CSK's execution was slightly better: Dhoni

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) bounced back extremely well after being reduced to 31 for 5 in the powerplay in pursuit of 221 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Mumbai. It was Andre Russell, who initially led the charge with a bludgeoning 22-ball 54 and later on, it was Pat Cummins, who kept KKR in the hunt after he went on a six-hitting spree, eventually finishing with an unbeaten 66 off 34, but KKR eventually went down by 19 runs. 

With his win, CSK go top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 table with six points from four games. CSK captain MS Dhoni said that he has seen enough cricket to know that 221 was a chasable target, but added that his side's execution was slightly better on the day.

"Quite easy in a game like this. From the 16th over onwards the contest was between the fast bowler and the batsman. You can't do too much. Can't put a different field. It's about you vs me. The side that has won is a side that has executed slightly better," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation.

"You don't want to take too many early wickets. Big hitters coming in, 200 runs, there's only one way they'll play. Not much you can do. The only option was Jadeja. It was turning, was a bit dry."

Speaking of the 221-run target set by CSK, Dhoni said, "If they would've had more wickets, could've been different. Have seen enough in cricket, always like to be humble. There's no good reason if you have scored, the opposition can't score.

"My lines to the players was that we have got good runs on the board but let's be humble."

Ruturaj Gaikwad roared back to form, scoring 64 off 42 and put on 115 for the first wicket with Faf du Plessis (95*), which set the tone for CSK's innings.  "The batting has been really good. Rutu is somebody who has shown his class in the last IPL. You always need to assess where he is mentally. Once when he was off guard, I just asked him how are you feeling today," Dhoni said.

"When you put a question like that, you wait for the reactions, you see what's in his eyes. There was enough in his reactions to suggest he wasn't rattled. That's what I've been doing all my life (applying psychology) but in a good way," he added.

Tremendous fight

KKR skipper Eoin Morgan was all praise for the lower and middle-order, after the to-order collapsed in an epic fashion. "It's (pulse) quite high at the moment. What a hell of a game of cricket. Certainly from the position we were in after our powerplay, we probably didn't think we'd get as close as we did," he said.

"But Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik really did put a partnership together, once you do that taking advantage of the conditions here, it's very difficult to stop."

"A partnership going in that manner and then following that Pat Cummins the way he played really gave us every chance towards the end. Tremendous fight from our middle and lower order which is all you can ask for when you lose wickets upfront like that."

Taking up responsibility in powerplay

Deepak Chahar was once again on the money, picking up his second four-wicket haul of the season. After a below par performance last season, the CSK fast bowler said that he has taken the responsibility to pick up 1-2 wickets in the powerplay, which would set the tone. "I don't know (what I am doing right). I am just trying to bowl straight balls and it is swinging. It was a good wicket to bowl on, the ball was swinging and seaming," Chahar said.

"I didn't pick a lot of wickets last year and I realised later that when I'm bowling the first over I have the responsibility and if I get 1-2 wickets in the powerplay, the tone is set."

The fast bowler acknowledged that a combination of dew and poor bowling resulted in giving KKR a sniff in the match.  "The dew came in, the ball was coming on nicely, some good batting by Russell and we also bowled some bad balls, so it was a combination of everything," he said.

"Even the cutters Sam was bowling were coming onto the bat. I was thinking we should not lose this match, they were batting really well and at one point needed 40 off 20 balls which is very gettable on this ground.

"It is always good to win matches like this in the group stage as you learn a lot of things," he added.