Trust MS Dhoni to point out the shortcomings of his team better than anybody else. Despite Chennai Super Kings displaying a near-perfect performance to register a six-wicket win over Delhi Capitals and advance to their record 8th IPL final, Dhoni expressed concerns over the opening pair of CSK. And that too after both of them scored identical half-centuries, helping CSK chase down the 150-run target with an over to spare.

CSK openers Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson put an on 81-run stand to provide a fine start to their chase. Du Plessis was the first to go for a well-made 50 off 39 balls and Watson followed him a couple of overs later after scoring 50 off 32. It was the manner in which they got out that concerned Dhoni. Both of them perished while attempting high-risk shots. Du Plessis mistimed an expansive pull shot in the 11th over when CSK needed barely six-runs and over and Watson was holed out at long-off after trying to hit Amit Mishra for a six in the 13th over. This came after he had clobbered Keemo Paul for three sixes and boundary in the previous over.

“I would have preferred the openers to get a few more runs because in knockout games, there’s no reason to go after the bowlers when the RRR is below six. If the openers had stayed and done the finishing after the hard yards. Why not stay till the end and get the runs under your belt (from the openers)? That would have been better, different captains have different views about that, but I’m happy to take the win any way,” said Dhoni at the post-match presentation.

Even after a big win Dhoni will make it a point to talk about something they didn’t do right with regards to the process. Faf & Watson getting out after being set, for example. Such a big believer of the ‘PROCESS’ & getting that right.👏👏👍🙏#Dhoni

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) May 10, 2019

Dhoni credited the bowlers for the victory over DC. “The crucial part was to keep getting wickets. The credit needs to go to the bowlers. The captain only asks this is what I need. Then it’s up to them to figure out how to bowl, and they have to put in the hard yards,” Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

“Thanks to the bowling department for where we are this season. I would have preferred it if the openers finished it off. Once they got the required rate below 6 an over, there was no reason to play big shots and get out. They did the hard yards,” he added.

Dhoni also lauded the entire CSK team for producing a clinical performance when it mattered.

“It’s the usual route, last year was the exception. The kind of response from the boys today was brilliant. The way we batted to get 140-plus runs was very nice,” he said. “The spinners got some turn, and we kept getting wickets at the right time.”

(With agency inputs)

First Published: May 11, 2019 10:34 IST