4.6 overs (0 Run) PUT DOWN! A very tough chance but MS Dhoni would be disappointed with himself.
4.5 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Dismissed with a straight bat. Quality strike from the young man. Fuller and around off, Prithvi Shaw shows tremendous bat speed as he launches it behind the bowler for a biggie.
4.4 overs (0 Run) Play and a miss! Fuller and wider outside off, Shaw chases but misses.
4.3 overs (1 Run) Fantastic stop by Ravindra Jadeja! Short in length and wide outside off, Iyer cracks it off his back foot to backward point. Jadeja dives across to his right and takes the pace off the ball. He parries it to point and they cross for a run.
4.2 overs (1 Run) On a length around middle, Shaw closes the face of his bat and works it in the gap at mid-wicket for a single.
Here comes the first change in bowling. Shardul Thakur comes in to replace Deepak Chahar.
4.1 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Prithvi Shaw has nailed it! A touch short in length outside off, Shaw attacks it with all his might and dismisses it all the way over deep mid-wicket. Prithvi Shaw will continue to play his shots, that's his role.
3.6 overs (0 Run) Bowls it on a length and in the line of the stumps, Iyers steps back to make room but pushes it towards point. Great over from Josh Hazlewood, 4 runs and a wicket from it.
3.5 overs (0 Run) Pitches it up and outside off, Shreyas drives it through the line. The cover fielder misses it as he dives but Faf du Plessis has it covered, after running across to his left from mid off.
3.4 overs (0 Run) Full and around off, angling in at 140.4 kph, Iyer defends it back to the bowler.
3.3 overs (0 Run) On a length and outside off, Shreyas Iyer pushes it with an angled bat to point.
Shreyas Iyer walks out to bat at number 3. A slip in place.
3.2 overs (0 Run) OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! Josh Hazlewood responds with a wicket, a big scalp for Chennai as Dhawan departs. Hazlewood shows that the Test-match length can work in T20s as well. Puts it on a good length around off, gets it to nip away a shade at 144.7 kph, Dhawan is caught on the back foot as he tries to push it through the line. A thick outside edge gets generated and Dhoni does the rest behind the wickets.
3.1 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Dhawan joins the fun. Fuller in length and on middle, Shikhar walks down the track and lofts it over the bowler's head for a boundary.
2.6 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Very poor from Chahar. Offers width outside off, short in length, Shaw latches onto it and whacks it through backward point for yet another boundary. 17 from the over and Delhi are off to a flying start in Qualifier 1.
2.5 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Boundaries are flowing from the bat of Shaw. The line from Chahar is quite ordinary. It's on a length around middle and leg, at 118 kph, Shaw glances it behind square leg and beats the chasing short fine leg fielder.
2.4 overs (0 Run) Chahar pitches it up and around off, Shaw plays a mistimed on drive to mid on.
2.3 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Sweetly timed. This one is right from the middle of the bat. Fractionally short and around off, Prithvi Shaw rocks on the back foot and punches it through point for a boundary.
2.2 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Prithvi Shaw is the master of edges this evening. Back of a length, around off, Prithvi Shaw stays back to smash it over the leg side but drags it off the inner edge past short fine leg. Another boundary.
2.1 overs (1 Run) Slower and short around off at 118.7 kph, Dhawan hangs back and taps it down to cover-point for a run. A nice approach, Dhawan will accumulate runs and Shaw will attack.
1.6 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Another edgy shot and this one has gone the distance. Short and around leg, angling down at 132 clicks, Prithvi Shaw swivels to pull but top-edges it behind the keeper for a biggie. Nothing wrong in the over from Josh Hazlewood but still he has conceded 12 runs.
1.5 overs (1 Run) It's served on a good length, around middle at 139.6 kph, Dhawan walks across the stumps and nudges it behind square leg for a single.
1.4 overs (1 Run) Josh Hazlewood hits the deck hard and clocks 132.9 kph, it's on a length around off and Shaw drops it with gentle hands towards mid-wicket. They pinch a quick single.
1.3 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Off the top edge! A 141 kph short delivery outside off, Prithvi Shaw again tries to pull from the back foot but this time it grabs the top edge and flies behind the keeper for a boundary.
1.2 overs (0 Run) Big shot attempted but it's not in the gap. Back of a length and outside off, at 144 kph, Prithvi Shaw tries to pull but it takes the inner half and rolls to mid-wicket.
