For too long now, the two protagonists at the centre of the Friday Night Farce have been careening towards a head-on collision - if not with each other, then with anyone standing in their way. For too long, the men in charge of them have either looked away or handled them with kid gloves. For too long, Indian cricket has protested, in almost every recent controversy - and there have been several - that it is more sinned against than sinner, that the real villain was always an Australian or South African or A N Other.
On Friday night it all came home to roost in scenes that were at the same time embarrassing, ludicrous, laughable, ominous - but not surprising. The Indian Premiere League's first spat was not between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds or Matthew Hayden, it was Indian against Indian. And, as Sreesanth blubbered in the manner of a child who has lost a playground spat, as Harbhajan walked around with a sheepish look on his face (and where have we seen that before), one thought kept going through the mind: that if and when this happened, Sreesanth was the prime candidate for being hit, and Harbhajan was the most likely offender.
Cricket, Indian cricket in particular, had it coming. What an irony the BCCI, which has so long indulged these two, may now have to ban one - it has already suspended Harbhajan pending the inquiry - and sanction the other. That sound you hear is of Australians chuckling at what has come to pass.
What happened on the field is not clear; as with the infamous sledging episode at Sydney, this incident was not shown on television. It appears that Sreesanth, who plays for the Kings XI Punjab, walked up to Harbhajan - captain of the opposing Mumbai Indians - after the match and commiserated on Mumbai's loss. "Hard luck", Sreesanth is believed to have said. At which point Harbhajan apparently hit Sreesanth below the eye. We have only Sreesanth's version; Harbhajan has been lying low, presumably realising that discretion is the better part.
To anyone who has followed Indian cricket in the past few months, the incident was inevitable. Sreesanth has gone from being a hugely talented bowler - one can still hear Allan Donald's appreciation of the ball's seam position in his hand - to a petulant, theatrical time-bomb who has allowed his baiting skills (and now his bawling skills) to dominate his bowling skills. He has rarely needed an excuse to turn round and stare at, or sledge, or brush past or bump into the batsman. It has happened when playing for India; it has gone unchecked. It has happened in the IPL, too. In fact it happened on Friday - minutes before we saw Sreesanth shed tears, we saw him sledge Mumbai's batsman, Musavir Khote, whom he had just dismissed. Many will see what followed as a case of crying wolf.
Sreesanth's one virtue, if it can be called that, is his ability to get away. That's a trick Harbhajan has not been able to manage in an often controversial career that has of late seen more headlines associated with his antics than with his wicket-taking abilities. It is no coincidence that he was at the centre of the two major incidents during India's tour of Australia earlier this year - the charge of racism in Sydney, from which he was let off on a technicality, and Hayden's reference to him as a "little obnoxious weed", a wrangle that continued long after he'd returned to India.
Last month, these two turned on each other during the India-South Africa Test series. It stemmed from a dropped catch by Sreesanth off Harbhajan's bowling during the Chennai Test; Harbhajan reacted with visible displeasure. Later, after making a diving save at point off Sreesanth's bowling, he was seen gesticulating at the bowler. From there to Mohali was but a short step.
Perhaps it isn't their fault; perhaps they've just been handled badly. Perhaps they needed a kick up their backsides instead of a deaf ear or, worse, a sympathetic arm around the shoulder and, in Harbhajan's case, the media's assurance that all of India was backing him in his fight against the racism charge. Both are part of a new India where aggression is celebrated, where on-field antics, often seen as entertainment, strike a chord with the Common Man. And where the finger of suspicion raised against an Indian player is prima facie an insult against the country.
Both are also part of an Indian team that has recently adopted aggressive tactics, not just as a counter but proactively. In an interview with Cricinfo last month Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the team's captain in the shorter versions of the game, indicated that the sledging and gamesmanship were calibrated, often using selected players for the task. "If you have a guy who is able to do it and who should do it, I make it a point that he does it."
