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It was the fourth time that Harshal Patel dismissed former India captain MS Dhoni in the shortest format.
Harshal Patel reacts to celebrate the dismissal of dismiss Chennai Super Kings’ Dewald Brevis (Picture credit: AP)
Star India and Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Harshal Patel has detailed how he got the better of Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni in a crucial encounter on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, saying that he maintained his length to dismiss the star player.
It was the fourth time that Harshal dismissed Dhoni in the shortest format. Just Pragyan Ojha and Zaheer Khan have dismissed Dhoni more times.
Harshal bowled a ball wide outside off and short-pitched. Dhoni tried to play a cut shot but ended up placing it straight to the fielder, Abhishek Sharma, at backward point.
“I was trying to bowl length to him (Dhoni). I wasn’t trying to bowl wide. It was one of those variations that you try and bowl something, but it doesn’t come off. But glad it came off and went to hand,” Harshal said after receiving the Player of the Match award, for his brilliant figures of 4-0-28-4.
Besides Dhoni, Harshal dismissed Sam Curran, a set Dewald Brevis and Noor Ahmad, helping Hyderabad restrict Chennai to a paltry 154, which they chased down in the penultimate over.
The victory over Chennai kept Hyderabad alive in the competition after they climbed to eighth in the table.
It was Hyderabad’s maiden victory over Chennai at the latter’s home after five consecutive defeats in the last 12 years.
“We have been trying the same in the 3-4-5 games, but some of the pieces have been missing in every single game. For all of it to come together, when we need to win all our games, is pretty pleasing,” Harshal said.
The star Indian pacer, who used the change of pace, was complemented well by captain Pat Cummins (2/21), ambidextrous spinner Kamindu (1/26), veterans Mohammed Shami (1/28) and Jaydev Unadkat (2/21).
Brevis (42 off 25) was the top scorer for Chennai, while Deepak Hooda (22 off 21) played some lofty shots towards the end to take CSK past the 150-run mark.
Sent into bat, Chennai saw a horrendous start as they lost Shaik Rasheed in the first delivery off Shami, caught by Abhishek at first slip. It was a perfect Test ball, pitched on length outside off and shaped away with the batter just poking at it.
SRH next play the Gujarat Titans on May 2 at the latter’s home.
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