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May 16 2008 | Views 96 | Comments (0) Leave a Comment

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Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that Sanath Jayasuriya’s assault on his bowlers made all the difference in their Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament game against the Mumbai Indians, here last night.

Jayasuriya struck a whirlwind 114 not out off just 48 deliveries with the help of 11 sixes and nine boundaries as Mumbai Indians overhauled a modest target of 157 for the loss of one wicket in just 13.5 overs.

“I thought our bowlers did not put the ball in the right areas and with Jayasuriya in such form, he took the game away from us,” admitted Dhoni.

He said the Super Kings also did not enjoy a good start and the early loss of wickets put pressure on the rest of the batsmen while also slowing down the pace of the innings.

“The pitch did help seam movement early on, but we lost wickets at regular intervals and did not get a good start that we were hoping for,” said Dhoni.

In the company of S Badrinath (53), Dhoni (43 not out) added valuable 95 runs for the fifth wicket to help his team’s total past the 150-mark.

Dhoni was confident that the Super Kings, who have 12 points from six wins, would bounce back and would put on a better performance in the remaining four league fixtures.

The Super Kings now travel to Kolkata to take on the Knight Riders on May 18 before returning to Chennai for two home games against Bangalore Royal Challengers (May 21) and the Rajasthan Royals (May 24). They will conclude their league engagements on May 27 at Hyderabad where they meet the Deccan Chargers.

On his part, Jayasuriya opined that the bounce and carry that the pitch afforded helped him as he could play his shots with much more freedom.

“There was good bounce in the wicket and the ball came on to the bat nicely. So, I thought I will go for my shots. I also had Sachin (Tendulkar) at the other end and it allowed me to play my natural game. It was the best day in my life,” said Jayasuriya who in the previous game had good starts but could not build on them.

Last night at the Wankhede stadium, Jayasuriya showed scant respect for any bowler and erupted like a volcano to sweep all before him in a manner that evoked a grudging admiration from even the Super Kings camp.

“Nobody could have done anything to stop Jayasuriya. He was simply fantastic. His timing was just perfect and some of the shots he played were just unbelievable. Of course, we could have bowled better, but when Sanath is in such a mood and form, you can only watch,” gushed Krishnamachari Srikkanth, the Super Kings brand ambassador. Close

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sureshbabub

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IPL Chennai

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