Dhoni also warned against excesses but said there were inbuilt circuit-breakers - "Personally, I believe if you get punished a few times, you know what's happening and what your boundaries are." Therein lies the nub - there's been little official sanction of the on-field tantrums that have on occasion threatened to take the gloss off India's cricket successes.
Now there is opportunity. If the IPL is to establish itself as a bona fide cricket tournament and not merely a money-spinning carnival, it must act now, and act firmly. If Harbhajan indeed hit Sreesanth, he must pay; if Sreesanth provoked the act, he, too must be dealt with. But that is the easy part; the ICC's Code of Conduct will take care of this incident. What will be harder to tackle is the growing culture of aggression from where this incident emerged.
It is not natural to Indian cricketers, it is not something that can be bought off the peg and worn every match-day; the Australians have perfected it - have you ever witnessed two Australians enacting the Mohali scenes? - because it is nothing more than an extension of their daily lives. The Indian board must suo motu send out the message that this behaviour - provocation, reaction, hostility - will not be tolerated, that players must rein themselves in.
In a larger perspective, the issue may also compel the franchises to look a little closer at how they run their teams. Collecting the world's best players at auction and getting your biggest local star to captain them may not be the best way to win matches. Harbhajan is patently not captaincy material; Mumbai Indians, currently languishing one place off the bottom of the table, paid $850,000 dollars for his services, which are now in jeopardy just when they need him.
There may yet be some good coming out of this farce but that will depend on how seriously the Indian board takes the offence, takes itself and takes the IPL. The world will be watching.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Harbhajan suspended temporarily
Harbhajan Singh has been temporarily suspended from the Indian Premier League following his spat with Sreesanth at the end of the Mumbai-Punjab game in Mohali on Friday. His suspension, based on new video evidence, is pending an inquiry on Monday into the incident, which means he will not be able to play Mumbai's home match against the Deccan Chargers on Sunday.
"Based on prima facie video evidence, as seen and reviewed by the match adjudicator and referee Farokh Engineer from the tapes provided by Sony & TWI, a decision has been reached to suspend Harbhajan pending the inquiry into the incident on Monday, April 28," Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of IPL, said.
The fresh video evidence, Cricinfo has learnt, is based on additional footage of the incident from one of the host broadcaster's 21 cameras at the match. "This footage clearly shows the incident and could be the clinching evidence," a senior BCCI official told Cricinfo. It was this footage that prompted the IPL to swiftly announce Harbhajan's suspension after it was earlier decided that he could play on Sunday, the official said.
The IPL hearing, scheduled to start at 1pm local time, will be held at a hotel in New Delhi and the verdict is expected to be announced by Monday evening. "From King's XI Punjab, the complainant Neil Maxwell [the franchise CEO], Yuvraj Singh, the captain, and Sreesanth will be present, apart from any other witnesses they wish to present. From the Mumbai Indians, Lalchand Rajput, the coach, will be specifically present. Harbhajan and the team manager will also be present," an IPL official said.
Although both players sought to play down the incident on Saturday, the BCCI, which runs IPL, said that it had taken "serious note" of the incident and would initiate a separate probe into it. "My message to Indian players, who have got contractual obligations with the board, is that they have to honour each and every guideline about discipline which the board has communicated to them, and they have accepted and signed," Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, said.
"If somebody is going to violate them, the board will not sit as a silent spectator. The IPL committee, I hope, will take a separate decision," Pawar said.
Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said the board condemned Harbhajan's behaviour. "He is called upon to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. And [Harbhajan] has been asked for a clarification by Monday evening [April 28]."
Modi clarified the ICC's conduct norms would be followed for the IPL probe, even though the Twenty20 tournament has been officially tagged as a domestic event. Under the level 4.1 of the ICC rules, physical assault of another player, umpire, referee, official or spectator will result in a ban of between five Tests or 10 one-day internationals up to a life ban for the player or official concerned.
"We are not going to sweep things under the carpet," Engineer said. He also confirmed an official complaint from the Mohali franchise, which owns Kings XI Punjab, had been referred to him by Modi.
