Maxwell and Miller pummel Chennai in romping Punjab win

Sudhir Gupta 10:08 08/05/2014
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  • Man in form: Glenn Maxwell has proved superb for Kings XI so far.

    Glenn Maxwell finally made his presence felt in India with a sizzling 90 off 38 balls to power Kings XI Punjab to a stunning victory against Chennai Super Kings at the Barabati Stadium last night.

    Maxwell, who had set the stage alight in the UAE with his incredible batting display, smashed eight sixes and six fours as Punjab racked up 231-4 in 20 overs, the highest total of the Indian Premier League this season.

    David Miller (47 off 32 balls) was superb alongside Maxwell as the pair hammered 135 runs in just 64 balls. Such was the carnage that it was easy to forget that only 69 came off the first ten overs. The next ten produced a whopping 162, an IPL record, of which the last five produced 78.

    Even after Miller and Maxwell were dismissed, there was no respite for Chennai as Punjab captain George Bailey (40 in 13 balls) and Mitchell Johnson (11 in 6 balls) were brutal in the final stages, adding 49 off just 16 balls at the close of the innings.

    Both captains weren’t quite sure how the pitch would play out, given that it was Cuttack’s first match, but Virender Sehwag’s rousing start was an indication that the batsmen would have it easy. 

    However, at 37 for 2, with Maxwell having just arrived, Punjab abandoned their strategy of sending in the relatively passive Wriddhiman Saha and instead promoted Miller. Investing in their power hitters with nearly 15 overs remaining was the way to go and the decision certainly paid off.

    Maxwell felt the pitch aided his strokeplay which also led to a rollicking alliance with Miller.

    “The pitch was lovely and the ball was coming on to the bat quite well. The spinners held up a little and we got away quickly," said Maxwell. 

    “We [him and Miller] love batting together and talk about it a lot. It was fun to have a big partnership together and hit a few out of the park.”

    One shot that Maxwell plays regularly to unsettle the bowlers is the reverse slog or the switch hit with telling effect. A lot of effort goes into executing those, reveals Maxwell.

    "I practice it (switch hits) and keep trying to expand my game and try and hit the ball to different parts of the ground. I keep trying to do what I’m doing and we’re winning as well,” he added.

    Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni probably paid the best compliment to Maxwell when he equated the Australian’s batting brilliance to Indian legends Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. 

    “You can try those shots [Maxwell’s reverse slogs], but you need some serious talent to do it one after the other. He is someone who is very different, like Sehwag or Tendulkar and he is batting at his best,” Dhoni said.

    Bailey was at a loss of words to explain Maxwell’s brilliance and his partnership with Miller. 

    “I don’t really know what to say about it. It was something brilliant.

    “It was almost the future what we saw there: Maxi and Davey, the shots they played. They gave themselves a little time and that was crucial. I had a bit of luck tonight as well,” the Kings XI captain said.

    Bailey went on to stress the importance of defeating a strong side like Chennai, which has resulted in his team leading the points table with 12 points from seven games.

    “Chennai are the benchmark and for us to beat them a couple of times, it gives us confidence,” added Bailey.

    Chennai, boasting of one of the best batting line-ups this season, could only score 187 for six to slump to their second defeat. Their other defeat was also against the same opponents with Maxwell hitting a 43-ball 95 in Punjab’s six-wicket win in Abu Dhabi last month.

    Chennai suffered a big jolt when in-form opener Dwayne Smith (4) was dismissed in the first over. With Brendon McCullum (33), Suresh Raina (35) and Ravindra Jadeja (17) too failing to step up the pace Chennai were out for the count. 

    Dhoni (23) and Faf du Plessis (52) delayed the inevitable with a 61-run stand for the fifth wicket as Punjab closed in on a splendid victory.

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