11:05pm That brings us to the end of our coverage for tonight. We will be back at it on Friday when the Dindigul Dragons take on the Tiruppur Tamizhans for a place in the final. Until then, this is goodbye from me, Vairavan and everyone else at ESPNcricinfo. Take care, folks!

R Ashwin, the Dindigul Dragons captain is also the Player of the Match: Felt like there were enough mistakes done in a single match. Our players showed we could lose even this match at one point [from a winning position], that's what pressure does to you. They are still learning how to handle pressure, we need to chat about it. It was an imperfect game but our bowling stood out. (Batting still not 100%?) With our batting line-up, I always have a doubt whether I should come ahead or bat down but I can't control too much. Both of our games have been imperfect. We haven't played the perfect game and sealed a crushing win. We need to work on it and have a chat. (On the crowd) Great crowd in Dindigul today, loved the applause for my fifty. I hear there's a demand for tickets in Chepauk (for Qualifier 2). We'll be in yellow this time like CSK, hope the crowd supports us.

Baba Aparajith, Chepauk Super Gillies captain: There was a slow pitch, I thought the score was good. Credit goes to DD batters. Ashwin batted superbly. He took us on in the powerplay and we did not have answers. We could not get the early wickets (we wanted). (On Prem Kumar) Credit to game. It was his first game and he bowled superbly. Lots of talent and we will see a lot of him next season. (On the learnings from this season) Lots of learnings, in all departments. Even in the matches we lost, we lost close matches. Proud of the boys and the effort they put in. I knew this was a pressure game, wanted to take it deeper and get the team to a 150-plus score. We conceded too many in the powerplay and it was tough to then recover from.

10:43pm And...breathe. A topsy-turvy game of cricket, encapsulating all that can go wrong in a playoff game and illustrating just how important it is to hold your nerve. The Dragons, after two-thirds of their run-chase, were well ahead. Ashwin was batting like a dream and Shivam was not faring badly either.

But then...came the collapse, preceded and caused by indecision. Ashwin departed and then Indrajith was run out first ball. Shivam did find the fence a couple of times post it but he too was dismissed with more than 20 needed. Sarath and Bhati, though, cleared the fence just when DD needed it and that proved to be a difference, even as it all threatened to fall apart in a frantic final over.

CSG will be proud of their effort. It seemed they had a below-par total on the board, yet, they fought their hearts out. Prem Kumar, on debut, was exceptional, with Periyaswamy also very tidy. But in the end, they just did not have enough to play with and will be gutted at having missed out on an opportunity to go to Chepauk.

19.5
4
Shah to Dinesh Raj, FOUR, a glorious drive, and Dinesh does the trick for the Dindigul Dragons, under immense pressure! Darted in full on the stumps. Dinesh Raj gives himself ample room and then plays the most pristine of cover drives. Crunches the bones out of it and scorches it past extra cover. The Super Gillies are out on their feet. They brought this game to the brink, from nowhere it must be remembered, but fell just short at the end. Smiles in the Dragons camp, but the sense of relief is also palpable!

2 off 2 now. Two singles will do the job for the Dragons. Everyone, barring long off, is up in the circle on the off side

19.4
1
Shah to Bhati, 1 run, fullish outside off. Bhati fetches it and drags it towards deep mid wicket. Just a single
19.3
0
Shah to Bhati, no run, slowed up on a length on off. Bhati looks to hit it into the Bay of Bengal but only gets it as far as his front pad. Trickles back towards the bowler
19.3
1w
Shah to Bhati, 1 wide, darted in full and down leg. Jagadeesan does well to get something behind it but that is a wide. A bonus. Absolute bonus for the Dragons

Bhati on strike now. 4 off 4

19.2
1lb
Shah to Dinesh Raj, 1 leg bye, unusual choice of shot, to say the least! Fired in full outside leg. Dinesh Raj, facing his first ball, looks for the reverse and misses (surprise, surprise). Pings off his back leg into the on side

Dinesh Raj is the new batter in

19.1
W
Shah to Sarath Kumar, OUT, taken on the long on fence by the CSG skipper! And the crowd descends into slience! Juicy full toss outside off and on most days, this would have been hit out of the ground. On this occasion, though, Sarath clinks it badly and arrows it towards Aparajith, who tracks it all the way and takes it right on the fence, high to his right. Top catch under pressure, and the Super Gillies, somehow, are still in this!

C Sarath Kumar c Aparajith b Shah 12 (11b 0x4 1x6) SR: 109.09

5 off 6 now. And uh-oh, CSG are behind the over-rate and will now have one less fielder outside the ring. Sarath on strike. Rahil to bowl. Around the wicket

END OF OVER:
19 | 10 Runs | DD: 154/5 (5 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 8.10, RRR: 5.00)

  • Sarath Kumar12 (10b)
  • Suboth Bhati13 (10b)
  • Abhishek Tanwar4-0-34-1
  • Ganeshan Periyaswamy4-0-25-0
18.6
1
Tanwar to Sarath Kumar, 1 run, oh dear, another sitter put down, and Ferrario is the guilty party again! Full toss outside off. Sarath looks for the glory shot and makes a mess of it. Skies it towards deep mid wicket. Ferrario settles under it but the ball just slips through his hands. Not sure if he even got hands to it in the end. Another chance gone abegging...
18.5
0
Tanwar to Sarath Kumar, no run, well well! Zipped in full outside off. Sarath walks further outside off, shaping up for the paddle behind square. Does not lay bat on ball. Was that needed?

