Breaking: Misbah-ul-Haq resigns as Pakistan's chief selector

IPL 2020: MS Dhoni gesture forces umpire Paul Reiffel to change decision; Twitter reacts

The Indian Premier League is a tournament of very high intensity and it does not spare even the best of players with immense calmness on the field. The tournament has seen players who otherwise remain calm and collected in the field losing all of their cool and reacting in manners unbecoming of them. The latest edition of such an incident happened when the captain of Chennai Super Kings MS Dhoni joined his teammate Shardul Thakur to start a heated argument against one of the on-field umpires Paul Reiffel to ultimately influence his decision. In the fifth ball of the 19th over in the Sunrisers Hyderabad's attempt to chase 167 runs set by CSK, Shardul Thakur attempted to bowl a wide yorker away from the arc of batsman Rashid Khan but the ball was clearly outside the reference line marked for the wide ball. Replays showed former Australian cricketer turned umpire Reiffel was in the motion of extending his arms to signal wide before both Shardul Thakur and MS Dhoni objected to it and Reiffel changing his decision midway through his signal. While there is nothing wrong when it concerns the laws of cricket, it cannot be neglected that the decision might have been prompted due to the protests from the legendary captain and his bowler Shardul Thakur. The Section 2.12of the IPL match playing condition says: "Umpire’s decision: An umpire may alter any decision provided that such alteration is made promptly. This apart, an umpire’s decision, once made, is final." This is not the first instance of MS Dhoni losing his cool over an umpiring decision. In the last season, Dhoni was agitated on the failure of on-field umpires to call no-ball for a delivery that was clearly above waist height against the Rajasthan Royals and had walked onto the pitch from the dugout to have a heated discussion with the umpires.

IPL 2020 | CSK vs SRH: Hyderabad turn up rusty for MS Dhoni's Chennai experiments

Brief Scores: Chennai Super Kings 167/6 in 20 overs (Shane Watson 42, Ambati Rayudu 41; Sandeep Sharma 2-19, Natarajan 2-41, Khaleel Ahmed 2-45) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad 147/8 in 20 overs (Kane Williamson 57; Dwayne Bravo 2-25) by 20 runs. Chennai Super Kings gave Sunrisers Hyderabad a taste of their own medicine to pocket a much-needed 20-run victory in the 29th match of the Indian Premier League. The foundation was laid purposefully by the under-fire batsmen while their attack clicked in unison as well to take care of a par 167, Kane Williamson's tranquil 57 notwithstanding. Ravindra Jadeja was deservedly adjudged the Man-of-the-Match for his all-round exploits which enabled the yellow jerseys to their third win in eight games on Tuesday, October 13 at the Dubai International Stadium. Spin the king as tracks deteriorate The constant exploitation is taking a toll on the sand-based decks, though you bet the spinners aren't complaining. The ball gripping to whizz past the edges or miscued swats landing into bucket hands has been a recurring spectacle of late. Both the captains drafted an extra specialist tweaker to optimize the squad balance in line with the foresaid dynamics, with Abhishek Sharma paving way for Shahbaz Nadeem in SRH while Piyush Chawla replacing Narayan Jagdeesan in CSK. Revitalized CSK mean business Having pasted just enough numbers on the board, CSK turned up the heat in defence. Opener David Warner's gung-ho swipe recoiled onto the pad before lobbing towards Sam Curran in his follow-through. Manish Pandey jetted off in the pursuit of a quick single only to be nabbed a yard short by Dwayne Bravo's rocket throw. Lynchpins Jonny Bairstow and Williamson had calmed the tides to an extent when Ravindra Jadeja cleaved in between the former's gates on 23, poking SRH into a mare's nest at 59/3. Williamson special rues lack of support However, zen-master Williamson proved the silver lining in SRH's cloud. He twice caressed Jadeja inside out along the turn before glancing Dwayne Bravo neatly to the fine-leg rope. The equation reading 75 off 36, Priyam Garg bit the dust off Karn Sharma, his almighty slog discovering cow corner to precision. CSK took the proceedings by the scruff of the neck forthwith as Bravo removed Vijay Shankar and Williamson botched a one-kneed tonk into Shardul Thakur's lap at mid-wicket off the seasoned leggie. Rashid Khan kindled the glimmer of hope with a six and a four but departed hit wicket soon after to leave SRH with nowhere to hide. Shahbaz Nadeem spooned an awkward jab to offer Bravo his second scalp as CSK lurked from the dark shadows to resurrect their veering campaign back on track. Curran punt lends CSK a fiery headstart The rust hadn't yet shaken off despite the tournament nearing half-way mark, and CSK were liable to pull the rabbit out of the hat in order to reverse their dwindling fortunes. The engine room found merit in utilizing Sam Curran's spunk at the top as Faf du Plessis jaunted to the crease with a new partner in tow. While Sandeep Sharma's away-slanter had the right-hander nicking behind for a rare first golden duck since 2014, Curran did his job to the T. He tore into Khaleel Ahmed, slamming the kitchen sink at a rank loosener to collect four over point before depositing an off-cutter into the sightscreen. Nimble-witted Sandy in the house The smiles in CSK's camp were only getting bigger with every boundary that flayed from the youngster's willow, albeit Sharma put on display how he's stood the test of time against raging pinch-hitters. He painstakingly hovered around the middle-stump channel bowling from over the wicket, refusing Curran the space to freewheel his arms. He then switched sides, plying his trade from round to knock over the off-stump as the southpaw played the wrong line to depart for an exciting 31. Watto-Rayudu perish in quick succession Amidst all the chatter of CSK stonewalling in the middle-phases, one-drop Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu shared a lively 81 to ensure not a speck of momentum was frittered away. While Watson cherished the rub of the green as three potential chances went begging, lady luck seemed to be holding some personal grudges against Rayudu, who nailed a waist-high full-toss straight down long-off's throat to exit for a well-compiled 41. Watson certainly wasn't destined to another miracle as a swooping Manish Pandey latched onto his cue-ended hoist. Jadeja owns both finesse and power While MS Dhoni sparkled to deceive, Ravindra Jadeja got the placement spot on with a couple of cute dabs through backward point. Dwayne Bravo swung for the hills to contribute zilch, though the left-handed dasher stoking a quickfire 25 off 10 balls helped CSK finish in a position of strength. In hindsight, that late blitz was quite instrumental in bandaging CSK's ghastly wounds and injecting a syringe of glucose into their ailing framework. What's next in store? Having reverted to type tonight, CSK would love to remain in this proactive zone against hot favourites Delhi Capitals in the latter of Saturday's doubleheader on October 17. SRH have a four-day window to plug the chinks in their armour before they meet Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, October 18.

