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IPL 2023: CSK draw on spin resources, cash in on home advantage
With MS Dhoni pulling the strings, the experienced Chennai spinners adapted to the flat Chepauk pitch for a successful homecoming after three years.
The home record of Chennai Super Kings got better on Monday with a 12-run win over Lucknow Super Giants at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in IPL 2023. Teams always look to cash in on home advantage in cricket, though not all capitalise in T20 cricket.
Not CSK though. The common practice for long T20 tournaments is to prepare batting friendly surfaces to draw crowds. MS Dhoni's CSK find a way not to disturb the convention yet maximise home advantage. They play on slow burners rather than rank turners. It's their cheat code.
Chennai's 71.92 percent win record (41 out of 57) has been built using that method. Who among the original IPL teams have the worst home records? Punjab Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals, the teams that have never won the IPL title.
CSK's homecoming after three years was constructed with spin – the combined tally of Mitchell Santner and Moeen Ali read 8-0-47-5. But it wasn't a typical Chepauk pitch. That is why LSG remained in the game till late in their chase of 218.
It wasn't just KL Rahul's side that were surprised. "Even in the second innings, they could play big shots. So, I was a bit surprised with the wicket. You will have to see the next six (home) games," CSK skipper MS Dhoni said.
If that's a subtle message to the curators as well, it is likely to be heeded to. CSK can always summon this good wicket against opponents who have spin resources to match theirs.
But no team knows Chepauk better than CSK. Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming are their two strategic constants who mastermind plans. It helped that Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway were quick off the blocks and that Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni were able to play the cameos that brought the crowd to life, their intangible trump card.
SUBTLE SPIN CHANGES
But when LSG began their batting powerplay with the same intent, CSK needed to respond. They did, with the same old 'spin to win' card. Only this time their experienced spinners tweaked their bowling speeds with the pitch still playing well and used the long boundaries. "I tried to bowl almost like Test cricket where I spin as much as I can," Moeen said after the match.
With the score reading 73/0 after five overs, Moeen's introduction brought instant results. In cruise mode, Kyle Mayers holed out to deep mid-wicket. In the next over, Deepak Hooda was out caught in the same region against left-armer Santner. In over No 8, skipper KL Rahul was dismissed, again caught at deep midwicket, falling to Moeen's flight. In each of these dismissals, the batters erred in either hitting against the turn or trying to clear the long boundary.
"It's always good when Mo gets a couple of wickets and I try to dot it up (9 dot balls)," said Santner. "On this ground with the dimensions, you want to try and get it (hits) to wider dimensions. So, it's short and wide or slower and wider. In New Zealand, I am used to playing on one side of the block."
In the 10th over, Marcus Stoinis was bowled, beaten in flight by Moeen and LSG had been pushed back to 105-4 after 10 overs. That's 32 runs in 24 balls for 4 wickets in a match that saw 422 runs scored.
CSK spinners bowled a lot differently to LSG's Ravi Bishnoi, who relied heavily on the quickish wide line bowling and the unique angles the leg spinner can create. Santner and Moeen drew from their experience and won the day. With the return of Maheesh Theekshana, CSK's spin bowling will be further bolstered. Expect Dhoni to use more spin in the powerplay too.
One way or the other, CSK will find more ways to protect their fortress. It's been a big part of their four title-winning campaigns. When they are forced to alter the script, like they had to in the UAE in 2021, Dhoni's ticking brain is there to help them chart a new path.
