Watson fires again in 'close to perfect' Chennai win

Shane Watson top scored again and Ravindra Jadeja put in a brilliant all-round performance as the struggling Chennai Super Kings started the second half of the Indian Premier League with a 20-run victory over David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Jadeja played a little cameo of 25 runs off 10 balls which lifted Chennai's total to 6-167 after MS Dhoni's team batted first for the first time this season.

The left-arm spinner then got the key wicket when he bowled Jonny Bairstow midway through the run chase and also held two catches in the deep as Hyderabad were restricted at 8-147.

Warner made nine off 13 balls before he was caught and bowled by Englishman Sam Curran.

"This was one game as close to perfect as possible," Dhoni said.

"You keep winning the games, the points table will take care of itself. No point looking at the table, but we'll still look at what we can improve."

Chennai won only two of its first seven games while chasing down targets, but Dhoni's decision to bat after winning the toss on Tuesday paid off.

Curran's (31 off 21 balls) elevation as a pinch-hitter went well for Chennai as the Englishman struck two sixes and three fours as opener.

Faf du Plessis went for his first duck in the IPL since 2014 but Australian veteran Watson (42 from 38 balls) and Ambati Rayudu (41) capitalised on earlier dropped catches to share 81-run third-wicket stand.

After a slow start to the tournament, 39-year-old Watson has now posted scores of 83no, 50, 14 and 42 in his past four games.

Both batsmen were caught at long off in successive overs off fast bowlers Thangarasu Natarajan (2-41) and Khalil Ahmed (2-45) before Jadeja hit three fours and a six to prop up Chennai's total.

Fast bowlers Curran (1-18) and Deepak Chahar didn't allow Hyderabad to attack in the first six overs of batting Powerplay before spinners Jadeja and Karn Sharma tied down batsmen in the middle overs.

Kane Williamson top-scored with 57 off 39 balls with seven fours before he holed out in the deep in the 18th over off Sharma, who finished with 2-37.

"The chase didn't take flight," Warner said.

"The wicket was a tad on the slow side, we wanted to take it deep, but this is what happens in cricket, you can't win always."

Chennai and Hyderabad both now have six points after eight games and are sixth and seventh respectively on the points table.