Anshul Kamboj's decision to override MS Dhoni's instinct and go for a review against Nicholas Pooran proved a critical point in the contest ©BCCI/IPL
There were instances scattered all over Monday night in Lucknow that would tell you why Chennai Super Kings are where they are on the points table this season.
Two vital points were gained to put them on level with three teams above them, and that's all that truly matters at this stage, but not all wrongs were righted along the way. Yet, CSK's expectations of channelling all the hurt of the last two weeks into something meaningful was achieved through some switch-flicking moments and one-upping LSG in a few other passages of play to break their longest-ever rut in a season.
The PowerPlay flip - Part I
Rahul Tripathi spun around and tore across from cover-point in the first over as one pocket of the Ekana crowd, all yellow and expectant, willed him on, perhaps believing that their rising volume would add speed to his legs. They'd want to believe it did because he ate up ground in front of him, lunged forward and held onto a sensational catch. Aiden Markram, one of LSG's batting architects this season, was snuffed out and with that moment, the burden of being poor catchers (13 drops before this game) lightened a touch.
The reversal in PowerPlay fortunes took a real big turn in the fourth over, when Anshul Kamboj was confident he'd brought a premature end to the innings of the best batter of the season with an LBW. MS Dhoni signalled to his bowler that the ball could've gone down the leg side - usually the final word when it comes to a review. But Kamboj persisted for his conviction to override Dhoni's instinct and came away with a massive prize - Nicholas Pooran's exit for just eight runs. This went a long way in keeping LSG down to a sub-50 total in that phase.
The Spinphony ft. Noor & Jadeja
Ravichandran Ashwin's match-up gains against left-handers was not considered worthy enough for him to stay in the XII in what has been a disappointing season for the offspinner. Ravindra Jadeja too has been rather middling with the ball, but stepped up in conditions where spinners across both teams treated themselves to miserly spells. In conditions CSK would love to have at home, Dhoni turned spin conductor again and Jadeja his obedient artist, sticking to the tunes and rhythms by the book. The wicket delivery to Mitchell Marsh came off muscle memory - bowled from round the stumps, skidding from length at pace to sneak under the horizontal bat and disturb the stumps.
Noor Ahmad was a bigger menace from the other end. He preyed on Rishabh Pant's spin vulnerabilities to bowl 10 of his 13 dots at the LSG captain. Every attempt to make room and cut Noor away through the off-side was futile as Pant repeatedly hit to the cover fielder or just flayed at air. Noor also tied down Mitchell Marsh and Ayush Badoni in a spell worth just 13 runs and no fours or sixes. Badoni resorted to premeditation against the other bowlers and became Jadeja's second victim.
"In a game like this, that [4-over spell for 13 runs] sets up a win in many ways," CSK's bowling consultant Eric Simmons said of Noor. "So, certainly from a bowling coach perspective, you recognise the fact that it's not always wickets that you take, but it's the wickets that you earn for your team, the role that you play. What I saw today was him bowling a lot more accurately. He bowled a little slower, which normally shows good confidence."
The PowerPlay flip - Part II
The bigger demons in CSK's closet have been their batting inefficiencies. Fleming didn't subscribe to the
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