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Double-bluffs and goof-ups

Plays of the day from the Twenty20 match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders on April 25, 2008

Cricinfo staff
26-Apr-2008

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's side could do little wrong in their second home game (file photo) © Getty Images
 
Jaw-dropping shot of the day
Brendon McCullum briefly threatened to reprise his smash-a-thon. The shot that would have caused the most jaws to drop was the six in the third over, when he pulled Jacob Oram off the front foot, a shot so ferociously struck that it sailed over midwicket for a big six. It was just slightly short but more than enough for McCullum. He had already reclaimed the orange cap from Kumar Sangakkara, an honour bestowed on the highest scorer in the tournament.
Double bluff
Oram got his revenge with the next ball: a fuller one that slightly left the batsman. McCullum's flick didn't work and the leading edge ballooned straight up for extra cover. The next ball produced another wicket. It was full and in the slot for the drive but the slightly slower pace undid Ricky Ponting, who drove straight to cover, and fell for his second successive duck of the tournament.
Saha runs out of luck
Wriddhiman Saha paddled, top-edged and tried innovative sweeps to break the shackles. Up against an accurate Manpreet Gony, the medium-pacer, he top-edged a four over the keeper before replicating a similar shot for six, way over the ropes. Gony, visibly frustrated, followed up with a full, quick, in-ducker and was duly rewarded: Saha castled by one that ripped through the yawning gap between bat and pad.
Shukla goofs up
It was an unusual way to be run-out but credit must go to the Chennai fielders for thinking on their feet. With two balls to go in the innings, Laxmi Ratan Shukla couldn't put away a yorker but Ishant strangely seemed intent to get the strike. Dhoni immediately threw the ball back to the bowler (Joginder Sharma) and Ishant had run too far. The bowler, though, didn't take the bails off immediately and waited for Ishant to start his walk to the pavilion. Once Ishant got into the striker's end, Dhoni spotted Shukla out of the crease and signalled to Joginder to take the bails off. It prompted Parthiv Patel to rush the bowler and urge him to break the stumps. One batsmen misjudged the run but the other had to go.
King Khan missing
After cheering his side for the first two matches, Shah Rukh Khan was nowhere to be seen today. He and his Bollywood retinue egged on the Kolkata side in their previous match but here they had to make do with Juhi Chawla, the actress, trying her best to cheer them on in the stands.
Power one, caress the next
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has shown to be a versatile batsman and nothing exemplified it more than his two shots off Shukla towards the end of the run-chase. The first, a wide ball, was slashed away furiously through third man for four before the second, a full one on off, was paddled deliciously past short fine leg. First the grenade, then the flower.