This was supposed to be a happy return to captaincy for MS Dhoni. But what unfolded was a horror show ©BCCI/IPL
There was a small placard in the stands that was shown on TV when MS Dhoni was facing Varun Chakaravarthy for his first delivery. It said 'Return of captain cool'. Oh it was a return alright! A return to forget for Dhoni, for his troops and most importantly, for the Chepauk faithful. In all these years, they have never seen an abject performance such as this one.
This game was easily one of the most anticipated matches in their history despite them losing four on the bounce prior to it. Their favourite star was back in the hotseat, at the age of 43, when it was least expected. CSK also finally got what they wanted when KKR opted to bowl first. This surface was expected to get slower as the game progressed and given their recent chasing blemishes, they really wanted to put up a total on the board. Even from a fans' perspective, so many were clamouring for the inclusion of Anshul Kamboj in the playing XI and their wish was granted.
However, once the ball set rolling, it was all KKR. The initial incision came from the most unlikely source as Moeen Ali, handed a return to haunt his old franchise, made an immediate impact with the big wicket of Devon Conway. It ended up being a wicket-maiden, a feat that has already been achieved once against CSK this season. The stage was then set for Rahul Tripathi to make the most of his second chance at making an impression for his new franchise following Ruturaj Gaikwad's injury. But before he could even open his account, the other opener returned to the pavilion.
After five overs, CSK were shockingly 18/2. They were well on course to breaking the record for the worst powerplay score of the season, which unsurprisingly belonged to them anyway. By this time, you could hear a couple of fans shouting 'dei adinga da' (hey please hit). Perhaps, it was more of a plea and Vijay Shankar did duly oblige with a couple of boundaries and a six to ensure the run rate finally went past six. That was the last time CSK looked like posting anything close to competitive as KKR took command from that point.
Tripathi's innings was nothing short of a struggle. His issues against pace with the new ball were evident prior to getting axed from the XI. However, against a three-man spin attack, batting at No.3 with no real pace threat except for Harshit Rana, this was Tripathi's chance to return to his comfort zone. But Sunil Narine put an end to his misery by breaching his defence which then forced CSK to promote R Ashwin up the order to counter the spin threat on a surface that was gripping. Already under a bit of pressure for his performances with the ball this season, all Ashwin managed was gobble up seven deliveries for a solitary run before departing.
While their plans kept failing, one after the other, the biggest letdown was yet to arrive. Desperate to salvage their innings, CSK opted to use their impact sub after Ravindra Jadeja's dismissal. Deepak Hooda, another Indian batter who has looked out of his depth this season, was handed a chance. The result? A four-ball duck. As a result, not only were they reeling at 72/7, their move also meant a no-show for Matheesha Pathirana as he was not named in the initial XI and was expected to be brought on only during the second innings.
Out walked Dhoni, welcomed by the loudest cheer of the night, like it is always the case. An odd experience indeed to watch a capacity crowd go crazy with their team in dire straits. But perhaps, they wanted more than a glimpse from him this time. A six or two wouldn't suffice given the scenario. But with 2.4 overs of Narine and Chakaravarthy left, it was going to be a tall order for the big man given his poor record against the duo. And Chepauk's worst nightmare did come true when Narine managed to enhance his record against Dhoni further in the very next over.
From thereon, there were no more pleas to hit. The writing was pretty much on the wall. One unwanted record after another followed. CSK hit one six in their entire innings, KKR surpassed that number inside 1.1 overs in the chase, enroute to clearing the ropes 10 times in total. For the first time ever, they ended up losing five games in a row, with three of them coming at home. The fortress was well and truly breached. This was supposed to be a happy return to captaincy, this was supposed to be the game that sparked life in their sloppy campaign. Instead, what unfolded was a horror show.
© Cricbuzz
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