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Two India captains toss
Chennai also made a couple of changes to their line-up. Pacers Chandrasekar Ganapathy and Manpreet Gony were included in place of Lakshmipathy Balaji and Joginder Sharma for the hosts, who are struggling after four losses in a row.
Bangalore won four matches in a row before losing their last match against Delhi Daredevils.
Gony drops a sitter
Robin Uthappa, promoted up the order, after the early dismissal of Manish Pandey got an early lifeline even before he had opened his account.
He tried to pull Albie Morkel across the line but ended up lobbing a simple high catch towards mid-off. However, to the Chennai team's dismay, Gony put down the easy offering in the fourth over of the match.
Gony wonders how he dropped it
Interestingly, Uthappa was dropped twice in the previous match against Chennai and he made them pay with a match-winning innings of 68 from 38 balls.
And it seemed to be heading the same way when Uthappa compounded Gony's miserable day, further hitting him for back-to-back sixes and a boundary through the thirdman region, in the sixth over.
Jakati strikes
With runs flowing against the seamers, Dhoni was forced to introduce left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati into the attack and the move paid off.
Uthappa (21 from 13 balls) tried to slog sweep Jakati but hit it straight into the hands of Gony, at midwicket, who pouched it neatly this time as Bangalore were reduced to 55 for two after seven overs.
The spinners managed to put some brakes on the scoring with Jakati taking one for 11 in two overs and Muthian Muralitharan conceding just four in his first over.
Kallis continues good run
The South African all-rounder scored 52 from 49 balls, his fourth half-century in the tournament, before he was run-out by Suresh Raina.
He added 63 runs in 51 deliveries for the third wicket with young Virat Kohli, who scored 34.
Pietersen punishes Chennai
Kevin Pietersen, playing his first match in the tournament, played a few strokes in the final overs, hitting 23 from 14 balls, while Cameron White stroked 21 from 13 balls as the duo were involved in an unbroken stand of 44 runs in 27 balls for the fifth wicket.
Pietersen made his presence felt by slamming a full delivery from Thilan Thushara into the stands over long-off; the pacer went for 18 runs in the over, the 19th.
Kumble has Hayden early
Matthew Hayden got his first boundary of the innings when he hit Kallis over the long-on fielder for a huge six, in the fifth over.
But somehow it was the Aussies day, as he struggled to 12 from 14 balls before he was dismissed. He charged down the wicket to Kumble but was beaten by the googly and wicketkeeper Robin Uthappa completed an easy stumping with Chennai reduced to 62 for one after seven overs.
Pietersen stops Vijay charge
Murali Vijay raced to his half-century from just 29 balls with a double on the leg side off Kallis.
The Chennai opener continued his attacking approach against part-timer Pietersen, whom he carted over midwicket for his fourth six of the innings.
However, Pietersen had his revenge when he had Vijay caught at wide mid-on attempting another huge hit.
Vijay spells victory for Chennai
His onslaught took Chennai to 105 for two after 11 overs, needing 57 runs from the last nine overs for victory.
Suresh Raina then held his composure in the closing stages, scoring a brisk 45 from 34 balls to take Chennai to 165 for five in 19 overs and help them register their first victory in five matches.