Dhoni praises Vijay, Hussey for laying foundation for victory

Chennai, May 29 (IANS) Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoniheaped praise on his team's opening batsmen - Murali Vijay and Michael Hussey for laying foundation of his team's triumph against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the final match of the Indian Premier League here Saturday with a century partnership.

'Both Vijay and Hussey gave us a good start and that helped us to sustain the momentum. We didn't want to get desperate to win, but the intent was there. They challenged the fielders and rotated the strike,' said Dhoni after his team Chennai Super Kings's won the final match against RCB by 58 runs.

Vijay (95) and Hussey 63) put on 159 runs in 14.5 overs as the Super Kings went on to post 205 for five in 20 overs. Also, they restricted the Royal Challengers to 148 for eight with Ravichandran Ashwin taking three wickets, including that of opener Chris Gayle.

'Our bowling was good in the first phase of the innings, but we didn't bowl too well thereafter. Ashwin has a big heart and he is not afraid to toss the ball up in the power-play when we have just two fielders in the deep.

'He had good support from other bowlers who picked up wickets, but it was the foundation that Vijay and Hussey laid that eventually helped us to win,' said Dhoni who thus completed a four-in-a-row title triumphs, having earlier won the 2010 IPL and the Champions League, followed by the 2011 ICC World Cup.

Referring to the back-to-back IPL success, Dhoni said: 'Last year, we almost did not qualify for the semi-finals, but this year, we played quite well from the beginning.'

Dhoni's counterpart Daniel Vettori was obviously disappointed at the defeat, but admitted that the Super Kings played better cricket on the day.

'It was a good toss to win, but I thought we didn't bowl too well. We thought a target of 160-170 was gettable, but conceded far too many in the end.

'We did well earlier to top the league, but tonight, I thought the Super Kings played better cricket,' said Vettori.

Vijay was adjudged Man of the Match while Gayle received the Player of the tournament award besides the Orange cap for topping the scorers' list in the league with a tally of 511 runs from nine matches.

Paul Valthathy of the Kings XI Punjab won the prize for the 'best individual performance' for his 63-ball 120 not out against the Super Kings at Mohali.

Seamer Lasith Malinga of the Mumbai Indians topped among the bowlers with a haul of 27 wickets from 14 matches while team-mate and spinner Iqbal Abdulla was adjudged the 'Rising Star' of the tournament for his 16 wickets.

Chennai thump Bangalore, maintain IPL supremacy

Chennai: A clinical Chennai Super Kings clinched their second Indian Premier League title in a row with a 58-run thrashing of Royal Challengers Bangalore in a lop-sided final on Saturday.

Opener Murali Vijay cracked 95 runs off just 52 balls to help the defending champions pile up 205-5 before Ravichandran Ashwin removed Bangalore's openers early, ensuring a fine win for the hosts at a packed Chidambaram Stadium.

League-toppers Bangalore, who were seeking their maiden IPL title, folded up at 147-8 off 20 overs.

For Chennai, it was their eighth win on the trot at home this season, underlining their dominance in home conditions.

The home team owed their win to Vijay whose record 159-run stand for the first wicket with Australian Michael Hussey (63) set the platform for a winning total after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to bat first.

Their stand surpassed the 155-run partnership between Adam Gilchrist and VVS Laxman against Mumbai in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008.

"I was concentrating on just converting my start today, as it hasn't always happened this season," said Vijay, named man of the match.

"This (Chennai) is a special unit to be part of and to retain the title feels really great."

Bangalore's chase was derailed early with off-spinner Ashwin (3-16) getting rid of the dangerous Chris Gayle for a duck in the very first over.

Gayle, who still finished as the highest run-getter with 608 runs from 12 innings, offered an outside edge which was snapped up by Dhoni behind the wickets.

Gayle's dismissal triggered a collapse with Bangalore losing their next six wickets inside 11 overs to be reduced to 70-6, a situation from which they could never really recover.

Saurabh Tiwary offered some resistance with an unbeaten 42 but the other Bangalore batsmen simply caved in under pressure.

"It would have been a much better game if we could have put up a bowling performance like on Friday (against Mumbai) but it was not to be," said Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori.

"I think 160-170 would have been chaseable but their openers took the game away from us."

Vijay, pointed out as the weak link in the Chennai line-up after an indifferent run with the bat in the tournament, decided to make amends at the big stage, unleashing six sixes and four fours in his blazing knock.

Hussey also impressed, hitting three sixes and as many boundaries in his 45-ball innings before holing out to Abhimanyu Mithun near the boundary ropes off left-arm spinner Syed Mohammad.

Vijay, who seemed to struggle in hot and humid conditions during the later part of his innings, missed out on a well-deserved century when he offered a simple catch to Vettori off paceman Sreenath Aravind.

Aravind struck again off the very next ball to remove Dhoni, caught off a full toss by Virat Kohli after making 22 which included two sixes in one over by Gayle.

Gayle also picked up two wickets in two balls, sending back Albie Morkel and Suresh Raina in the 20th over with his wily off-breaks.