OPINION
Follow UsMS Dhoni leading the side, openers scoring the majority of the runs and bowlers taking wickets at crucial junctures - defending champions Chennai Super Kings showed a glimpse of their 2021 version against Sunrisers Hyderabad in Pune on Sunday (May 1). The reason why we say “glimpse” is because this was far from a complete performance from the Men in Yellow.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (57-ball 99) and Devon Conway (55-ball 85*) were astonishing with the bat but Chennai struggled in the other two facets of the game. They dropped four catches but still ended up winning the game by 13 runs, which is all that matters considering the season they have had so far. The margin could have been a lot better but this win will give CSK some much-needed momentum going into their remaining five matches.
The Gaikwad-Conway show
Be it Murali Vijay in 2010, Michael Hussey in 2011, Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu in 2018 or Faf du Plessis and Gaikwad in 2021, Chennai have always had at least one of their openers firing whenever they have gone on to win the title. However, that hadn’t been the case in the first eight matches of this season. Prior to tonight, CSK’s opening combination had an average of just 12.62, with 28 runs being the best in an innings. That all changed on Sunday night.
Conway was brought back into the team and the left-hander opened the innings along with Gaikwad. The latter was also under immense pressure, having managed six scores of less than 20 in the first eight games. The two brushed aside all the outside noise and put up a massive opening stand of 182 in 17.5 overs - the highest for Chennai in the history of IPL. This also ended up being the highest partnership for any wicket against Hyderabad in the IPL.
As expected, the two batters were sedate with their approach in the first five overs, and they were up against one of the best pace attacks in this year’s IPL. Gaikwad was 18 off 18 at one stage before hammering Marco Jansen for a maximum in the final over of the powerplay. That didn’t just help him break the shackles but he also went past 1000 runs in the IPL. Despite scoring less than 20 in 15 innings, the right-hander from Maharashtra got to the landmark in 31 innings, equalling Sachin Tendulkar's feat to become the joint-fastest Indian batter to 1000 runs in the tournament.
Those numbers tell you some story, it’s either all or nothing when it comes to Gaikwad. In the remaining 16 innings in which he has crossed the 20-run mark, the 25-year-old has 10 fifty-plus scores and Chennai have won eight of those encounters. In IPL 2021, he was phenomenal in the middle overs and we once again got to witness the very best of Gaikwad tonight. The way he dominated in-form Umran Malik was the major highlight of the game.
The tearaway quick from Jammu and Kashmir, who was disturbing timbers for fun in his previous game, was whacked all around the park. Malik bowled 13 deliveries to Gaikwad and the opener slammed him for 33 runs, studded with four fours and two sixes. Gaikwad used Malik’s pace to perfection and kept smashing him in front of the wicket. Overall, Chennai clobbered 113 runs in the middle phase (7-15). Gaikwad operated at a strike rate of 219.23 in the middle overs and that allowed Conway to take ample time to settle in.
The left-handed opener was 15 off 19 at the end of eight overs before taking the attack to Aiden Markram. Washington Sundar couldn’t bowl a single over because of an injury he picked up on the field and that forced Kane Williamson to use Markram. The offspinner ended up leaking 36 runs in three overs and it was him who helped Conway to get going. He smoked 41 off the last 17 deliveries he faced and made up for the slow start. Meanwhile, Gaikwad missed his century by just one run but already enough damage was done by then.
“Felt good and it has come in a winning way, this knock feels more special. Personally, I do not like to believe in form, irrespective of what you scored in the last game you have to start from zero. I believe in starting from zero every game and that is what has helped. I like to play more pace as it brings the best out of me. I was telling him (Conway) to take his time. I have played here as this is my home ground, I know this wicket and I was just chatting with him to keep going,” said Gaikwad.
Bowling, fielding is still a concern
CSK were once again horrible in the fielding department but had enough runs on the board to still end up on the right side of the result. They have dropped 19 catches so far and have the worst catching efficiency (68.3%) in the competition. It was once again Mukesh Choudhary who dropped in-form Abhishek Sharma in the third over and that allowed Hyderbad to race to 52/0 at the end of five overs. However, Choudhary made up for the drop by getting rid of Abhishek and Rahul Tripathi in consecutive deliveries.
That’s where the game turned and SRH kept losing wickets at regular intervals. In the absence of Dwayne Bravo (injured), Dhoni had to manage with Dwaine Pretorius and Choudhary in the death overs. Nicholas Pooran (33-ball 64 not out) was still around but was left with too much to do. Choudhary didn’t bowl a single delivery to Pooran in the 18th over and Pretorius then got the equation down to 38 off six balls. Pooran smashed three sixes and a four in Choudhary’s final over and Dhoni was visibly not impressed with the way the left-arm paceman went about his business.
Chennai would hope that Bravo is fit for the next game because the tournament is not yet over for the four-time champions, even though they have a mountain to climb. For now, all they can do is win their remaining five encounters and give themselves the best chance to qualify for the playoffs.
