Disastrous day for Bravo as CSK slump

DELHI, India (CMC):

West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo had a day to forget as Chennai Super Kings plunged to a shock 34-run defeat to bottom-of-the-table Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League here Friday.

Playing at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Bravo struggled with both bat and ball, and CSK failed to reach their usual high standards, suffering their fifth defeat of the season to remain second in the eight-team standings.

Opting to bowl first, CSK restricted the hosts to a moderate 162 for five from their 20 overs, with Rishabh Pant top-scoring with 38 and Harshal Patel and Vijay Shankar both ending unbeaten on 36

Two key partnerships underpinned the innings. Pant put on 54 for the second wicket with Shreyas Iyer (19) to pull the score around from 24 for one in the fifth over before Patel and Shankar added a further 65 in an unbroken sixth wicket stand, to help Delhi escape a precarious position of 97 for five in the 15th over.

WICKETLESS

Bravo went wicketless from his four overs which gushed 52 runs. He conceded just 26 runs from his first three overs but then bowled a disastrous last over which went for 26, with Patel and Shankar clobbering the experienced seamer for four sixes.

In reply, CSK stumbled and stuttered throughout, before ending on a disappointing 128 for six off their 20 overs.

Opener Ambati Rayudu top-scored with exactly 50 from 29 deliveries while Ravi Jadeja finished on 27 not out but CSK never found the momentum for the run chase.

Bravo faced only two balls and made just one, before attempting to clear cover but succeeding only in holing out off left-arm pacer Trent Boult (2-20) in the 20th over, with the game done and dusted.