Captain M.S. Dhoni and coach Stephen Fleming minced no words about the lack of intent shown by Chennai Super Kings after it lost its fifth game (in seven matches) to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.
Chasing a moderate target of 170, CSK’s batting failed miserably once again, especially the middle-order which did not even make an earnest attempt to increase the scoring rate.
Play the big shots
Speaking after the match, Dhoni said, “I think we are better off playing the other way round, playing the bigger shots even if you get out. That is something we can do in the coming games.
“Our batting has lacked a bit of power from the sixth over onwards. In the coming games, we will try to be more expressive. You rather get out in the 16th or 17th over.”
Fleming too echoed similar views: “What I would like is more intensity through the middle overs. We have plenty of batting. While we are recovering well (when we lose early wickets), we are leaving ourselves too much to do at the end.
“We have to release the shackles and give the hitters towards the end a little bit more freedom.”
Absence of youth
When the team was assembled in 2018, it was mocked as ‘Dad’s army’ considering most players were on the wrong side of their 30s. While CSK finished runner-up last year, the lack of youth is starting to hurt this time.
“The playoff dream is getting further away if we keep playing like this,” the former New Zealand skipper cautioned.
“We have an ageing team and the legs are getting a bit more tired.
“The conditions are a factor too. When we put this team together at the last auction, it was done to win five or six games at Chepauk.
“Spinners at this stage are playing a small role. The situation is a bit foreign for us and the results are showing that,” said Fleming.