IPL as it happened: CSK beat Pune by 37 runs

**Click here** for the live scorecard. Chennai Super Kings beat Pune Warriors by 37 runs. 2316: That’s it… all over and the CSK juggernaut keeps rolling… 2315: Wicket! Sharma c Raina b Bravo 0 (1b, 0x4, 0x6): Change of pace does the trick. Sharma stops short trying to punch the ball, and it’s looped towards Raina at short mid-off. PWI 124-9 after 19.3 overs.  2310: Wicket! Richardson c Raina b Morris 26 (20b, 2x4, 1x6): Short ball from Morris and Richardson tries to slap it over mid-wicket. All he gets is a top edge and Raina takes it. PWI 118-8 after 18.4 overs. 2305: Something to cheer for the Pune crowd! Bhuvneshwar treats ‘Sir’ Jadeja with no respect, thumping a four and six in the 17th over. That will taken Pune to 110-7. Bhuvi milking the moment… enjoy it mate. 2255: Wicket! Smith c & b Jadeja 35 (39b, 3x4, 0x6): Whatever invisible hopes remained for Pune are gone with this wicket. Smith hits it straight to Jadeja. It’s 92-7 after 14.2 overs. 2245: No boundaries in the last three overs for Pune, but no wickets either! None of those points make any difference though. The required run-rate has climbed to 12.28 and sorry to say this Pune fans, but CSK cannot lose from here. It’s 79-6 after 13 overs. 2235: Wicket! Nayar run out 2 (4b, 0x4, 0x6): Terrible communication between the batsmen. Nayar doesn’t want the run but sees Smith halfway down the pitch before darting off himself — but it’s not enough. Ashwin collects the throw and has the bails off in a flash. PWI are 61-6 after 9.1 overs 2228: Wicket! Wright run out 2 (6b, 0x4, 0x6): Unlucky… just so unlucky for Wright. Morkel gets his fingertips on Smith’s straight drive and the ball hits the stumps while Wright is nowhere near the crease.  PWI are 54-5 after 7.3 overs. 2225: Two overs without a Pune wicket and it feels like ages. Smith and Wright are in the middle, but they cannot find any boundaries. However, they’ve managed to reach the 50-run mark. At this same stage, after seven overs, CSK were 34-2. 2212: Wicket! Yuvraj c Dhoni b Sharma 5 (4b, 1x4, 0x6): What, again? Smith scored two fours before Yuvraj pulled one through the on-side for four more… but Mohit Sharma makes him reach out and gets the edge! Pune 43-4 after 4.5 overs. 2205: Wicket! Uthappa run out 10 (11b, 0x4, 1x6): Oh what is happening? Yes-no-yes-no between the batsmen and a diving Raina gets the direct-hit. Third umpire not even needed. Pune falling apart - it’s 29-3 after 3.2 overs. 2203: Wicket! Suman lbw b Sharma 0 (1b, 0x4, 0x6): Stunner! Great decision from Simon Tauffel as he raises the finger after a close LBW call. Mohit Sharma on a hat-trick… but before that, Morris’ over. Pune 26-2 after three overs. 2200:Wicket! Finch c Dhoni b Sharma 15 (9b, 2x4, 1x6): He started with a bang - slamming a couple of fours and a six before the faintest of edges is taken by Dhoni comfortably.  Pune Warriors need 165 runs to beat CSK 2135: Incredible from Dhoni! He’s completely turned the match around in the space of a few overs. CSK have scored 62 runs in the last five overs, with Dhoni hitting three fours and a huge six in the last two. CSK finish at 164-3. Raina (63) and Dhoni (45) remain not out. 2125: Told you! A wicket would actually do good for CSK - Dhoni plays a couple of solid shots for four before freeing his arms and launching a six over long-on. Quality hitting, and CSK are 138-3 after 18 overs. 2120: Dhoni starts off with a bang - getting a four and a six right away. Meanwhile, Raina brings up another IPL fifty. Phenomenal record, this guy has in this tournament. CSK are 121-3 after 17 overs. 2110: Wicket! Badrinath c Smith b Wright 34 (31b, 2x4, 0x6):  Badrinath goes for the big shot and gets caught at long-off. CSK finally reach the 100-run mark, courtesy some quick running between the wickets - but Badri simply had to take the risk. CSK are 103-3 after 15.3 overs. 2100: There we go! Badrinath crashes back-to-back fours in Sharma’s over before Raina heaves Richardson for a six over midwicket. CSK are 93-2 after 14 overs. 2052: Two more overs gone and CSK don’t have an answer to Pune’s disciplined bowling. Raina’s trying to dig out the shots and the frustration is showing. CSK are just 68-2 after 12 overs. 2045: Excellent shot from Raina through the covers, and he’ll get four for it. But CSK need more of those shots. Just looks like one of those moments where a wicket may actually prove good for the batting side. Dhoni-Bravo-Jadeja all waiting to bat. It’s 55-2 after 10 0vers. 2035: Eight overs gone and CSK are 41-2, a position which they don’t really find themselves in. It’s a slow start, despite Raina swatting another four — and Pune’s bowlers are doing very well. 2025: Wicket! Saha lbw b Sharma 13 (15b, 1x4, 1x6): Looks like that previous decision to let him stay has worked against Saha. This time the ball seemed to be sliding away from leg-stump, but Sharma gets the wicket. CSK are 28-2 after 5.4 overs. 2020: Slow and steady - that’s the way for CSK. Richardson may have got Hussey in his previous over, but gives away 16 runs in the current one. Saha smacks a six over his head and a four through the covers after Raina’s four through square-leg. CSK 26-1 after five overs. 2012: Bowled! Hussey b Richardson 5 (8b, 1x4, 0x6): Oh completely beat the man! It cut away from Hussey, who tried to punch it and that’s that… gone. CSK 6-1 after 2.3 overs. 2010: Ooooo… that was close! Bhuvneshwar gets one to nip back into Saha, and tell you what, half the newsroom thought that was out. Yuvraj is livid, and so is Smith. CSK are 6-0 after two overs. 1955: Rahul Sharma will open the bowling for Pune. Chennai XI: W Saha, M Hussey, S Raina, S Badrinath, MS Dhoni, R Jadeja, DJ Bravo, A Morkel, C Morris, R Ashwin, M Sharma Pune XI: R Uthappa, A Finch, L Wright, Y Singh, S Smith, A Nayar, T Suman, B Kumar, R Sharma, A Dinda, K Richardson Chennai Super Kings have won the toss and will bat first.

Teams with lowest R/R in #IPL (Bowling): SRH 7.09, KXIP 7.32, RR 7.38,CSK 7.57, KKR 7.67, RCB 7.70, DD 7.83,MI 7.97, PWI 8.25 (Overall 7.64)

— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) April 30, 2013

  Their campaign in doldrums at the half-way stage, Pune Warriors would be desperate to change the scenario but they face a gigantic challenge when they take on table-toppers Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match here on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_742039” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  CSK are the table toppers in IPL. BCCI[/caption] Languishing at the bottom of the table, Pune Warriors would be keen to repeat the performance they gave a fortnight ago against the same opposition, when they defeated them by 24 runs — that too in an away match. But in the days after that, the Allan Donald-coached side has lost four matches on the trot, including Sunday night`s game against an equally out of sorts Delhi Daredevils by 15 runs, and the odds are heavily stacked against them. Chennai Super Kings, on the other hand, have been in destructive form, most recently defeating defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders by 14 runs on Sunday night.