CSK innings with Brendon McCullum. Mumbai Indians are not defending too many, so they will need to bowl well early on. And Ojha starts with a maiden.

 

21:34 (IST): Mumbai Indians are 141/7 after 20 overs after electing to bat first. Michael Hussey, playing against his former team, Chennai Super Kings, was castled by Ben Hilfenhaus early while Mohit Sharma struck soon after to knock off an in-form Aditya Tare. Rohit Sharma scored a half-century in his 100th IPL game while Corey Anderson chipped in with 39 off 31 but they could not really break the shackles in their 98-run stand. After Anderson and Rohit departed, big things were expected of Rayudu and Pollard but they were both removed by Mohit Sharma in the 19th over - he also dismissed Harbhajan Singh off the last over. Mohit finished with 4/14 off his four overs and only a four by CM Gautam and a six by Zaheer Khan off the last over from Ben Hilfenhaus gave Mumbai Indians' score any semblance of respectability.

 

21:29 (IST): WICKET! Another one for Mohit, his fourth of the innings as Harbhajan Singh goes for a duck. Mumbai Indians are 127/9 after 19 overs.

 

21:26 (IST): WICKET! Pollard misses and Mohit hits. Mumbai Indians are in all sorts of trouble at 127/6 after 18.4 overs.

 

21:23 (IST): WICKET! Rayudu holds out to Raina in the deep off Mohit Sharma's bowling - MI are 125/5 off 18.1 overs.

21:20 (IST): WICKET! Rohit Sharma was looking to cut loose soon after reaching his fifty but succumbs to a slower one from Hilfenhaus, departing for 50 off 41 balls as MI reach 123/4 off 17.4 overs.

 

21:18 (IST): Hilfenhaus comes back to bowl his third. He will bowl two of the last three overs and Rohit and Pollard will need to play exceptionally well to get some quick runs off him. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma reaches to his first fifty in 12 IPL innings in his 100th IPL game.

 

21:16 (IST) FOUR! Pollard's pad snapped out, he changed it and soon after plated Pandey fine to the fence. He wants to and needs to get a few quick runs here. MI are 120/3 after 17 overs.

 

21:12 (IST): Pandey back in the attack with Pollard on strike in the 17th over. This could be a big one either which one.

 

21:08 (IST): Back live after the timeout. Pollard is the new man in and he will need to strike a few big ones. Can he?

 

21:04 (IST): WICKET! A direct hit from Ashwin at the non-striker's end catches Corey Anderson short of his ground. Vital breakthrough for the Super Kings. MI: 109/3 off 15/2 overs . And it's a strategic timeout.

 

21:01 (IST): FOUR! Short and wide from Jadeja and it gets the treatment from Rohit. Fourteen have come off the over as MI reach 108/2 after the 15th.

20:59 (IST): FOUR! Power-packed shot from Anderson off Ravindra Jadeja. 100 up for MI and it's nicely set up for them, with two-well set batsmen.

 

Meanwhile, here's some news for R Ashwin. He has been recommended for the Arjuna Award by the BCCI. Virat Kohli bagged the government award last year and if Ashwin does get it in 2014, he will become the 47th cricketer to be bestowed with this honour.

 

20:54 (IST): FOUR! Rohit smacks that to the fence and SIX! Rohit is giving MI just what the doctor ordered for them. This over from Raina turned out to be costly for CSK, as 15 come off it. MI are 88/2 with seven overs left and Pollard due to bat some time soon.

 

20:49 (IST): Yet another good over from Ashwin - just four off it. Mumbai Indians are 73/2 after 12 overs.

 

20:47 (IST): Ashwin back for his second spell, with Mumbai Indians looking to up the ante.

 

20:43 (IST): SIX! Hilfenhaus back into the attack and Rohit welcomes him with a maximum. Sweetly timed shot from the Mumbai Indians skipper.

