SRH vs CSK, IPL 2021: Hazlewood leads Chennai into the Playoffs

CSK vs SRH, IPL 2021: Hazlewood's run-up, load-up and release, in perfect harmony, proved to be the game-changer for Chennai Super Kings as it restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 134 for seven and went on to win by six wickets.

Josh Hazlewood of Chennai Super Kings celebrates the dismissal of Sunrisers Hyderabad's Jason Roy with his teammates.

With Josh Hazlewood’s subtle alterations in speed, length and angles while bowling, you never know what’s in store.

His run-up, load-up and release, in perfect harmony, proved to be the game-changer for Chennai Super Kings as it restricted Sunrisers Hyderabad to 134 for seven and went on to win by six wickets to ensure Playoffs qualification in their IPL clash at Sharjah on Thursday.

With two runs required off three balls, CSK skipper M.S. Dhoni dispatched paceman Siddharth Kaul over mid-wicket for a rousing six to deliver the winning blow.

Earlier, Ruturaj Gaikwad - all about footwork, balance and timing - smacked Bhuvneshwar Kumar over mid-wicket for a six. It was a display of excellent batting on a sluggish pitch where a few deliveries kept low.

As it happened

Bhuvneshwar is not at his best in the IPL and Faf du Plessis smashed him over wide long-on as the CSK openers got up and running. The South African batter moves around the crease, goes back to use the depth of it and also dances down the track when required; off-setting the bowlers.     

Ruturaj (45 off 38) fell to seamer Jason Holder, while attempting to clear the in-field. Moeen Ali promised much, but played on to leg-spinner Rashid Khan. 

Holder made inroads even as the winning line was in sight for CSK. Suresh Raina fell to a yorker. And du Plessis (41 off 36) miscued a pull.

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But then, when the intrepid Ambati Rayudu drove Kaul to cover fence and then clubbed Bhuvneshwar over mid-wicket for the maximum, it opened the winning door for CSK. And Dhoni shut it on Sunrisers.

In the first half, Hazlewood delivered telling blows with his stump-to-stump bowling and variations. He dismissed influential opener Jason Roy, after CSK elected to field, with a delivery that moved away, extracted a false shot from Abhishek Sharma with a straighter delivery and had Abdul Samad slicing a widish yorker to point.

Dwayne Bravo took out Williamson, who played across one that nipped back.

Saha (44 off 46), who had pulled and off-driven Deepak Chahar for sixes, was another batsman who succumbed to the playing-across-the-line malice. Ravindra Jadeja was the bowler on this occasion. CSK then closed in like a hungry pack.