Chennai, May 24 (Representative) Home favourites Chennai Super Kings (CSK),eyeing for a fifth title, stormed into the final of the IPL defeating defendingchampions Guajrat Titans (GT) in a tense finish at the M.A.Chidambaram Stadium here tonight. CSK has entered the final for the 10th time by virtue of their 15-runwin as GT replying to CSK’s 172 for seven, were bowled out for 157of the last ball to emerge a deserving winner, amid a packed stadium. For CSK, bowlers, who had been marshalled well by CSK skipper M.S.Dhoni, rose to the occasion, bowled to thier field, overcametense moments before emering triumphant for a place in the titleclash, when the visitors depsite losing wickets at regular intervals,showed signs of a come back. For CSK, there were two wickets apiece for pacers Deepak Chahar, impact bowler Mathesha Pathirana and spinners Ravindra Jadeja and Mahessha Theekshana, and Tushar Deshpande picked up one wicket. Chasing a somewhat tricky target, GT started off a little bit on aconfident note with openers Wriddhaman Saha(12, 11 bals, 2×4)and inform opener Shubman Gill, with back to back centuries justmanaged to negotiate the opening overs. The quality leadership of CSK skipper M.S.Dhoni led to the downfallof Saha, who holed out to deep square leg of pacer Deepak Chaharand soon GT skipper Hardik Pandya (8, 7 balls) perished to spinnerMahessh Theekshana.
Dasun Shanaka impressed for a brief while in his 16-ball 17 with a fourand a six, but his reverse sweep proved to be his wrong doing off Ravindrajadeja as the visitors were reduced to 72 for three in 10.3 overs, with Gillbeing left with the job of guiding the team home, when David Millerjoined him amid mounting asking rate, on a wicket which has slowed down considerably with the spinners coming into play. However, the CSK spinners applied the pressure, when Jadeja castled Miller (4) to peg back GT to 88 for four in the 13th over, picking up hissecond wicket, that brought local star Vijay Shankar who has rose tothe occasion in tight situations. Jadeja finished with 2 for 18 in four overs, in an impressive spell thatbrought back CSK into the contest and place in the final for the 10thtime in 16 editions. In the same core off next over, Gill (42, 38b 4×4 1×6) perished to a pullshot of pacer Deepak Chahar and held by Devon Conway at square legfence as GT were tied to 88 for five in the 14th over, raising CSk hopesof a place in the summit clash, with the back of a packed yellow brigade cheering them.
After Rahul Twewaita was castled for just three runs, Rashid Khanand Vijay Shankar took up the charge of the chase. Rashid Khan’s six and four hastened GT’s chase as they needed 57 in four overs. A six by Vijay shankar brought down the target to 50 in 22 balls,raising the tension among both the teams.Pressure piled upon CSK as Rashid Khan slammed another six anda streaky boundary of Tushar Deshpande, adding more element oftension into the contest as GT needed 39 in last three overs, raisinghopes of a tight finish. It all boiled down to 16-ball 37 runs, with Vijay Shankar (14, 10 balls)exiting, leaving Rashid Khan to handle the chase, further heighteningthe tension in the most crucial contest (136 for 7 in 17.3 overs). In the next ball, CSK heaved a sigh of relief as Darshan Nalkande wasrun out for a golden duck, with the target coming down to 37 in 14 balls, resting full hopes on Rashid Khan,who too fell scoring 16-ball 30 with three fours and two sixers. This brought down the target to 27 runs in the last over, bowledby slinger Pathiarana and the home teacm succesfulluy defended the total to enter the final, eyeing for a fifth title.