"Kings XI Punjab confirms a formal complaint against Harbhajan Singh was submitted to the BCCI earlier today," a Punjab team official said. "The complaint is in relation to Friday's incident following the match against Mumbai Indians, where Harbhajan made an unprovoked attack on Sreesanth. The Kings XI Punjab team and management consider this behaviour unacceptable and against the spirit of the game."
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians are hopeful the issue will be resolved amicably. Bought at US$111.9 million, Mumbai are the most expensive of the eight IPL franchises but are yet to win a game. Harbhajan was asked to lead the side after Sachin Tendulkar, their icon player, failed to recover from a groin injury.
Reacting to the news that Harbhajan has been temporarily suspended, a top Mumbai team official said, "The incident involving Harbhajan and Sreesanth of the Kings XI Punjab was most unfortunate. The [IPL] governing council has set up an adjudication panel to inquire into the incident. The Mumbai Indians are confident that the decision taken by the panel will be in the best interests of cricket and the IPL."
Harbhajan and Sreesanth told reporters on Saturday they had "sorted out the issue" and were now like "brothers of one family".
"Based on prima facie video evidence, as seen and reviewed by the match adjudicator and referee Farokh Engineer from the tapes provided by Sony & TWI, a decision has been reached to suspend Harbhajan pending the inquiry into the incident on Monday, April 28," Lalit Modi, chairman and commissioner of IPL, said.
The fresh video evidence, Cricinfo has learnt, is based on additional footage of the incident from one of the host broadcaster's 21 cameras at the match. "This footage clearly shows the incident and could be the clinching evidence," a senior BCCI official told Cricinfo. It was this footage that prompted the IPL to swiftly announce Harbhajan's suspension after it was earlier decided that he could play on Sunday, the official said.
The IPL hearing, scheduled to start at 1pm local time, will be held at a hotel in New Delhi and the verdict is expected to be announced by Monday evening. "From King's XI Punjab, the complainant Neil Maxwell [the franchise CEO], Yuvraj Singh, the captain, and Sreesanth will be present, apart from any other witnesses they wish to present. From the Mumbai Indians, Lalchand Rajput, the coach, will be specifically present. Harbhajan and the team manager will also be present," an IPL official said.
Although both players sought to play down the incident on Saturday, the BCCI, which runs IPL, said that it had taken "serious note" of the incident and would initiate a separate probe into it. "My message to Indian players, who have got contractual obligations with the board, is that they have to honour each and every guideline about discipline which the board has communicated to them, and they have accepted and signed," Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, said.
"If somebody is going to violate them, the board will not sit as a silent spectator. The IPL committee, I hope, will take a separate decision," Pawar said.
Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said the board condemned Harbhajan's behaviour. "He is called upon to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. And [Harbhajan] has been asked for a clarification by Monday evening [April 28]."
Modi clarified the ICC's conduct norms would be followed for the IPL probe, even though the Twenty20 tournament has been officially tagged as a domestic event. Under the level 4.1 of the ICC rules, physical assault of another player, umpire, referee, official or spectator will result in a ban of between five Tests or 10 one-day internationals up to a life ban for the player or official concerned.
"We are not going to sweep things under the carpet," Engineer said. He also confirmed an official complaint from the Mohali franchise, which owns Kings XI Punjab, had been referred to him by Modi.
"Kings XI Punjab confirms a formal complaint against Harbhajan Singh was submitted to the BCCI earlier today," a Punjab team official said. "The complaint is in relation to Friday's incident following the match against Mumbai Indians, where Harbhajan made an unprovoked attack on Sreesanth. The Kings XI Punjab team and management consider this behaviour unacceptable and against the spirit of the game."
Meanwhile, the Mumbai Indians are hopeful the issue will be resolved amicably. Bought at US$111.9 million, Mumbai are the most expensive of the eight IPL franchises but are yet to win a game. Harbhajan was asked to lead the side after Sachin Tendulkar, their icon player, failed to recover from a groin injury.
Reacting to the news that Harbhajan has been temporarily suspended, a top Mumbai team official said, "The incident involving Harbhajan and Sreesanth of the Kings XI Punjab was most unfortunate. The [IPL] governing council has set up an adjudication panel to inquire into the incident. The Mumbai Indians are confident that the decision taken by the panel will be in the best interests of cricket and the IPL."
Harbhajan and Sreesanth told reporters on Saturday they had "sorted out the issue" and were now like "brothers of one family".
Is Bhajji the bad boy of Indian cricket?
Harbhajan Singh loves to court controversy. The slugfest Down Under that involved Bhajji is too well known to recount. On Friday, Harbhajan Singh once again found himself embroiled in a controversy for allegedly slapping Kings XI Punjab pacer S Sreesanth after their IPL match. Is Harbhajan Singh going the Shoaib Akhtar way? Is Harbhajan the bad boy of Indian cricket? Write in with your views.
Comprehensive win
Matthew Hayden's commanding half century coupled with a disciplined bowling effort resulted in Chennai Super Kings' comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League encounter on Saturday.
Electing to bat in the battle of two unbeaten sides, the Knight Riders were restricted to a modest 147 for nine in their allotted 20 overs with New Zealander Jacob Oram returning figures of three for 32 for the home side.
The Super Kings surpassed the target with three overs to spare. Hayden hit three fours and as many sixes in his 49-ball innings and was well supported by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit a quickfire 43 off 27 deliveries which was studded with six hits to the fence and two over it.
The duo shared an unbeaten 86-run stand for the second wicket after Parthiv Patel fell to Ajit Agarkar for 21 in the ninth over of the innings. (TOI Photo)
Electing to bat in the battle of two unbeaten sides, the Knight Riders were restricted to a modest 147 for nine in their allotted 20 overs with New Zealander Jacob Oram returning figures of three for 32 for the home side.
The Super Kings surpassed the target with three overs to spare. Hayden hit three fours and as many sixes in his 49-ball innings and was well supported by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit a quickfire 43 off 27 deliveries which was studded with six hits to the fence and two over it.
The duo shared an unbeaten 86-run stand for the second wicket after Parthiv Patel fell to Ajit Agarkar for 21 in the ninth over of the innings. (TOI Photo)
A splendid all-round display
A splendid all-round display enabled Rajasthan Royals cruise to a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League tournament on Saturday.
For the second successive time, the Bangalore outfit failed to rise to the occasion in front of the home crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium making just 135 for eight in 20 overs after being invited to bat.
In reply, the team led by legendary Shane Warne chased it losing only three wickets with 17 balls to spare.
Man of the match Shane Watson, who dismissed both Dravid and Chanderpaul early, stole the show with a well compiled unbeaten 61 off only 41 balls with eight fours and two sixes.
Graeme Smith made a useful 49 before departing just before victory was achieved.(PTI Photo)
For the second successive time, the Bangalore outfit failed to rise to the occasion in front of the home crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium making just 135 for eight in 20 overs after being invited to bat.
In reply, the team led by legendary Shane Warne chased it losing only three wickets with 17 balls to spare.
Man of the match Shane Watson, who dismissed both Dravid and Chanderpaul early, stole the show with a well compiled unbeaten 61 off only 41 balls with eight fours and two sixes.
Graeme Smith made a useful 49 before departing just before victory was achieved.(PTI Photo)
Harbhajan can face 10 matches ban
In the dock for his behaviour, temperamental off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Saturday suspended pending his explanation for slapping his Indian team-mate S Sreesanth at the end of an IPL match at Mohali last night and appears headed for a severe punishment which can be a minimum of a ban for five Test matches or 10 One-Day Internationals.
Harbhajan was earlier slapped with a show-cause notice by the BCCI which gave him time till Monday to explain his conduct but bowing to media and public outrage, he was temporarily suspended till the disciplinary hearing before Farookh Engineer, who was the Match Referee in the tie between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians late last night.