IPL 2020 | SRH vs CSK: Hits Flops as clinical Chennai lands a comprehensive win over David Warner's Hyderabad

As all three departments- Batting, Bowling, and Fielding synced together for Chennai Super Kings for the first time this season, the team went on to defeat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 20 runs in a tightly contested game in Dubai. Having decided to bat after winning the toss, the Chennai team didn’t quite have an ideal start. But true to its character so far, they made a comeback and that to a strong one with a partnership between Rayudu and Shane Watson. The pair added 81 runs for the third wicket. Bowling wise too, the Super Kings had a good time buying clothes as their bowlers executed their plans and took early wickets. For Hyderabad, there were many visible errors on the part of individuals and also as a team which led to such a defeat in back-to-back games. All this leads to the formation of the segment called Hits and Flops of the game. Hits #1 Sam Curran Curran was brilliant for the Super Kings both with the bat and with the ball. He not only opened the inning and scored a quickfire 31 off 21 balls, but also opened the bowling for the team. In his three overs, Curran only gave 18 runs and also took the important wicket of David Warner. All these contributions for sure take him to the number one spot in the list of Hits and Flops. The fact that Curran was able to give momentum to the team in Batting and direction to it in bowling, makes him an expensive commodity in the market and CSK must consider themselves lucky to him right now. #2 Karn Sharma Being one of the top three spinners, Sharma was shocked to realize that he was being used as the main weapon in CSK’s battle today. To his credit, he performed really well in that test as he was able to take two important wickets of Kane Williamson and Priyam Garg, also the two men on whose shoulders rested the responsibility of a Hyderabad win. Sharma’s figures of 2/37 in four overs with him bowling two in the death should also be taken into consideration. #3 Ravindra Jadeja Ravindra Jadeja was at his usual best for the first time in this year’s league as he performed both with the bat and also with the ball. While batting it was Jadeja’s cameo of 25 off 10 balls that took the CSK team from 155 to 168. He hit three fours and one six during that innings. In bowling, the ‘Royal Navghan’ of Rajkot was right on the money as he kept bowling at the same line once he found one. This forced batters to commit mistakes and that’s how he got the all-important wicket of Jonny Bairstow. In his three overs, he took one wicket and gave away just 21 runs. Flops: #1 David Warner The captain of the Hyderabad outfit, Warner wasn’t able to either consolidate on the momentum built by the bowlers in the first innings, or create new momentum with the bat. He rather fell prey to Sam Curran’s swing and gave away his wicket while at 9 off 13 deliveries. Apart from batting, him as captain while selecting the team also faltered as he played an extra bowler by sitting out a batsman. This was a big move by Warner that failed. #2 Manish Pandey Manish Pandey arrived at the crease with a cracking four, but had a brain fade moment at the very next ball as he ran for a single when there were none and courtesy a Dwayne Bravo throw, he was found short of the crease and thus had to take a long walk back home (dugout). In such a run chase, the experience of Pandey was what was required, but he failed to perform up to the expectations at the highest level. Special Mention: MS Dhoni The man was flawless today apart from the 'intimidation' incident he had with umpire Paul. There was clarity in his head and also in the heads of his troop as well. His quickfire 21 from 13 balls also helped the team reach a defining total. post that in the second innings, his bowling changes were superb and so was humility with the young guns post-match.

