RCB vs CSK, 1st Qualifying Final at Mumbai, IPL, May 24 2011 - Ball by Ball Commentary

So Chennai are through to the final. A warning for whoever faces them: they haven't lost a match in Chennai this year. Deserving winners tonight after they refused to give up. Bangalore get another shot at making the finals. Do join us for the Eliminator tomorrow, the equivalent of a quarter-final. Okay bye

Presentation

Suresh Raina is MoM. He says: "It was an important game for us, I knew I had to do well. God has been really kind to me. We executed the plans really well. I was not thinking about the ramps, just play my game, and play the big ones when the ball was in the zone. I was just looking to play till the 20th over."

MS Dhoni: "It was a difficult target, but we have been in similar situations, and we have the belief that we can win these games. We kept believing that we could do it, but you can say I was not 100% confident. We know as a team we have the firepower to chase anything. This was a good scenario where the set batsmen kept on going, and the others chipped around him."

Daniel Vettori first: "You do get these guys. You loom abck and say this is a great game of cricket. That innings from Suresh took it away. You can never think the game is in the bag with this size of boundaries. But we expect to bowl a little bit better than we did. We can focus on the loss, or look at the good things. Unfortunately we didn't defend it, but a few guys bowled well too."

What a lovely chase this has been for Chennai. They were down and out, chasing 12-13-14 an over for the last eight-nine overs, and they refused to go away. Raina finishes with a cramp-ridden 73 off 50, Morkel smashed 28 off 10. How quickly redemption has come for him: he went for 19 off the 19th over, and has now finished the game off with the bat. Bangalore lost their nerve in the end, but this is what Chennai always do well, they somehow play the better cricket in tougher, bigger moments. Bravo does the bhangra inside the dressing room. They are in the final, Bangalore get another shot when they play the winner of the match between Mumbai and Kolkata

Raina is cramping again. Vettori has a chat with de Villiers. They need a dot from somewhere. CSK physio is out. Raina gets back on his feet. But he says he can't run. Taufel asks him, "Are you sure you can't run?" Rauf says, "He has been running okay." Taufel says only three balls to go, run yourself. Raina agrees. Rauf says, "Brave man."

Dan makes more adjustments with the field

Well, well, well. Dan the Man has taken it upon himself now. Twelve required off the last over. Left-arm spinner, bowling into the left-hand batsmen who are on rampage. Ray Jennings drinks his enrgy drink at the sidelines. Vettori, de Villiers and Gayle have a chat in the middle. Raina adjusts his gloves. Vettori will cut down the angle, and bowl round the stumps. Deep field set on the leg side

Third man in, fine leg in

Zaheer and Vettori have a conference with Aravind. proud moment for Communists. All lefties here. Tension. Bangalore are feeling it

Thirty-three required off the last two, and Vettori has kept the last over for himself. And there are two left-hand batsmen batting, so that makes it even more interesting. Aravind, another left-arm bowler, to bowl the 19th

Just 19 off Gayle's four

Gives Raina his own dose. Pulls out of the delivery

Gayle has one left. Vettori has one. Aravind has two. Three to go. Thirty-eight required. Gayle to bowl out

Albie Morkel is the new man. Instructions from Raina as he walks in. They didn't cross over last time, so Morkel on strike