The suspension means Harbhajan Singh, who is the stand-in captain for the Mumbai Indians, will not be able to play for the team against Deccan Chargers on Sunday in Mumbai.
Announcing the suspension, IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said that based on prima facie video evidence as seen and reviewed by the match adjudicator and referee Farookh Engineer from the tapes provided by official channel partner, a decision has been reached to suspend with immediate effect Harbhajan Singh of the Mumbai Indians pending the inquiry into the incident on Monday, April 28, 2008.
"The inquiry into the incident at Mohali in the game between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians will now take place at the Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi on April 28th 2008. A final verdict would be announced by the adjudicator Farookh Engineer post hearing at New Delhi", he said in a statement.
Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW , Modi said, "I am very particular about maintaining the code of conduct guidelines that the players have signed, that is why Harbhajan has been temporarily suspended, pending inquiry."
As per the ICC Code of Conduct, slapping a fellow player constitutes a level 4 offence and could lead to a life ban or a minimum ban of five Tests to 10 ODIs.
Rajiv Shukla, the vice president of BCCI said that 'there is no room for indiscipline'. Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW , Rajiv Shukla said, "This is the right step. The incident is unfortunate but that it has taken place, action has to be taken."
The immediate provocation for Harbhajan's action last night appears to be Sreesanth saying "hard luck" to the off spinner who was in a bad mood following the Mumbai team's third successive loss.
Though Harbhajan, who had only recently escaped unscathed from a searing racial abuse row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, and his victim Sreesanth who cried bitterly on the field last night, tried to downplay the incident, the BCCI sought his explanation by Monday.
The IPL also asked the Match Referee and Adjudicator Engineer to hold an inquiry in Delhi on Monday when Singh would appear before him.
Both Harbhajan and Sreesanth tried to downplay the incident. The off-spinner said the issue has been "sorted out" and the pacer remarked that Harbhajan is like his "elder brother".
BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty asserted that the BCCI "meant business" in this matter. "We want to tell our players that discipline is equally important and not only their cricketing talent," he said.
Shetty said the Board had issued a letter to Harbhajan asking for his explanation with Monday evening is the deadline.
He mentioned a decision on the off-spinner's participation in the IPL and further disciplinary actions for the alleged misconduct were two separate angles of the issue.
"This has never happened in Indian cricket when somebody physically assaulted another player. It is an extremely serious matter and we are dealing with it very seriously," he added.
Sreesanth's Turnaround
Sreesanth when, he first spoke to TIMES NOW , told us that Bhajji had the right to beat him up. But when Sreesanth spoke to a Malayalee Channel, what actually happened between him and Bhajji after the match at Mohali.
Revealing the facts, Sreesanth's language, his tone was very different and he said that it was more than a slap, it was a slugfest.
Sreesanth said, "I never expected this behaviour, I was very surprised."
"It was said to be a slap, but it was more than that, it was like a slugfest", he said adding that he has forgiven Harbhajan for what he did to him and that he wanted to continue playing for the country.
Harbhajan was earlier slapped with a show-cause notice by the BCCI which gave him time till Monday to explain his conduct but bowing to media and public outrage, he was temporarily suspended till the disciplinary hearing before Farookh Engineer, who was the Match Referee in the tie between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians late last night.
The suspension means Harbhajan Singh, who is the stand-in captain for the Mumbai Indians, will not be able to play for the team against Deccan Chargers on Sunday in Mumbai.
Announcing the suspension, IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said that based on prima facie video evidence as seen and reviewed by the match adjudicator and referee Farookh Engineer from the tapes provided by official channel partner, a decision has been reached to suspend with immediate effect Harbhajan Singh of the Mumbai Indians pending the inquiry into the incident on Monday, April 28, 2008.
"The inquiry into the incident at Mohali in the game between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians will now take place at the Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi on April 28th 2008. A final verdict would be announced by the adjudicator Farookh Engineer post hearing at New Delhi", he said in a statement.
Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW , Modi said, "I am very particular about maintaining the code of conduct guidelines that the players have signed, that is why Harbhajan has been temporarily suspended, pending inquiry."
