Follow UsShivam Dube came out to bat at five with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a precarious position at 63/3 after eight overs against Mumbai Indians (MI). Another wicket there and the lower order could have been exposed far too early. While keeping wickets handy was key, there needed to be some sort of acceleration that would keep CSK on course to a par total.
However, that is not what happened when Dube joined hands with Ravindra Jadeja.
Dube, known for his ability to smash the ball out of the park with ease, was finding it tough to make a solid connection. MI even offered him the bait and introduced the off-spin of Will Jacks early, but he did not cave in.
Dube scored just three off his first 10 deliveries. The six off Hardik Pandya in the 14th over was the release he needed. It was a typical Dube shot, much like his entire innings, as he cleared his front leg and just slogged it over cow corner. From there on, there was no stopping Dube.
He then took on Trent Boult, smashing him for a four and a six in the next over. Amid this, Jadeja also found his timing and hit a couple of useful boundaries.
With Dube well set now, MI played right into his hands by handing an under-fire Ashwani Kumar. The result: Dube pounded on him and clubbed him for a couple of maximums. From 24 off 22, Dube raced to a fifty off just 30 deliveries.
By Dube's standards, it has been an underwhelming season for him as he has managed just three innings with a strike rate of more than 150 (Min 10 balls). Despite this, he has been consistent across the last four innings, with scores of 50 off 32, 43* off 37, 31* off 29 and 42 off 27. The runs are coming, but not at the pace that you associate Dube with. The opposition, too, have become smarter against him, not giving him too much spin to play with, making it tougher for the southpaw to score runs.
Dube's innings and his 50-ball 79-run stand with Jadeja could very well prove to be the difference for CSK in their quest to complete another double over MI in the IPL. The least CSK can achieve from this match is to get off the foot of the table.