New Delhi: An all-round display by Chennai Super Kings, led by Devon Conway's 87 and Moeen Ali's 3/13 helped them seal a 91-run win over Delhi Capitals at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday. It was a terrible day for the Capitals as the clinical performance by CSK swept them away from the match completely. Chasing 209, Delhi Capitals were off a poor start as they lost the opener KS Bharat for 8 off 5. In an attempt to pull, the batter was caught at slips by Moeen Ali and it was Simarjeet Singh who got his wicket.
This brought Mitchell Marsh to the crease, who had the compatriot David Warner by his side. Warner looked really good with the bat, smashing an in-form bowler Mukesh Choudhary for two sixes, one of them being an outside edge which went over the third man and the other at the final ball of third over. Marsh also announced his arrival with a four off Mukesh's delivery in the third over.
Spinner Maheesh Theekshana was introduced to the attack in the fifth over, who earned his side a key wicket of the danger man Warner, who was removed via LBW dismissal for 19 off 12. Rishabh Pant, the captain, was the next man in, with a responsibility to stitch a partnership and attack at the right time. He announced his intentions immediately with three consecutive fours, the first of which involved him dancing down the track and losing his balance.
Marsh helped DC cross the 50-run mark with a six off the first ball of the sixth over. At the end of powerplay after six overs, DC stood at a great 59, though at a loss of two wickets. Marsh (16*) and Pant (16*) stood at the crease, looking forward to taking forward the chase with their aggressive approach.
Pant and Marsh continued their attacking approach, before the latter was dismissed for 25 off 20, ending a 36-run stand with Ali getting the wicket with assistance from Gaikwad's safe hands, The dismissal brought Rovman Powell, the hero of last match for DC to the crease. Before Pant and Powell could resume things, Pant was clean bowled by 21 by Moeen Ali at team's score of 75. Ripal Patel joined the proceedings but departed after scoring only six after being dismissed by Ali in what was a game-changing over for CSK.
At the end of 10 overs, DC had tumbled to 82/5 due to their struggles with CSK spin, with Axar Patel (1*) and Powell (2*). In the second half of the innings, struggles with spin continued for DC, as the all-rounder Axar Patel was dismissed clean bowled by Choudhary for 1 in the first ball of 11th over, followed by a dangerous Powell being dismissed with assistance from Dhoni behind the wickets in the fifth ball of the innings, leaving the Capitals at the brink of defeat at 85/7.
Kuldeep Yadav and Shardul Thakur were left to fight off the CSK attack. Yadav was dismissed by Simarjeet Singh for 5 off 17, leaving DC at 99/8, with CSK two wickets away from their fourth win of the season. The last batter Khaleel Ahmed was bowled by Bravo, clinching a 91-run win for CSK.