As per the ICC Code of Conduct, slapping a fellow player constitutes a level 4 offence and could lead to a life ban or a minimum ban of five Tests to 10 ODIs.
Rajiv Shukla, the vice president of BCCI said that 'there is no room for indiscipline'. Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW , Rajiv Shukla said, "This is the right step. The incident is unfortunate but that it has taken place, action has to be taken."
The immediate provocation for Harbhajan's action last night appears to be Sreesanth saying "hard luck" to the off spinner who was in a bad mood following the Mumbai team's third successive loss.
Though Harbhajan, who had only recently escaped unscathed from a searing racial abuse row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, and his victim Sreesanth who cried bitterly on the field last night, tried to downplay the incident, the BCCI sought his explanation by Monday.
The IPL also asked the Match Referee and Adjudicator Engineer to hold an inquiry in Delhi on Monday when Singh would appear before him.
Both Harbhajan and Sreesanth tried to downplay the incident. The off-spinner said the issue has been "sorted out" and the pacer remarked that Harbhajan is like his "elder brother".
BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty asserted that the BCCI "meant business" in this matter. "We want to tell our players that discipline is equally important and not only their cricketing talent," he said.
Shetty said the Board had issued a letter to Harbhajan asking for his explanation with Monday evening is the deadline.
He mentioned a decision on the off-spinner's participation in the IPL and further disciplinary actions for the alleged misconduct were two separate angles of the issue.
"This has never happened in Indian cricket when somebody physically assaulted another player. It is an extremely serious matter and we are dealing with it very seriously," he added.
Sreesanth's Turnaround
Sreesanth when, he first spoke to TIMES NOW , told us that Bhajji had the right to beat him up. But when Sreesanth spoke to a Malayalee Channel, what actually happened between him and Bhajji after the match at Mohali.
Revealing the facts, Sreesanth's language, his tone was very different and he said that it was more than a slap, it was a slugfest.
Sreesanth said, "I never expected this behaviour, I was very surprised."
"It was said to be a slap, but it was more than that, it was like a slugfest", he said adding that he has forgiven Harbhajan for what he did to him and that he wanted to continue playing for the country.
Hayden and Oram crush Kolkata
Chennai Super Kings went on top of the table after an efficient performance from the bowlers - reckoned to be the team's weak link - set up a convincing nine-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders. After Kolkata were restricted to 147, Matthew Hayden's superb unbeaten 70 ensured there were no hiccups in making it three wins out of three.
Jacob Oram and Muttiah Muralitharan were the stand-out bowlers for Chennai, but the Indian bowling contingent backed them up well. Oram nailed the explosive pair of Bendon McCullum and Ricky Ponting early to give the huge home crowd something to shout about. Muralitharan's restrictive spell - he finished with figures of none for 12 from four overs - then frustrated the visitors and ensured Oram's good work wasn't wasted.
Kolkata were reeling at 70 for 5 after ten overs, with all their marquee names dismissed, and in danger of getting bowled out without utilising their full quota of overs. Laxmi Ratan Shukla, though, ensured they avoided that embarrassment as his late-order hitting earned 39 runs off the last four overs.
The early impetus for Kolkata was provided by Brendon McCullum, who silenced the crowd with some brutal hitting. There were no half-measures as he raced to 24 off 12, reclaiming the orange cap for the tournament's leading scorer in the process, before holing out to Suresh Raina at extra cover off Oram. Ricky Ponting's dismal run continued, falling for a duck as he drove his first ball straight to Raina at cover.
Kolkata's other wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha took the baton from McCullum, making a streaky, quickfire 27 - a top-edge off Manpreet Gony flew over the wicketkeeper for four and a similar shot off the next ball went for six. His luck then ran out and he was bowled by a ball that jagged back in.
Despite losing wickets, Kolkata's run-rate still hovered around ten after six overs, and with David Hussey and Sourav Ganguly in, a big score was still on the cards. The next four overs, though, emphatically handed the advantage to Chennai, as only 11 runs were given away and both Hussey and Ganguly were removed.
