The Indian Premier League in its two-day journey so far has thrown us surprises aplenty including a revamp Chennai Super kings that’s now ready to showcase its ‘spark’ and overcome its lack of intent, clearly evident in the last season. In the very first game, the team selection, the shot selection and the formation of the batting lineup were signs enough that the men in yellow want to boss the game and shed their ‘tuk-tuk’ image of the last two seasons.
Chennai had a slow start and looked to go back to being their 2020 self, making no effort to get on the bullet train until and unless it was very much necessary. However, once settled the English import Moeen Ali started to shed the defensive garb, hitting Ravichandran Ashwin for sixes that looked easy on the eyes.
Suresh Raina, the comeback man for the Yellow Army was brilliant as well, hitting 54 off 36 balls, giving the much-needed boost to the scorecard. In total, the Super Kings hit 26 boundaries, their highest count since the last 41 games.
The change in approach was also visible from the fact that in the middle phase (7-15 overs), MS Dhoni’s men hit eight sixes, three more than their highest ever in the last season.
In the entire last season, all the CSK batsmen had very low strike rates except for Ravindra Jadeja who hit runs at 171.85 per hundred. Barring him, there was none who went past 140, with their second-best being 131.91 by Sam Curran. In the first game of this season though, all the batsmen, who faced more than 10 balls, scored at a rate higher than 140, which should be the ideal way out.
Sam Curran though went beserk in the 19th over and finished his innings with a strike rate of 226.67. Ali, Jadeja and Raina, all scored at a rate in excess of 150 as well.
The credit of this should also go to the change in the batting lineup introduced by the CSK management. Moeen Ali, brought in for his six-hitting abilities was sent at number three just as Faf du Plessis fell, showing that the team meant business and wanted quick runs even if wickets fall, once again the ideal approach in T20s, mastered by the England team at the international level.
The ball that Dhoni himself got out was not a wicket-taking one, but the frame of mind that MSD came in with, suggested that he didn’t want to do any more ‘tuk-tuk’. He pulled a ball but was betrayed by age probably, which couldn’t get his bat to the shot as early as it should have, dragging on the ball to his wickets, instead of sending it in the stands, which a Dhoni of three years ago would have done with ease.
But the main point of citation remains intact that CSK mean business and they are going to go after the bowling attacks of every team this season.
The approach that CSK has adapted is also fuelled by the confidence that they have in their batting lineup. They bat almost till 11 with Dwayne Bravo at nine and Shardul Thakur at 10 and there is no need to tell how dangerous they both could be.
For instance, Thakur, in the recently concluded India- England limited-overs series, scored a 21 ball 30 and a four-ball 10. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy too, he played a knock of 57 ball 92 against Himachal Pradesh, suggesting how good he is at manoeuvring that long handle. Deepak Chahar has the best score of 55 in T20s and two fifties in First Class to his name.
It is this deep batting ability that is pushing Chennai to change their line of attack and instead of waiting for the opportune moment, they are now going all guns blazing right from the start.
Ravichandran Ashwin was hit for his third-worst figure in his entire IPL career of 14 years (conceded 47 in four overs). On top of that, the assault was led by two left-handers, the kind of batsmen Ashwin champions himself over. To make matters, even damaging, he was hit by a Suresh Raina, who last touched the bat in a competitive game, way back in January this year.
Raina’s innings was a turning point for the Chennai batting lineup. Starting cautiously (22 from 19 balls), he went from strength to strength and hit the last 12 balls that he faced for 27 runs. An innings of that sort was bound to change the complexion of the game and it did, helping CSK reached 188, a par total by all means of imagination on the Wankhede wicket.
Although Chennai lost the game to Delhi Capitals by seven wickets and in a humiliating manner as well. But the way they approached their batting showed that they are trying to shed that image of a low scoring side. Things didn’t go well for them in the second inning where they dropped catches (three of them), bowlers didn’t bowl the right areas (didn’t bowl even a single shoulder-high bouncer to Prithvi Shaw).
Knowing Dhoni and Stephen Fleming, they are men driven by a process more than results. Thus an attacking Chennai, that bats deep, looks to be the order of the tournament for all the Yellow Army fans. And as far as the modern-day game is concerned, it looks like the right approach as well.
The only change needed is the onboarding of a 'hit the deck' fast bowler in place of Bravo, just to bring variety in the attack as all three pacers look the same.