Mumbai, May 31: Chennai Super Kings killed the ‘momentum’ devil with an incisive display to book their berth in the final of the inaugural IPL at the Wankhede Stadium here on Saturday night. After the bowlers had restricted Kings XI Punjab to a measly 112, the batsmen did their part effectively to script an authoritative nine-wicket win.

Suresh Raina who continued his swimmingly smooth run helped the team romp home in the company of Parthiv Patel who helped himself to his second half-century in the IPL.

No credit will be too less for Chennai’s professional approach. Given little chance to win even after having beaten the Kings XI twice in the league stage, Chennai dominated from start to finish. Barring sporadic lapses in the field everything about their plan and execution was watertight. The fielders rallied around the bowlers brilliantly and that never allowed the Mohali side to get a move on. M.S. Dhoni continued to attack even after the field restrictions were off.

S. Vidyut partnering Patel at the top fell to a ill advised pull shot that has often let to his downfall in the tournament. Raina was slow to start but once he had his eye in, played some outrageous shots. As many as four sixes were bludgeoned, two coming off well positioned pull shots. The one that came off James Hopes went out of the stadium. Chennai were comfortably placed at 62/1 one at the half way mark and there was only one team that looked interested in the proceedings.

Raina picked Chawla for a six over long-on and then timed the next through extra covers for a four to bring his fifty. Parthiv was the first to reach 50 but Raina’s quality in stroke play overshadowed his effort.

Earlier Punjab, high on adrenaline after the heady win over Rajasthan in their last game at home came crashing down with an insipid batting display. Dhoni opened the attack with Muralitharan. With a batsman like Shaun Marsh running hot it was important for Chennai to think out of the box. Murali’s first ball was dispatched to the cover fence and seven runs came of the over.

What followed was hardly what the formbook suggested. Hopes followed a wide delivery from Makhaya Nitini and set the tone for the rest of the innings. Kumar Sangakkara, of whom much was expected on a wicket that offered lateral movement for the medium pacers also left following a delivery pitched well outside off stump. The half hearted appeal from Manpreet Gony was turned down by the umpire but Sangakkara walked.

The early wickets did not deter Marsh as he went after Nitini. Having become the first batsman to cross the 600-run mark in IPL when he had reached seven, Marsh top-edged a six and inside edged the next delivery for a four.

The speedster pitched it right up and let the responsive pitch do the rest. Using the yorker effectively Gony kept Yuvraj Singh on his toes and when tempted with a short ball was unable to resist and pulled it straight to Murali at mid-wicket.

But the joy for the Punjab camp was short-lived as Marsh under edged the ball on to the stumps. The team could never recover from his fall. From the end of the sixth over to the 15th over Mohali limped as Chennai ran through their overs quickly.