Finally, CSK’s bowling falling in place

Lungi Ngidi got his game-plan right for the grass-laden surface here on Sunday.

The South African bowled on the fourth stump and on a good length — the sort of area from where the ball would go on to hit the top of off-stump.

Or it could seam the other way and find the edge. The fourth stump line, if backed by a good length and two-way movement can torment the best.

Given that Ngidi’s point of release is well disguised — he employs his wrists and fingers capably — the batsmen are often unable to pick the direction of movement of deliveries with speeds in excess of 140kmph and end up playing away from the body.

Ngidi delighted

After scalping four in a match-winning display, Ngidi said, “I am loving the fans and the environment here. The way the coaching staff and M.S. Dhoni have backed me has been amazing.”

The bowling pieces are finally falling into place for Chennai Super Kings. There are areas for improvement though.

Among the positives has been Deepak Chahar’s bowling upfront. His body shape is good at the point of release — crucially the head is still, the non-bowling arm functional and the wrist position exemplary.

Chahar has swung the ball both ways and has done it with accuracy. He is an aggressive swing bowler, operating in the mid-130s, who smells wickets.

But then, there are question marks over Dwanye Bravo and Shardul Thakur.

Bravo began the competition sensationally, mixing his yorkers with slower deliveries. Subsequently his bowling has been erratic. He has sprayed the ball around at the death, bowled too many short-pitched stuff and slower balls, often at the cost of the yorker.

He fired out David Miller with a scorching yorker on Sunday but CSK needs more such deliveries from the Caribbean .

Shardul Thakur has been good one moment, ordinary the next. A medium-pacer, he needs to comprehend his limitations. Control is of great value to Thakur. He can pick up a thing or two from the ageing but wily Shane Watson’s seam bowling.

Role of spinners

The wear and tear on the pitches could be more at the business end of the IPL, bringing the spinners into play.

If the surface is a tad dry and the ball grips, finger spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja can team up to contain and strike with turn and bounce. The two have been influential in the middle overs.

And knowing Dhoni, he could well throw one of the two leg-spinners Imran Tahir or Karn Sharma into the fray to surprise the opponent in the playoffs.

With Dhoni you can never tell. He certainly out-thought and out-manoeuvred Kings XI.