Chennai: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) veteran MS Dhoni, who took the charge of the side mid-season against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Friday, raised issues in their batting line-up folllowing their fifth loss on the trot.
CSK lost to defending champions by eight wickets with 59 balls to spare after home team’s batting order collapsed miserably and were restricted to 103/9 – their lowest total at Chepauk and third overall in IPL.
Sunil Narine returned with the figures of 3-13 while Harshit Rana and Varun Chakaravarthy clinched two scalps apiece.
In reply, Narine slammed 18-ball 44 studded with five sixes and two fours to do the needful to guide his side over the line. He walked away with the Player of the Match accolade for his all-round prowess.
After the match, Dhoni said that they faltered in building partnerships and utilising the powerplay to the fullest.
“It has been quite a few nights that has not gone our way. The challenge has been there, we have to accept the challenge. Today I felt we did not have enough runs on the board. It has been the case over there, when we bowled in the 2nd innings it stopped a bit, today it did in the first innings. When you lose too many wickets, there is pressure and with quality spinners it is difficult. We never got any partnerships and bit more partnerships, application and we would be fine,” the wicketkeeper-batter said in the post-match presentation.
“What is important is to see the conditions, couple of games we have done decently well, back your strengths and play the shots you can play. Not match to someone’s else play. Our openers are good openers, play authentic cricket shots, they don’t slog or look to hit across the line. It is important not to get desperate seeing the scorecard. If we start looking for 60 with our lineup it will be very difficult for us. Get partnerships going, maybe capitalise in the middle and later overs and if we lose wickets, the middle order has to do their job differently. And the slog will be delayed for quite a while,” Dhoni added.
It was CSK’s biggest defeat margin in terms of balls remaining in IPL. For the first time, CSK have lost five consecutive games in their IPL history and this is also the first time CSK have lost three games in a row at Chepauk in a season.
(IANS)
