Shane Watson and Stuart Binny made the best team in IPL 2013 so far -- Chennai Super Kings - look like a schoolboy side, absolutely annihilating their bowlers, to power the Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket win.
Needing 142 to win, after CSK finished on 141 for four in their 20 overs, the Royals were in real trouble on 45 for four. But then, Watson (70 in 34 balls) and Binny (41 in 23) allied for an outstanding 93-run partnership from just 45 deliveries to ease their side to an authoritative win.
The Royals finished on 144 for five in 17.1 overs as they kept their unblemished home record in Jaipur intact.
The win sees the Royals second in the IPL 2013 points table, but level on 20 points with CSK, who remain top purely due to a superior net run rate.
Rajasthan Royals had a terrible start to their innings, losing three wickets within the first five overs, as it looked like CSK would post another win in this season's IPL.
Jason Holder accounted for the first two wickets, with Ajinkya Rahane finding Murali Vijay at mid-on after mistiming an attempted over-the-top shot.
James Faulkner was surprisingly sent in on a pitch that was had some movement for the fast bowlers. The gamble did not pay off, as the Australian was castled by Holder three balls later.
Shane Watson, who normally comes in at No.3, still did not walk into the middle, with Sanju Samson sent in to steady the ship in the company of Rahul Dravid.
Samson, though, had one of his rare failures in the tournament, inside-edging one to MS Dhoni off Mohit Sharma.
The Royals needed 97 runs from 10.4 overs at that point, but Watson and Stuart Binny made the equation look ridiculously easy with a stunning partnership.
The 11th over, bowled by R Ashwin, started it with Binny and Watson smashing the off-spinner for three sixes.
Dwayne Bravo felt the Watson-Binny ire three overs later, with the West Indians tonked for another three maximums as the Royals cut the target to 28 from six overs in the blink of an eye.
Watson (70, 34b, 6x6, 6x4) scored three more boundaries off Morris in the next over, before getting out to Bravo, but Binny (41, 23b, 2x4, 3x6) finished things off in style with a maximum as the home side sealed a brilliant win.
Chris Morris then got in on the act for CSK, dismissing the Royals skipper Dravid (22, 28b, 2x4), who edged on to Dhoni while going for a cut, and with it leaving the home side reeling on 45 for four from 9.2 overs.
In the first innings, CSK stumbled from a position of strength before eventually scrambling to 141 from their 20 overs.
Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay yet again gave the IPL 2013 leaders a good start, allying for 83 runs for the first wicket.
Both players kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely, setting up the perfect platform for the likes of MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina to take advantage of in the second half of the innings.
Hussey (40, 40b, 6x4) was the first batsman to go, castled by Stuart Binny while attempting a pull shot in the 12th over.
The stage was set for the in-form Raina to catch fire, with CSK on 83 for one, well on course for a total exceeding 160.
However, things did not quite go according to plan, as CSK's two best T20 batsmen - Raina and Dhoni got out in the same over, the 12th of the innings.
Raina (1) first perfectly picked out Sanju Samson at long-off off Kevon Cooper, before Dhoni (2 in 3) edged one to Watson at first slip three balls later.
Murali Vijay suddenly now had Ravindra Jadeja (12 in 14 balls) for company, and the duo struggled a little in the final overs, failing to find the boundaries to great effect.
Vijay (55, 50b, 6x4) ran himself out in the 18th over, which proved to be a blessing in disguise really, because that brought in Dwayne Bravo.
The West Indian all-rounder played a little gem of an innings, scoring a quickfire 23 runs from 11 deliveries (4x4) to push the total beyond the 140 mark.
