A fabulous innnings from former Australian international Matthew Hayden powered the Chennai Super Kings to a five-wicket victory over the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League.
Virender Sehwag gave the home fans plenty to cheer as he blitzed the Super Kings' erratic attack, scoring 74, while Mithun Manhas (32 not out) and Rajat Bhatia (21) lifted the Daredevils to a competitive 6-185.
But Hayden smacked 93 and Suresh Raina hit an unbeaten 49 as the Super Kings cantered to a comfortable victory with five deliveries to spare.
The Daredevils' stand-in-skipper Dinesh Karthik chose to take first strike and Sehwag was off and running in style, smashing new-ball bowler Albie Morkel for two boundaries in three balls for his first runs.
Raina, stand-in-skipper for the Super Kings, rang the bowling changes and was rewarded with the breakthrough in the fourth over when Lakshmipathy Balaji removed David Warner (six), Gautam Gambhir's replacement, at the top of the order.
But Sehwag kept the Daredevils' run rate up, completely dominating a second-wicket stand worth 67 with Tillakaratne Dilshan (15) and reaching his half-century off only 22 deliveries.
Muttiah Muralitharan provided another twist when he snared both Dilshan and Sehwag in one over - the 12th of the innings and the Super Kings appeared to have wrested control with the cheap dismissal of AB de Villiers in the 13th over.
But Karthik revived the innings with a knock of 19 and Manhas and Bhatia accelerated nicely at the death to help the home side to a strong total.
Hayden, however, replied magnificently, getting the team off to a flyer and thereafter scoring freely even while holding one end up.
Hayden, wielding the new Mongoose bat, began by smashing Umesh Yadav for three boundaries in the second over, followed that up with three boundaries and a six off Bhatia's first over and hammered Dilshan for three towering sixes.
He reached his half-century off 24 deliveries, but by then had lost Parthiv Patel and Subramaniam Badrinath cheaply before eventually falling just short of a century.
The Super Kings still needed another 44 from 40 deliveries at that stage and Morkel and Justin Kemp also fell cheaply as the match tapered off to a tight finish.
But Raina kept a cool head and together with Murali Vijay (14 not out) helped the Super Kings easily over the line, the captain finishing off the chase with his third six.