Chennai, Apr 25 (UNI) After medium pacer Harsh Patel's four wicket haul that dented home favourites and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) setting a good target, Sun Risers Hyderabad (SRH) aced the chase with rather consummate ease for their first win taming the Lions in its own den at the historic and iconic M A Chidambaram Staium here on Friday night.
After left hander Ishan Kishan's heroics, SRH stuttered in the chase, before Kamindu Mendis and Nitish Kumar Reddy took the team past the finishing line after CSK spinner Noor Ahmed picked up two wickets in succession to put the visitors in a spot of bother.
While the win took SRH to the 8th place in points table, CSK's hopes of a play off berth has almost nose dived, suffering its seventh defeat in nine matches and still remained at the bottom of the table and would be keen restore its credibility in its remaining matches to avoid finishing as wooden spoonists.
SRH after bowling out CSK for 154 in 19.5 overs, thanks mainly to Harshal Patel's 4 for 28, started
off their chase losing a couple of wickets, before Ishan Kishan restored pride, only to lose wickets in the middle reviving CSK's fortunes.
But Kamindu Mendis (32, 22 balls 3x4) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (19, 13 balls 2x4) came up with a flurry of boundaries to seal the chase as the visitors finished at 155 for five with eight balls to spare and in the process secured its first win against CSK at its den.
At five for 106 in 13.5 overs, SRH was wavering after Ishan Kishan struck five fours and a six in his 34-ball 44, despite losing openers Abihishek Sharma (0), Travis Head (19), Heinrich Klassn (7), Aniket Verma (19), who fell to poor shot selection.
But Mendis and Reddy ensured that there were no further hiccups crossing the finishing line with ease, despite the exit of Ishan Kishan.
Earlier, Brevis blistering 42 in 25 balls (four sixers, one four) was the only saving grace as CSK,
as has been the norm this season, lost wickets in the power play--three this time--one more at
the halfway stage before Brevis tried to inject some life.
Once he was dismissed, the rest of the innings fell apart as CSK were bowled out for a below par total but failed to defend, excelling in patches, despite the wicket offering some grip and turn for the spinners and it looked like CSK sorely missed the services of experienced offie R.Ashwin.
UNI GV