IPL 2023: Gaikwad, Moeen rule as Chennai hammers Lucknow to win first Chepauk game in 3 years; Twitter excited
IPL 2023: Chennai Super Kings pummelled Lucknow Super Giants by 12 runs in Match 5 on Monday, while it was the former's maiden win in Chennai after three years, as Twitter was genuinely excited.
FollowFormer four-time champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK) bounced back in style, trouncing Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) by 12 runs in Match 5 of the 2023 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the MA Chidambaram (Chepauk) Stadium in Chennai on Monday. It was Ruturaj Gaikwad with the bat and Moeen Ali with the ball, which got the job done in style, handing CSK its maiden home win in three years, leaving Twitter excited.
Winning the toss, LSG skipper KL Rahul won the coin toss and opted to field, while CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (57) and Devon Conway (47) were off to a blazing start, contributing to a 110-run opening stand. While the former struck his 12th IPL half-century and a consecutive one, he was the first man to fall in the 10th over to leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi.
While Conway followed Gaikwad in the subsequent over, eight runs later to pacer Mark Wood, Shivam Dube (27) and Moeen Ali (19) added 32 for the third wicket before the former fell to Bishnoi in the 14th. Thereon, CSK kept losing wickets after every 20-odd runs. However, Amabati Rayudu (27*) and MS Dhoni's (12) late fireworks propelled the side past 210, finishing on a monumental total of 217/7.
For LSG, Wood and Bishnoi scalped three each, whereas the latter was quite economical. Ahead of LSG's chase, CSK brought in pacer Tushar Deshpande as the Impact Players, replacing Rayudu. However, LSG, too, was off to a fiery start, with openers Rahul (20) and Kyle Mayers (53) contributing to a 79-run opening partnership before the latter departed in the sixth over of the PowerPlay (PP) to off-spinner Moeen after slamming his second IPL 50.
However, LSG had already posted its highest PP total in IPL of 80. Although LSG did not entirely underperform thereon but kept losing wickets after every 20-plus stands. The likes of Marcus Stoinis (21), Nicholas Pooran (32), Ayush Badoni (23*) and Krishnappa Gowtham (17*) tried to provide some fightback.
Nevertheless, CSK bowled better as the game progressed. With the scoreboard pressure ticking, it became inevitable for LSG to survive the fate of succumbing to a 12-run loss, losing seven wickets in the process. For CSK, Moeen was on top form, grabbing a four-for, while spinner Mitchell Santner was dominant with his economy.
