Bangalore defeat Chennai to reach IPL final

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The Bangalore Royal Challengers beat the Chennai Super Kings by six wickets at the Wanderers on Saturday to reach the Indian Premier League (IPL) final.

Chasing Chennai's total of 146 for five, Bangalore scored 149 for four with seven balls of their innings remaining and will now play the Deccan Chargers in the final on Sunday.

Bangalore's run chase had suffered a wobble as they were reduced to 22 for two before Manish Pandey and Rahul Dravid steadied the innings with a stand of 72 for the third wicket.

Pandey was bowled by left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati, in the 13th over, for 48 and then Dravid was trapped leg-before by off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for 44.

Ross Taylor (17 not out) and Virat Kohli (24 not out) then shared an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 39 off just 16 balls to see Bangalore into the final.

An opening stand of 61 between Parthiv Patel and Matthew Hayden had provided the platform for Chennai's total.

Patel scored a brisk 36 while the tournament's leading run-scorer Hayden contributed 26.