Despite yet another enthralling cameo from MS Dhoni – this time pushing Chennai Super Kings  to a good total on a tacky surface – CSK finished second best in Lucknow. KL Rahul was largely responsible for that outcome as he smashed a fine 53-ball 82 in the chase. Quinton de Kock got runs too as CSK struggled for wickets and eventually conceded the game in 19 overs.

Ajinkya Rahane, sent to open the CSK innings once again, started off with a classical backfoot punch through point on the second ball, but this was a PowerPlay where run-making wasn’t straightforward for the holders. Rachin Ravindra’s lean run extended to five games as he was cleaned up on the first ball of the second over by Mohsin Khan while trying to take a wild swipe at it.

Though LSG used pace all through the PowerPlay, the ball didn’t quite come on to the bat for the batters to easily hit through the line. Yash Thakur arrived in the fifth over to nick off Ruturaj Gaikwad for 17 off 13.

CSK promoted Ravindra Jadeja, perhaps to deal with pace in the PowerPlay before they could unleash Shivam Dube on the spinners in the middle. Rahane got a couple of boundaries off Ravi Bishnoi but was cleaned up by Krunal Pandya in the ninth over, falling for a 24-ball 36. This was the fourth time in 52 balls that Rahane fell to the left-arm spinner in the IPL. Shivam Dube’s arrival came with the anticipation of quick runs against the spinners but they tied him down by firing balls at close to 100kmph. He couldn’t tee off straight away like he’s done before this season, and managed just three runs off his first seven balls – all from spinners.

Rahul went back to pace and even used Marcus Stoinis on the tacky surface with immediate dividends. The Australian, who has barely bowled this season, struck first ball with a short ball to Dube. The CSK batter pulled clumsily and was caught by Rahul. CSK went to Sameer Rizvi as their impact substitute, but he lasted all of five balls for one run – getting stumped off Krunal.

Rahul managed his bowlers perfectly well in the middle-overs, a phase where CSK scored at a lowly rate of 6.2 an over.

MS Dhoni kept up his habit of walking out and enthralling an already smitten crowd with his six-hitting. But even before he stepped out to deafening noise, Jadeja and Moeen Ali set the stage for the flourish. In the 17th over, Jadeja hit Mohsin for a six to bring up his fifty before Moeen hit a hat-trick of sixes off Bishnoi in the 17th to push CSK closer to 150. Moeen exited with a 20-ball cameo worth 30 runs to his name, and Dhoni went the other way to put on an even better show. His 9-ball 28 had trademark shots well over midwicket – one six even going 101m long. Dhoni even improvised with a shuffle-across and scoop shot over the keeper’s head. His efforts pushed CSK to 176/6, but that proved to be rather insufficient in the end.

With the white-ball not swinging enough in all venues, Deepak Chahar has been rendered largely ineffective this season. Though he came back for Shardul Thakur for this game, he couldn’t make the required inroads early on to put the home side under pressure in chase. Instead, Rahul and de Kock scored freely to dwarf the asking rate by the end of the six overs, in which they got 54 runs. CSK’s ordinary returns with the ball in the PowerPlay (7 wickets at an economy rate of 9.47) continued. Even Tushar Deshpande who has been frugal this season, couldn’t eke out a dismissal.

Nothing changed besides the field, from the seventh over on. Even CSK’s golden goose – Matheesha Pathirana – didn’t bring his wicket-taking knack to the middle overs as the LSG openers welcomed him with a 12-run over. The pair comfortably took LSG to 89/0 at the halfway stage, and then went after Jadeja to speed up the proceedings. Rahul cut one off Jadeja past point to go past 50, while de Kock upped his scoring rate too. Mustafizur Rahman attempted to break through with his wily change of pace, but he too hit a wall. Rahul and de Kock took the opening stand past 100 – the highest for any wicket at the venue. De Kock too got a fifty before feathering an attempted pull off Mustafizur to Dhoni behind the stumps.

That wicket, and of Rahul to follow, were mere consolations as LSG wrapped up the chase with an over to spare. Rahul looked set to mark the victory with a century to his name, only for Ravindra Jadeja to take a one-handed blinder at backward point to catch the LSG captain 18 short. But before this could happen, Nicholas Pooran had walked out swinging for the fences and put LSG well on course to pocketing the two points.

On the last ball of the penultimate over, from Deshpande, the West Indian backed away and hit one over point to put the finishing touch to a thoroughly competitive victory.

Brief Scores:
Chennai Super Kings 176/6 in 20 overs (Ajinkya Rahane 36, Ravindra Jadeja 57*, Moeen Ali 30, MS Dhoni 28*; Moshin Khan 1-37, Yash Thakur 1-45,  Krunal Pandya 2-16, Ravi Bishnoi 1-44, Marcus Stonis 1-07) lost to Lucknow Super Giants 180/2 in 19 overs (KL Rahul 82, Quinton de Kock 54, Nicholas Pooran 23*; Mustafizur Rahman 1-43, Matheesha Pathirana 1-29) by 8 wickets

(Cricbuzz)