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Gujarat Titans have been sitting atop the points table for the longest time. When they faced Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon, they once again proved just why they are perched there.
When CSK won the toss and Mahendra Singh Dhoni elected to bat, fireworks were expected from the in-form Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad. However, GT's strike bowler Mohammed Shami struck with a peach of a ball that straightened and took the edge of Conway's bat to the wicket-keeper.
Moeen Ali and Gaikwad rebuilt the innings, clobbering Yash Dayal and Rashid Khan for big runs. Fours and sixes rained along with the singles and twos.
Just as they were beginning to settle into a rhythm, left-arm spinner Sai Kishore broke the 57-run partnership having Moeen caught at deep mid-wicket for 21.
Thereafter, the boundaries were difficult to come by, but Gaikwad and Narayan Jagadeesan added 47 runs. Once Gaikwad was taken out by Rashid, Shivam Dube was sent back for a duck, and Dhoni just couldn't find the momentum.
Gujarat bowlers Rashid, Alzarri Joseph, Dayal and Shami kept it tight at the backend with runs coming at a premium. The last five overs saw the CSK batters score only 25 runs while losing 3 wickets and no boundaries to show.