Kulasekara, a vital cog in Chennai Super Kings

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It wasn’t a tough target that Chennai Super Kings had set for Pune Warriors in their crucial IPL fixture on Thursday. In order to restrict a strong Warriors’ top-order, the hosts had to make early inroads.

Sharing the new ball with Doug Bollinger, Nuwan Kulasekara provided exactly what the defending champions were looking for.

The Sri Lankan all-rounder accounted for both the in-form openers — Robin Uthappa and Jesse Ryder, which dented Warriors to a great extent.

Kulasekara sent Uthappa packing with his second delivery when he had him caught brilliantly by a diving R. Ashwin at mid-off.

In his very next over, Kulasekara went on to add the prized scalp of Ryder — who has the ability to change the complexion of the contest in a matter of minutes. Ryder, was again, magnificently caught by Dwayne Bravo in the deep.

Kulasekara, who was adjudged man of the match, did not waste any time in applauding his team’s effort on the field. “Catches win matches.

True to the adage, our team never let go any of the chances that came our way. We work hard during our fielding drills and the results are there for all to see,” said Kulasekara, who himself took a laudable catch to see the back of the dangerous Marlon Samuels.

With star-studded foreign recruits at CSK’s disposal, it hasn’t been easy for Kulasekara to break into the team sheet. However, the wiry cricketer kept MS Dhoni’s faith and delivered well.

“Our team is one of the strongest in the fray. It has so much depth with exceptional foreign talent. I am happy to get my chances and hope to continue the good run,” added Kulasekara, who brings a lot more to the table with his batting expertise.

“Dhoni is a great leader. He never hesitates to hear our suggestions. He always gives us (the bowlers) the first chance to set our field.”

The square seemed to be a dual-paced one where the ball kept low at times. But then, Kulasekara was pleased the way the pitch behaved. “It was a very good track. It had a bit of seam for the new-ball bowlers. Offering true bounce, it was also beneficial for the batsmen to play their shots.

We aimed for a score above the 150-mark as we knew the pitch would slow down later in the night,” noted Kulasekara.