Ganguly, who had been starved of the strike when McCullum and Saha were blazing away, was cramped for room by Muttiah Muralitharan's leg-stump line and struggled to get the ball away. He finally fell for a scratchy 12, in the 10th over, gifting a catch to S Badrinath at cover after failing to pick a slower one from Joginder Sharma.
For a team which has run up scores over 200 in both their games so far, this was a straightforward chase. Hayden and Parthiv Patel, while not at their fluent best, put on the biggest opening stand of the tournament as they motored to 66 in 8.2 overs, peppering the offside boundary. While this was nearly the same number of runs Kolkata had managed at a similar stage, by keeping their wickets in tact, Chennai made sure they were well in control of the game.
Ajit Agarkar then demonstrated his penchant for taking wickets again, getting Patel to top-edge a catch to Ishant Sharma at fine leg. Hayden had struggled early on with his timing but soon displayed his trademark power-hitting, going on to his second consecutive fifty. He and Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 3, eschewed the risks and calmly chipped away at the target, never allowing the run-rate to get out of hand. Towards the end, with the result beyond doubt, they opened up to take Chennai home with 19 balls to spare.
Jacob Oram and Muttiah Muralitharan were the stand-out bowlers for Chennai, but the Indian bowling contingent backed them up well. Oram nailed the explosive pair of Bendon McCullum and Ricky Ponting early to give the huge home crowd something to shout about. Muralitharan's restrictive spell - he finished with figures of none for 12 from four overs - then frustrated the visitors and ensured Oram's good work wasn't wasted.
Kolkata were reeling at 70 for 5 after ten overs, with all their marquee names dismissed, and in danger of getting bowled out without utilising their full quota of overs. Laxmi Ratan Shukla, though, ensured they avoided that embarrassment as his late-order hitting earned 39 runs off the last four overs.
The early impetus for Kolkata was provided by Brendon McCullum, who silenced the crowd with some brutal hitting. There were no half-measures as he raced to 24 off 12, reclaiming the orange cap for the tournament's leading scorer in the process, before holing out to Suresh Raina at extra cover off Oram. Ricky Ponting's dismal run continued, falling for a duck as he drove his first ball straight to Raina at cover.
Kolkata's other wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha took the baton from McCullum, making a streaky, quickfire 27 - a top-edge off Manpreet Gony flew over the wicketkeeper for four and a similar shot off the next ball went for six. His luck then ran out and he was bowled by a ball that jagged back in.
Despite losing wickets, Kolkata's run-rate still hovered around ten after six overs, and with David Hussey and Sourav Ganguly in, a big score was still on the cards. The next four overs, though, emphatically handed the advantage to Chennai, as only 11 runs were given away and both Hussey and Ganguly were removed.
Ganguly, who had been starved of the strike when McCullum and Saha were blazing away, was cramped for room by Muttiah Muralitharan's leg-stump line and struggled to get the ball away. He finally fell for a scratchy 12, in the 10th over, gifting a catch to S Badrinath at cover after failing to pick a slower one from Joginder Sharma.
For a team which has run up scores over 200 in both their games so far, this was a straightforward chase. Hayden and Parthiv Patel, while not at their fluent best, put on the biggest opening stand of the tournament as they motored to 66 in 8.2 overs, peppering the offside boundary. While this was nearly the same number of runs Kolkata had managed at a similar stage, by keeping their wickets in tact, Chennai made sure they were well in control of the game.
Ajit Agarkar then demonstrated his penchant for taking wickets again, getting Patel to top-edge a catch to Ishant Sharma at fine leg. Hayden had struggled early on with his timing but soon displayed his trademark power-hitting, going on to his second consecutive fifty. He and Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 3, eschewed the risks and calmly chipped away at the target, never allowing the run-rate to get out of hand. Towards the end, with the result beyond doubt, they opened up to take Chennai home with 19 balls to spare.
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