1.1 overs (0 Run) Josh Hazlewood is quite straight with his line first up, on a length, Prithvi Shaw flicks it on the leg side but finds the fielder inside the ring at mid-wicket.
Josh Hazlewood to steam in from the other end.
0.6 over (1 Run) 3 runs from the opening over! Around off on a length, Shaw turns inside the crease and works it to deep mid-wicket. There is a fielder manning that region and hence only a run.
0.5 over (1 Run) Dhawan is off the mark now! Chahar delivers it on a length around middle, Dhawan eases it towards square leg and scampers across to the other end.
0.4 over (0 Run) Chahar goes very full and wide outside off and gets away with a bad ball. Dhawan drives square of the wicket but finds the point fielder.
0.3 over (0 Run) On a good length, around middle and off, Dhawan sticks back inside the crease and plays it down towards backward point.
0.2 over (1 Run) Back of a length, on middle, Shaw stays back and wrists it in front of square leg for a run. Delhi are underway.
0.1 over (0 Run) Starts with a slightly short delivery, around off and moving away, Shaw punches from the back foot but finds the fielder at cover-point.
We are ready for play. The umpires stride out to the middle followed by the players of Chennai. Out come the openers for Delhi, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw. Deepak Chahar has the new ball in hand. Here we go... Hang on, Deepak probably loses his run-up and pulls out. Take 2!
Rishabh Pant, the skipper of Delhi, says that they have batted first enough to be able to go out and set a target but if given the choice, he would have bowled first as well. Admits that he is a bit nervous. He mentions that there is one change in the XI with Tom Curran coming in for Ripal Patel. Adds that when you play one team again and again and get a few wins on the trot, it helps your confidence but they cannot take this match lightly.
MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai, says that in whatever games they have played so far at this venue, they feel it helps the bowlers as it stops a bit initially but adds that it no way eases out a lot and it is still a tough wicket with no exact pattern. About the mentality to play the playoffs, MS Dhoni replies that they try to keep things simple irrespective of whether it is a playoff match or any other one and adds that they just try to analyze where they can improve. Informs that Chennai are UNCHANGED.
Delhi (Playing XI) - Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (C/WK), Shimron Hetmyer, Axar Patel, Tom Curran (In for Ripal Patel), Ravichandran Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Avesh Khan.
Chennai (Playing XI) - Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni (C/WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood.
TOSS - Both the captains are out in the middle. Pant flips the coin and Dhoni calls correctly. Chennai have elected to BOWL first.
Pitch report - Pommie Mbangwa and Matthew Hayden are the pitch inspectors for the evening. The former starts by informing that the square boundaries are shorter on one side and longer on the other. Hayden reckons that this surface is looking better than the one where Delhi faced Bangalore in the last league match. Mentions that there is less grass and it is dry. Reckons that the cracks haven't come into play because this is only the third time that this pitch is being used. Adds that 160 is the par score. Ends by saying that it's a good surface to bat on.
7/10 - Dubai has been a venue for the chasers in this edition. Seven teams have won batting second in the last ten night games and dew often plays a factor. Toss is going to be crucial!
Over the years, Delhi were criticized for being inconsistent and often were the punching bags for other teams. Things though have changed drastically in the last few editions. They finished third in 2019, second in 2020 and are the table-toppers in the ongoing season. The graph of Delhi has steadily gone up and their aim this time would be to go the distance and taste glory. Against Chennai, they're on a roll, winning the last four matches, and it's no mean feat to achieve. Another stat though suggests that Delhi have faltered twice against Chennai in the playoffs. Can they overcome this mental block today?
Chennai are following an unwanted 3-match losing streak and that's the most common point mentioned in the build-up to this game. That's true but one can't really judge Chennai's form based on the last few games. They're the 3-time champions and the point worth remembering is that Chennai unlock their beast mode in the playoffs. Hence it's needless to read too much into their last three defeats. As Dhoni had said, they need to fine-tune a few areas before the playoffs and expect them to do that in this high stake match.
Hello and a warm welcome to everyone for the coverage of Qualifier 1 between Delhi and Chennai in Dubai. It's been a blockbuster season so far, full of fun and drama, and we're expecting the climax to be equally exciting. Eight teams have been trimmed down to four and the top two are going to lock horns this evening. There's nothing much to differentiate between the two teams and let's hope for a close contest. So, pick your favourite and enjoy the ride.
... MATCH DAY ...
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