India showed what they can do at Chepauk Stadium last night.

 I could not get my hands on the tickets. Yup. Had to start with this line because it can only get better as you read on. The match was mind-blowing. The Men In Blue were bright and brilliant. They were down a bit but when they came back, they were strong and competitive. They did not let the rains get to them. They did not let the rain prevent them from winning. The Chennai Audience had the time of their lives indeed. It was good cricket. Even for those few at the stadium who supported the Aussies. The sea of blue chanting Dhoni’s name was resounding and well-deserved. It reminded all those who kept asking Captain Cool when he plans to retire that Dhoni makes the call, not them. The man’s still got it.

When Australia came in to bat, they were facing a target of 164 to be hit in 21 overs. Now I do not understand Duckworth or Lewis. Put them together and I am just lost. They came in, played around with the numbers and put a target based on how India batted, the number of wickets they lost, etc. It is said (by those who actually understand how the D/L method works) that this method gives the team batting second an unfair advantage. India still won so :)

There were three Aussie batsmen who crossed single digits - David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner. The wickets fell in quick succession. If Siddhu were here, this is what he would have to say - “The way wickets are falling reminds me of the cycle stand at Rajendra Talkies in Patiala...one falls and everything else falls!”

Earlier when India came in, the top order batsmen struggled. The first three wickets fell when India had scored eleven runs. Things did not look good at all. Rohit Sharma started to get the momentum going. He just needed the right partner. Jadhav helped him get the ball rolling. Dhoni and Pandya joined the party at the right time and India adds a booming 281 runs on the scorecard. It was pure fury unleashed. A sight not to miss. The Chennai Audience was indeed in for a treat. As was every true-blue Indian Fan.

Pandya was the player of the match. He also took two wickets and totally deserved it. But Dhoni was our man. It was his 100th international 50. Plus Chennai LOVES him. He is the original ‘Super King’ after all.

Indu