RR vs CSK - M61 Report & Stats: IPL 2013

Match Report:

Rajasthan Royals kept their 'fortress' intact with a comfortable five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. After restricting CSK to a modest 142, Rajasthan Royals cruised past the finish line, courtesy Shane Watson’s blazing 70.

MS Dhoni and Rahul Dravid shake after the toss during match 61 of the Pepsi Indian Premier League ( IPL) 2013 between The Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai SUperkings held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on the 12th May 2013

Chasing a moderate 142, RR started slowly before Jason Holder struck in the fourth over getting two wickets. First he had Ajinkya Rahane (9) caught by Murali Vijay at mid-on, before knocking out James Faulkner's (1) off-stump. Sanju Vishvanadh (0) promoted up the order then departed caught behind off Mohit Sharma to leave RR reeling at 19 for three. 

Chris Morris got CSK their fourth wicket having Rahul Dravid (28) caught behind. At the halfway stage, RR were 49 for four, still needing 93 runs.

Binny set the ball rolling for RR, hitting Ravichandran Ashwin for a six in his very first over. Watson joined in smashing two sixes as Ashwin's first over was taken apart for 23 runs. Binny followed that up with two boundaries off Morris before Watson followed it with a six off Holder in the 13th over. Dwayne Bravo was taken apart for 22 runs in the 14th as Watson and Binny put him over the fence thrice. Watson continued the assault with four more boundaries off Morris's 15th to bring up his half-century. Watson and Binny (41*) added 93 runs in just 45 balls. Watson (70) fell, bowled by Bravo with RR on the doorstep of victory, needing just four more runs. RR reached the target with 17 balls remaining.

Earlier RR won the toss and opted to field first on a pitch that had a scattering of grass on it. CSK started cautiously scoring just seven runs off the first two overs before Vijay and Michael Hussey hit a boundary each off Vikramjeet Malik in the third over. Vijay then smashed consecutive boundaries off Watson in the sixth over. Rahane put down a difficult chance of Vijay when on 26. At the halfway stage, CSK were 75 for no loss.

Binny gave RR their first breakthrough uprooting Hussey's (40) leg-stump and sending it cart-wheeling. Kevon Cooper then struck twice in the 13th over, first having Suresh Raina (1) caught by Vishwanadh in the deep before having MS Dhoni (2) edging to Watson at slip. The bowlers brought RR back into the game strangling the flow of runs. Vijay (55), trying to run off a bye, was run out by Dishant Yagnik. Bravo (23*) slammed three consecutive boundaries off Cooper in the penultimate over. CSK eventually scampered to 141 for four from their 20 overs.

Shane Watson bagged the man of the match award during match 61 of the Pepsi Indian Premier League ( IPL) 2013 between The Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Superkings held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on the 12th May 2013

Man-of-the-Match: Shane Watson 

Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 141 for 4 (Murali Vijay 55, Kevon Cooper 2-32) lost to Rajasthan Royals 144 for 5 in 17.1 overs (Shane Watson 70, Jason Holder 2-20) by 5 wickets. 

Rahul Dravid bagged the Star Plus Nayi Soch award during match 61 of the Pepsi Indian Premier League ( IPL) 2013 between The Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Superkings held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on the 12th May 2013

Stats Highlights:

100: Percent - Rajasthan Royals’ record of winning at home (eight out of eight) and also winning while chasing (seven out of seven).

93: Runs added by Shane Watson and Stuart Binny – highest fifth wicket partnership against Chennai Super Kings in IPL. Gautam Gambhir and Mithun Manhas had added 75 runs in an unbroken partnership for Delhi Daredevils at Chennai in 2010.

85.71: Percent of Watson’s runs came in boundaries only (six fours and six sixes – 60 runs in boundaries out of 70). Only Sanath Jayasuriya managed a higher boundary percentage (89.47) against Chennai Super Kings in an innings of 50 or more (Deccan Chargers’ Sunny Sohal also had a boundary percentage of 85.71 against Chennai Super Kings at Chennai in 2011).

25: Balls taken by Shane Watson to reach his fifty - fastest for Rajasthan Royals in IPL2013. Incidentally Watson himself held the previous record with a 29-ball fifty also against Chennai Super Kings at Chennai.

24: Rajasthan Royals’ score in the first six overs – their lowest in IPL2013. They had made 30 for 1 against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Jaipur.

23: Runs conceded by R Ashwin in his first over – most expensive over by a CSK bowler in IPL2013.

2: Number of times Shane Watson has hit 6 sixes in a match against Chennai Super Kings. He had also hit the same number of sixes in the earlier game against them at Chennai. Watson now joins Chris Gayle in hitting six sixes on two occasions against Chennai Super Kings.

1: Chennai Super Kings lost their first game while defending a target in IPL2013. They won five such previous games.

0: Not a single six was hit in Chennai Super Kings’ innings – first such instance for them in IPL2013.

Shane Watson bagged maximum sixes award during match 61 of the Pepsi Indian Premier League ( IPL) 2013 between The Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Superkings held at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on the 12th May 2013

Presentation

Dhoni: "We bowled well in the first 10-11 overs. Watson batted really well. We were not able to capitalise on the good starting our batting. In the positives, our middle and lower middle order got a chance to bat. I was worried about the spinners, once they went after Ashwin I thought let's bowl the fast bowlers. There were a couple of overs of fast bowling where they didn't bowl well. It was a lovely track, we should have scored more runs. We didn't get enough."

Dravid: "It was a wicket where we had to back-end our batting. They had a couple of spinners we knew we wanted to target. I would have liked a few more runs in the first 10 overs. It was an amazing spell of four or five overs, it's only someone like Watto who can do that. It's a fantastic cricket wicket, there's something in it for the bowlers and good for the batsmen as well. 20 points, we've got a couple of games on the road now. It's been great to play and win eight here in Jaipur. The support, every game here has been played in front of a packed house. It's one of the memories I'll cherish."

Watson is Man of the Match, he's still got his pads on: "It was a bit of a slow start, I started to take a few risks and it came off for me. Mishits were falling into gaps. We knew 140 was going to be a decent chase, we just needed one big partnership, Binny got it going in the Ashwin over. We were waiting for one opportunity to get one big over. It seemed like spin was a bit easier to play than faster bowling."

source: iplt20.com