Chennai was expected to qualify for semis: Dhoni

Thu, Sep 23 10 01:22 AM

Port Elizabeth, Sep 22 (PTI) Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said being the Indian Premier League champions his side was expected to qualify for the semifinals of the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament here. "It is an important tournament and being the IPL champions we are expected to do well. I am glad that we have done decently well in the last four games we have played," Dhoni said after Chennai defeated Warriors by 10 runs in the last Group A match and qualified for the semifinals. Chennai will now take on fellow IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first semifinal in Durban on Saturday and Dhoni said his side will have to tighten up some loose ends before the crucial encounter. "There have been ups and downs, we have got quite a few weak links but at the end of the day, we have done well." "We did not want them to get off to a great start and the important point was the middle overs. The next game will be in Durban and our fast bowlers will have to pull their socks up because I don''t thin the spinners will get much turn or purchase there," he said. "But there is plenty to improve before the next game but as far as this game is concerned the combination really worked for us," Dhoni added. Dhoni''s counterpart Davey Jacobs said batting did them in today''s match but he was happy to have qualified for the last four stage inspite of the defeat. "I think we bowl great tonight and did a good job in the field too but our batting was not upto the mark. But we are happy to qualify for the semis. Now we have to prepare hard for the semis," he said. Man-of-the-match Mike Hussey, who scored a match-winning 50 apart from taking two crucial catches today, credited Chennai bowlers for the victory. "It was a great game. Both teams fought really hard. We are exactly not sure what a good score would be. Initially I was thinking about 160-170 but as it turned out 136 was enough in the end. "Our bowlers did a great job, particularly the spinners," Hussey said.

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