IPL 2020| SRH vs CSK: What Experts said as a remodelled Chennai take vital two points off a hapless Hyderabad

For the first time in the entire season, Chennai Super Kings played what they have been known for over the years, ‘intent’. Yes, that was the word of the match as the Yellow Army defeated the Orange Brigade of David Warner by 20 runs in an intensely fought battle in Dubai. Winning the toss and batting first, skipper MS Dhoni from the word go showed what he wanted to achieve in this game. With the craze of chasing fading in the tournament and spinners coming into the play abundantly, Dhoni’s decision turned out to be a great move as his team scored a competitive 167 courtesy of some attacking batsman by Sam Curran in the beginning and Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu in the middle. The bowlers were superb for Chennai as well as they picked up wickets at regular interval to hand Hyderabad a loss they deserved. Captains' Viewpoint With a long chat by Dhoni in the last game’s post-match presentation ceremony against Royal Challengers Bangalore, one thought that he only speaks much in lost causes, but in this game too, it was just difficult to stop him. Speaking at the ceremony, Dhoni underscored the importance of the two points that his team earned after back to back losses. “Ultimately what really matters is you getting two points. What T20s have shown is that there are a few games that don't go your way and then there are some that go your way even when you haven't earned it,” he said. Satisfied with the work done by his teammates, the captain cool said, “Today I felt we did a very good job even in the batting. There was some purpose with the bat and the batsmen assessed the situation very well.” But batting wasn’t the only thing that impressed the captain. He was quick to point out the importance of planned execution in bowling while defending a mid-level total of 160-170, which the CSK bowlers did today. “With a total like 160, it all depends on the start you get in the first six overs. The fast bowlers did the job, the spinners came into play and it was one game that was as close to being perfect. A lot depended on the fast bowlers. I just told them to be expressive on the field and hit their areas,” the captain said. Further adding to the same point he said that the execution of the plan is the most important thing in the game. “There are some two-paced balls, some swing and some don't swing, and some get an extra bounce. What was needed was good execution of the plans and that was done by the fast bowlers,” he said. Reasoning as to why he played another spinner in Piyush Chawala and left the youngster Jagadeesan, who did quite well in the last game that he played here, Dhoni said, “We used an extra spinner because an Indian batter hasn't done well for us. That's why Sam Curran went up and it wasn't fair on Jagadeesan as well to bat at seven or eight. It seems that Sam Curran has impressed the captain as he praised him and called him the ‘complete cricketer’. “You need a seaming all-rounder, he plays the spinners well and he can give us those 15-45 runs. A good left armer is always good to have in the side. You keep wondering whether the ball would come in or leave the batsman,” Dhoni said while praising Curran. Giving importance to the ‘process’ in achieving the desired target rather than just the success itself, Dhoni said, “We need to think more about the process, the points table will take care of itself.” It was vintage Dhoni once again as he concluded by saying, “We need to still see where the errors were in this game and what is important is to not brush anything under the carpet just because we won the game.” David Warner, the captain of the losing team admitted that his decision of going in with an extra bowler was not right. “The wicket was on the slower side, I think we needed an extra batter,” he said. This is the second loss for Hyderabad in a row in games that could have been won by them. Speaking about it, Warner said, “We have to go back to the drawing board and work on few areas. I thought 160 was the right total to go after, but anything above that was always going to be difficult.” The 33-year-old then said that he has always struggled to play against bowlers swinging the bowl. “It's difficult to play against bowlers who can swing the ball. There's always a challenge in the powerplay, but you have to take on the bowlers,” he said about getting dismissed to Sam Curran. Team selection has not been that good for the Sunrises this season and making it a point, the captain said, “We need to monitor the wickets in the upcoming games and select the team accordingly. I think with our team and the depth that we have, we're always going to be one short either way.” “Things (in the points table) are always congested in the middle. You got to beat the best teams, to make it to the top. We'll be facing the top teams in the next few days, so I'm up for the challenge and so are the other guys,” concluded Dave after discussing the way forward for the Orange Brigade. Expert Opinion: Experts too looked impressed by the way the Chennai team worked out their plans. Although there was no mention of the incident in which MS Dhoni could be seen intimidating umpire Paul Reiffel for a wide decision, analysts and senior journalists did give a thought to notice the all-important Sam Curran. Senior cricket journalist on broadcast, Vimal Kumar too had the same opinion and agreed to Dhoni that Sam Curran is indeed a rare gem for the Super Kings. Senior cricket analyst and commentator Harsha Bhogle tried to analysed the match in Dhoni's style of 'boat theory' saying that now it's Hyderabad that have visible holes in their ship. The fact that the entire team of CSK came together and pulled out this special victory with a lot of efforts from all it's players, was appreciated by senior cricket journalist and columnist Ayaz Memon. Boria Majumdar, another famous cricket journalist chose to focus on the good thing as he retweeted an IPL video in which MS Dhoni can be seen parting important advices to youngsters Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma. This win couldn't have come at a better time for Dhoni and Co. as they would now head to a matchup against Delhi Capitals in three days time. For Hyderabad, they indeed need to go the drawing board as suggested by skipper Warner and then come out with a great strategy as they face the Kolkata Knight Riders on 18th of this month.