Conway has winning role in thriller final of IPL
Chennai Super Kings secure the title on final ball for Fleming-coached team
Black Caps batsman Devon Conway has played a major role in helping the Chennai Super Kings to the IPL title. The match went down to the last ball, with the Stephen Flemingcoached Super Kings scoring a boundary off the final delivery to beat Gujurat Titans by five wickets in the final in Ahmedabad.
“It’s a real caravan of cricket, and it comes down to the last two balls, and you’re just sitting and watching. You age quickly when that happens,” the former Black Caps skipper told Sky Sport.
Fleming said his side was a little short in the bowling department to start.
“[Matheesha] Pathirana gave us a sting in the tail in the end overs.”
Batting first, the Titans posted 214-5 in their 20 overs but rain reduced the Super Kings innings to 15 overs and a revised total of 171 to win under the Duckworth Lewis Stern system.
Sai Sudharsan’s 96 helped put the Titans in a commanding position before rain led to a lengthy delay before the Super Kings’ innings.
Opening the batting, Conway continued the good form he has shown in the competition, top-scoring for Chennai with 47 off 25 balls.
“I was just thinking positive intent, swing for the hills. It has been great batting alongside Rutu [Gaikwad], such a clean hitter of the ball,” Conway told Sky Sport.
“Our partnership has worked really well, left-right combination, and we enjoy our time together. I think this environment is really good. We’ve got some top players, gives me the opportunity to speak to them about batting and learn so much.”
Ravindra Jadeja plundered a six and a four from the last two deliveries against Mohit Sharma to help the Super Kings chase down their revised target of 171.
The IPL needed three days to complete the final.
It was washed out on Sunday, started late Monday and finished after 1.30am local time yesterday. But it was worth it.
Chennai was squeezed by medium-pacer Sharma in the last over and the equation got to 10 runs required off two balls.
Sharma got his length wrong and Jadeja hit a straight six. Sharma then got his line wrong and Jadeja hit a four to fine leg to complete a stunning win.
“I was just thinking I need to swing hard, as much as I can,” Jadeja said. “Where the ball will go, I was not thinking about that. I was backing myself and looking to hit straight, because I know Mohit can bowl those slower balls.”
Chennai’s record-equalling fifth title also gave retiring batter Ambati Rayudu a sixth IPL title, tying him with Rohit Sharma as the league’s most successful players.
“It’s a fairy tale finish,” Rayudu said. “I’m fortunate to have played in really great sides. I can smile for the rest of my life.”
Spinner Noor Ahmad removed openers Conway (47 off 25) and Gaikwad (26 off 16) in the same over but Chennai kept coming hard. Ajinkya Rahane added 27 off 13, and Rayudu struck Mohit Sharma for 6-4-6 in the 13th over before the bowler responded with two wickets.
He took a return catch to dismiss Rayudu and had Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni caught at extra-cover for a first-ball duck. That left Shivam Dube, who scored an unbeaten 32 off 21, with Jadeja.
Dhoni, who has led the Chennai franchise since the start of the IPL, said he’d be prepared to continue after guiding the team to 10 finals.
“The easy thing for me to say is, ‘thank you,’ and retire,” the 41-yearold former India captain said. “But the hard thing to do is to work hard for nine months and try to play one more IPL season.”