Punjab win to join mid-table scrum
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Twenty-year-old opener Mandeep Singh made his second Twenty20 half-century to help Kings XI Punjab reach 156, but it was less than what they looked set to achieve after a bright start. R Ashwin dried up the runs early, before Chennai Super Kings' trio of overseas medium-pacers made sure there was no late flourish from Punjab.
Mandeep wilted under the punishing heat and humidity of a Chennai afternoon and was struggling for the most part in the latter half of the innings. Midway through his knock, after about 45 minutes of batting, a stream of sweat poured out as he tipped his helmet to the side. He was dismissed in the 17th over, but had hit only one boundary since the Powerplay.
He had begun well, though, with the promoted Shaun Marsh. Avoiding the slogs and heaves that are integral to Twenty20, and favouring inside-out drives, Mandeep provided the initial acceleration for Punjab. Marsh is rarely out of form in the IPL, and today was no different. His onslaught against Shadab Jakati took Punjab to 68 for 0 after eight overs before the stand was snapped. Marsh was caught out of his crease by a straight hit from Mandeep that ricocheted off the bowler Ashwin's boot onto the stumps.
Azhar Mahmood was sent up the order, and though he slammed a couple of nonchalant sixes off Ravindra Jadeja he exited early, trapped lbw by Dwayne Bravo. Punjab then decided to push David Miller ahead of their best Twenty20 player and captain, David Hussey, a move they could come to regret as Miller flailed around for 19 before guiding a slower bouncer to the keeper.
Hussey had only four overs to bat, which meant he had to swing from ball one. He failed, soon after Mandeep's tired heave to long-off, and Punjab went on to lose 6 for 27 towards the end of the innings.
Chennai's biggest moment of concern in the second half of Punjab's batting was when Faf du Plessis and Bravo collided when going for a catch on the straight boundary, and were left floored. Neither was seriously hurt, though, and after a minute or so lying prone, both were able to resume fielding. Bravo even pulled off an athletic overhead catch running in from long-off, and bowled at the death to finish with 3 for 29, making Chennai the favourites to take the game.
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