Top order fashions easy IPL win for Chennai

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

JAIPUR, India, (Reuters) – Mahendra Singh Dhoni and  his top order colleagues fired in unison as Chennai Super Kings  thumped Rajasthan Royals by 63 runs to jump to second place in  the Indian Premier League yesterday.

Rahul Dravid

Put into bat by Rajasthan skipper Shane Warne, Chennai  openers Mike Hussey (46) and Murali Vijay (53) stitched together  a 77-run stand in 9.2 overs to lay the foundation for a big  total.

Dhoni (41 not out) and Suresh Raina (43) capitalised on the  start and milked the Rajasthan attack with consummate ease to  help Chennai pile up a commanding 196-3 at the Sawai Mansingh  Stadium.

Rajasthan made a feeble response as openers Shane Watson  (11) and Rahul Dravid (20) could not provide the start they were  looking for on a ground with a relatively short boundary and  fast outfield.

Promoted to number three, Ajinkya Rahane (52) waged a lonely  battle during his 36-ball stay but, once Dwayne Bravo removed  him in the 15th over, the match slipped through Rajasthan’s  fingers.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

For Chennai, paceman Doug Bollinger (3-22) and off-spinner  Ravichandran Ashwin (2-24) shared five wickets between them.

Part-timer Raina claimed two wickets in his three  deliveries, including that of Warne who batted at number 11 for  a duck, without conceding a run as Rajasthan, now fifth in the  points tally, folded for 133 with three balls to spare.