Dhoni tears into Steyn for new record
Plays of the day from the match between Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ranchi
George Binoy
22-May-2014
Dale Steyn leaked 24 runs in the final over to MS Dhoni • BCCI
The boundary glut
The Chennai Super Kings openers did not run much; their first six scoring shots were boundaries. Dwayne Smith began the flurry, carving over cover, driving straight and square driving behind point to take three fours off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Faf du Plessis matched him in the second over - from Dale Steyn - by flicking, driving and chipping over midwicket for boundaries. Twelve runs had come off each of the first two overs and the batsmen had barely broken a sweat.
The Chennai Super Kings openers did not run much; their first six scoring shots were boundaries. Dwayne Smith began the flurry, carving over cover, driving straight and square driving behind point to take three fours off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Faf du Plessis matched him in the second over - from Dale Steyn - by flicking, driving and chipping over midwicket for boundaries. Twelve runs had come off each of the first two overs and the batsmen had barely broken a sweat.
The mix-up and the run out
In the third over, du Plessis pushed the ball to mid-on, and Smith hared down the pitch for a single. Du Plessis had taken a couple of steps forward before he said no; Smith turned but was so far out of his crease that he gave up in the hope that Shikhar Dhawan would miss the stumps. He was reprieved. In the next over, Smith smashed the ball back at the bowler Karn Sharma, who dived to his left and grazed the ball with his hand before it uprooted a stump at the non-striker's end. Du Plessis had backed up too far and there was no reprieve for him.
In the third over, du Plessis pushed the ball to mid-on, and Smith hared down the pitch for a single. Du Plessis had taken a couple of steps forward before he said no; Smith turned but was so far out of his crease that he gave up in the hope that Shikhar Dhawan would miss the stumps. He was reprieved. In the next over, Smith smashed the ball back at the bowler Karn Sharma, who dived to his left and grazed the ball with his hand before it uprooted a stump at the non-striker's end. Du Plessis had backed up too far and there was no reprieve for him.
The welcome
In his second game, Parvez Rasool experienced how harsh the IPL could be for a rookie. Bowling the final over of the Powerplay, he watched Smith dispatch his first three balls for six - two straight and one over midwicket. The shots were characterised by great balance and minimal flourish. Despite conceding 21 in his first over, though, Rasool bounced back to finish with 4-0-35-0.
In his second game, Parvez Rasool experienced how harsh the IPL could be for a rookie. Bowling the final over of the Powerplay, he watched Smith dispatch his first three balls for six - two straight and one over midwicket. The shots were characterised by great balance and minimal flourish. Despite conceding 21 in his first over, though, Rasool bounced back to finish with 4-0-35-0.
The mistake
Boundary riders have taken some stupendous catches in this IPL but the opportunity Aaron Finch had to catch MS Dhoni at long-on required no extreme heroics. Dhoni had pulled Bhuvneshwar flat and hard, timing it well but without the height to comfortably clear the fielder. Finch back-pedalled and positioned himself on the edge of the boundary to take the catch but the ball bounced off his palms and over the boundary. Sunrisers paid dearly for Finch's error.
Boundary riders have taken some stupendous catches in this IPL but the opportunity Aaron Finch had to catch MS Dhoni at long-on required no extreme heroics. Dhoni had pulled Bhuvneshwar flat and hard, timing it well but without the height to comfortably clear the fielder. Finch back-pedalled and positioned himself on the edge of the boundary to take the catch but the ball bounced off his palms and over the boundary. Sunrisers paid dearly for Finch's error.
The slaughter
Dhoni and AB de Villiers once shared the record for hitting the most runs in an over off Steyn - 23. Not anymore. Dhoni was scoring at less than a run a ball at the start of the 20th over but he finished with a strike rate of 139. Steyn disappeared for two sixes, two fours and a brace of twos as Dhoni converted a competitive total into a formidable one by plundering 24 runs in the over.
Dhoni and AB de Villiers once shared the record for hitting the most runs in an over off Steyn - 23. Not anymore. Dhoni was scoring at less than a run a ball at the start of the 20th over but he finished with a strike rate of 139. Steyn disappeared for two sixes, two fours and a brace of twos as Dhoni converted a competitive total into a formidable one by plundering 24 runs in the over.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo