Chennai Super Kings batters failed to capitalise on their starts as they were restricted to a below-par 165 for 5 in their Indian Premier League match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday.
In-form Shivam Dube top-scored with a 24-ball 45 while veteran Ajinkya Rahane contributed a sedate 35 off 30 balls after CSK were asked to bat on a pitch that didn't seem like a proverbial belter. The duo's 65-run partnership for the third wicket from just 6.3 overs was the only highlight of the CSK innings.
CSK added only 37 runs in the last five overs and that could be the turning point in the match.
But credit must be given to CSK's all-season man Ravindra Jadeja, whose unbeaten 31 off 23 balls was the added fillip that the defending champions needed at the end.
Coming out at the fag end of the innings, former captain MS Dhoni remained not out on one from two balls.
For SRH, it was a collective bowling effort with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Pat Cummins, T Natarajan Shahbaz Ahmed and Jaydev Unadkat taking a wicket apiece.
CSK made a decent start, reaching 25 for no loss in three overs before veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar gave SRH the breakthrough with his first wicket of the season in the form of Rachin Ravindra who sliced it straight to Markram in the first ball of the fourth over.
One down Rahane then hit SRH captain Cummins for a six in the fifth over. CSK took 15 runs from the sixth over bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar with Rahane and his captain Ruturaj Gaikwad hitting a four and a six respectively.
CSK were well-placed at 48 for 1 at the end of the first powerplay but the introduction of spin in the form of Shahbaz Ahmed did the trick as Gaikwad was out for 26 off 21 balls, with Abdul Samad taking a simple catch at long-on.
Rahane did score useful runs but never really looked fluent in his strokeplay as Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat and T Natarajan took pace off their deliveries to stem the flow of runs.
Dube was the primary scorer during their 65-run partnership for the third wicket from just 6.3 overs. Dube, who has already scored a fifty this season, was more aggressive than his senior partner, hitting two fours and four towering sixes during his 24-ball innings.
He was finally deceived by a pace-off delivery from Pat Cummins outside off and gave an easy catch to Kumar at backward point in the 14th over.
Rahane was out in the next over off the bowling of Unadkat and the two quick wickets did not help CSK's cause.
