Dhoni stars under pressure

It was Chris Gayle who finished with the highest score of the game but the best innings of the match came from MS Dhoni. Gayle indulged in his inimitable style to produce a fine knock but Dhoni had to contend with a lot more pressure.

When S Badrinath lifted Daniel Vettori to long-off Chennai were wobbling at 22 for 4 from 5.4 overs and Dhoni had so much to do on his own. He was the lone ranger; every time he tried to switch to attacking mode, a wicket fell, forcing him to revert to caution. He added 26 runs with Wriddhiman Saha from 6.4 overs and Chennai reached 60 for 4 in 12 overs. Saha swung Chris Gayle for a six over midwicket in the next over to suggest a possible change in the mindset but he fell, trying to repeat the shot off Virat Kohli in the 14th over.

Dhoni was on a run-a-ball 19 at that stage and soon swung Gayle for his second six to hint at a revival, but Dwayne Bravo was trapped by an arm-ball from Vettori in the first ball of the 16th over, forcing Dhoni to slow down again. He fell quiet for couple of overs and it was in the final over, bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun, that Dhoni really turned on his brand of violence. He pulled a six and a four before he smote one over midwicket boundary to finish off in style but 128 was never going to be enough to test Bangalore, especially with Gayle flowing in his uninhibited manner.