 

20:40 (IST): Raina continues after the timeout. Mumbai Indians will certainly look to explode sometime soon now. Rayudu and Pollard are due in next, so they have enough firepower still. Meanwhile, the 5- comes up for MI In the 10th over. SIX! Anderson spears that into the aisles. MI are 57/2, halfway into their innings.

20:37 (IST): Just three runs off the over from Pandey and Mumbai Indians are 47/2 at the end of the 9th. Strategic timeout.

 

20:34 (IST): Ishwar Pandey back in the attack. Mumbai Indians bat deep, so CSK need to keep the pressure on.

 

20:32 (IST): FOUR! Anderson was under pressure after a few dot balls but this time he latched on to that Raina delivery. MI need more of that, a lot more. MI: 44/2 after 8 overs.

 

20:31 (IST): Suresh Raina into the attack. He's a handy bowler in this format and he usually bowls a good line.

 

20:30 (IST): FOUR! Rohit Sharma plays it fine and that's a boundary to end the over from Mohit Sharma. MI: 37/2 after 7 overs.

 

20:25 (IST): Another good over from Ashwin despite conceding a boundary. CSK are doing a good job upfront against a strong MI batting line-up. MI: 31/2 after 6 overs.

 

20:19 (IST): WICKET! One shot too many for Tare after Ashwin had built up some pressure in the last over. Mohit Sharma reaps the rewards as Tare plays it down the throat of Suresh Raina. MI: 25/2 off 4.4 overs.

 

20:17 (IST): Another bowling change as Mohit Sharma comes into the attack. He does not give away too many runs and is going to be handy in these conditions.

 

20:15 (IST): Anderson has had an indifferent start to his IPL career and CSK would like to keep it that way. Maybe his New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum would have shared some ideas. Meanwhile, Ashwin completes a good over - just five off it. MI are 25/1 after 4 overs.

 

20:14 (IST): R Ashwin into the attack in the fourth over of the innings. Dhoni has fallen back on his best spinner early in the innings. All credit to Tare.

 

20:11 (IST): FOUR! Tare is in some form as he times another one to the fence. FOUR! Wow, what a shot that was from Tare, he is on song here. Sensational shot as he creams that one through the-offside. That's his fourth boundary already. Pandey is at the receiving end of some stunning shots. MI: 20/1 after 3 overs.

 

20:08 (IST): WICKET! What a beauty from Hilfehaus as Hussey missed the line and had his timber rattled. MI: 11/1 after two overs.

 

20:06 (IST): FOUR! Cracking shot from Tare as Hilfenhaus runs in to bowl. Great shot to start with. FOUR! Another one as Tare times and places it perfectly on the off-side.

 

20:05 (IST): Good first over from Pandey as Mumbai Indians reach 3/0 after the first over.

 

20:00 (IST): Mike Hussey up against his former team, for the very first time and he will take strike against Ishwar Pandey.

 

19:53 (IST): Here are the playing XIs:

 

Chennai Super Kings: Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni (Captain & WK), Mithun Manhas, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ishwar Pandey, Mohit Sharma

 

Mumbai Indians: Mike Hussey, Aditya Tare, Ambati Rayudu, Rohit Sharma (Captain), Kieron Pollard, Corey Anderson, CM Gautam (WK), Harbhajan Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Zaheer Khan, Lasith Malinga

 

19:34 (IST): Mumbai Indians have won the toss and opted to bat against the Chennai Super Kings. And this is a special occasion for both captains. It's the 100th IPL game for both MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma.

 

 

PREVIEW

Their campaign off to a disastrous start, defending champions Mumbai Indians will be gunning for their first win in IPL-7 but it won't be easy as they take on a formidable Chennai Super Kings on Friday.

The Rohit Sharma-led side suffered big defeats to Kolkata Knight Riders (by 41 runs) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (by 7 wickets) in their first two games. Mumbai have plenty of work to do, both in their batting as well as bowling departments.

It is their batting which has hurt the title holders badly as they could only muster 122 and 115 in the first two games. (Read full preview)