DD one hit away from a win

18.4
1
Tanwar to Bhati, 1 run, full just outside off. Bhati sits deep in his crease and drills it towards long off

7 off 9. Back to under run-a-ball

18.3
6
Tanwar to Bhati, SIX, that has gone to the moon, and it has cleared the fence! Half-tracker outside off and Bhati absolutely tears into it. Winds up by staying back in his crease and clatters it a mile over deep mid wicket. Plenty of height and enough distance!
18.2
1
Tanwar to Sarath Kumar, 1 run, low full toss just outisde off. Sarath, despite sitting deep in his crease, can only chalk it and luckily for him, it falls enough to extra cover's right
18.1
1
Tanwar to Bhati, 1 run, excellent wide yorker. Bhati cannot get under it and clinks it towards deep cover point

15 off 12. This is getting very tense. The Dragons had no business being in this situation. But here they are. The Super Gillies would have dreamt of dragging the game this deep and with a significant chance of victory. And here they are too. Tanwar to bowl

END OF OVER:
18 | 3 Runs | DD: 144/5 (15 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 8.00, RRR: 7.50)

  • Suboth Bhati5 (7b)
  • Sarath Kumar10 (7b)
  • Ganeshan Periyaswamy4-0-25-0
  • Abhishek Tanwar3-0-24-1
17.6
1
Periyaswamy to Bhati, 1 run, top yorker on middle and leg. Bhati digs it out towards the bowler, who misfields and allows a single down to long off

Pressure on the Dragons now. 16 off 13

17.5
0
Periyaswamy to Bhati, no run, another slower ball on a length outside off. Bhati has a wild whoosh across the line and makes no contact, unsurprisingly
17.4
1
Periyaswamy to Sarath Kumar, 1 run, low full toss on middle and leg. Sarath tucks it off his toes towards deep mid wicket
17.3
0
Periyaswamy to Sarath Kumar, no run, slower ball hung up on a length outside off. Sarath aims for the moon and only swats away a few flies in the process
17.2
1
Periyaswamy to Bhati, 1 run, zipped in full on off. Driven down the ground towards long on
17.1
0
Periyaswamy to Bhati, no run, almost! Off-pace and into the track outside off. Bhati flashes hard at it and nearly chunks it off the inside edge into his stumps

Periyaswamy to bowl. 18 needed off 18

END OF OVER:
17 | 10 Runs 1 Wkt | DD: 141/5 (18 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.29, RRR: 6.00)

  • Suboth Bhati3 (3b)
  • Sarath Kumar9 (5b)
  • Abhishek Tanwar3-0-24-1
  • J Prem Kumar4-0-26-2
16.6
1
Tanwar to Bhati, 1 run, slow, short and wide outside off. Bhati cuts it towards deep cover point

Looks like Aparajith wanted to go upstairs but the window for doing so had elapsed

16.5
0
Tanwar to Bhati, no run, slower ball on a full length outside off. Bhati has a huge swish at it but is too early into the stroke. Only a fresh-air shot
16.4
2
Tanwar to Bhati, 2 runs, full outside off. Bhati gets onto the front foot and drives it crisply past extra cover. Off the mark with a brace

Bhati in at 7

16.3
W
Tanwar to Shivam Singh, OUT, edged and taken this time! Oh my word, this game turns again! Slower delivery dug into the track outside off. Shivam tries to force it through the off side and gets a healthy nick. Drops on Jagadeesan but he does well to stoop down low and pick it up inches off the turf. A good knock, but someone else will have to take the Dragons past the finish line now!

Shivam Singh c †Jagadeesan b Tanwar 64 (49b 6x4 2x6) SR: 130.61

16.2
1
Tanwar to Sarath Kumar, 1 run, dropped, oh dear! That was an absolute sitter! Low full toss on off stump. Sarath, sitting deep in his crease, slogs it straight down Ferrario's throat at deep mid wicket, who grasses it. Is that the final nail in CSG's coffin?
16.1
6
Tanwar to Sarath Kumar, SIX, Sarath clears the fence, and eases the pressure! Juicy full toss wide outside off. Sarath comes out of his bunker and throws the plumbing at it, knifing it over the deep point fence!

Tanwar returns. Dragons need 28 off 24

TNPL News

Dindigul 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st3R Vimal KhumarShivam Singh
2nd112R AshwinShivam Singh
3rd0B IndrajithShivam Singh
4th13Shivam SinghBV Kumar
5th10Shivam SinghC Sarath Kumar
6th16S BhatiC Sarath Kumar
7th7S BhatiS Dinesh Raj