Page 120 - IPL1

The next three games were won too, as Hussey’s fellow Australian
left-hander, Matthew Hayden, smashed 81 against Mumbai
Indians as Chennai again topped 200, and then 70 of 49 balls
against Kolkata Knight Riders in a devastating nine-wicket win
completed with three overs to spare. With Muralitharan going
for just 12 runs in his four overs during the Kolkata game, the
south Indians appeared to have unearthed a winning mentality.
That suspicion was compounded when Bangalore were seen
off by 13 runs - despite the absence on a seamer-friendly pitch
of the supposedly undroppable Muralitharan - with Dhoni
contributing 65 off 30 balls and Gony taking three wickets, but
the departure of both Hussey and Hayden, who were needed on
international duty in the Caribbean, threatened to undermine

what until then had been a faultless display.

Three defeats followed in five days as the former New Zealand
captain Stephen Fleming struggled to impose himself in the
absence of the two Australians, and many felt Chennai had
irretrievably lost momentum when they provided a rare win
for Chargers following a below-par batting display at the MA
Chidambaram Stadium.

But no dressing room including the tough-as-teak Wessels and
the unflappable Dhoni was ever going to go down with anything
resembling a whimper and the rot was stopped in thrilling
fashion against Delhi Daredevils on May 8 at the Feroz Shah
Kotla. Needing 15 off Shoaib Malik’s final over to surpass the
hosts’ total of 187 for five, Chennai were indebted to Gony, who
hit a six and a four before Subramaniam Badrinath completed
the job off the last delivery of the match. That result galvanised
the side once more, providing them with the self-belief that they
did not need Hussey and Hayden to do well, and fifties from
Dhoni and Badrinath, as well as five wickets for Lakshmipathy
Balaji were too good in the next game against Kings XI Punjab.

Another blip followed as Chennai lost three of their next four
matches, including a shock reverse at the hands of Bangalore
- in spite of a four-wicket burst from Morkel. But they dug deep
at the right time, securing a semi-final spot with a comfortable
seven-wicket win over Deccan Chargers as Raina eased his side

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