Hmm... Another Defeat!

Chennai Super Kings Vs Deccan Chargers - Match Review

Another defeat... Third in a row... It is now time to hit the "PANIC" button. The team surely needs some drastic changes if it has to start winning again. It can't carry any extra baggage(like Parthiv Patel) for any more time. Our opponents have started exposing these weakness in the team. Also they have been able to execute their well laid plans while our team has found itself, lacking in preparation for the matches.

 

 Positives:

1. Albie Morkel: Though his bowling is not as impressive as his batting, he has laid his claim for promoting himself up the batting order.
2. Murali: He is showing that he can bamboozle batsmen in any format. He should be begging his team mates to provide a competitive total to defend or to bowl first.
3. Gony: Gony's last over sixes should really bode well for the team. Even his bowling was pretty impressive today.

 

Negatives:

1. Weak Top 3: For any team to succeed in the T20 format, at least one of its top three batsman should last for 10 overs. But sadly in our team, the top 3 are the weakest batsmen of the team. Hope common sense prevails and the better batsman like Raina(3), Morkel(4), Dhoni(5) & Badrinath(6) are promoted up the order.
2. Initial 3 overs: In all these 3 matches, we have lost the match in the initial 3 overs of the game. Lack of Blazing start in the first 3 overs creates that extra pressure on future batsmen to score. So please send a pinch hitter as an opener. [How about Dhoni opening with Fleming???]
3. Parthiv Patel: 7 seven matches are more than enough to judge a person's ability in a batting order. It is time Parthiv Patel is thrown out of the playing eleven. If he is the best batsman available of the lot, at least ask him to bat lower down the order. Let the opening position be given to some other explosive player.
4. Dhoni: Except for Dhoni's assault on Steyn in the match against Bangalore Royal Challengers, Dhoni has been pretty ordinary with respect to his strike rate. [His strike rate has been generally less than the team's strike bate] Even the twenty three runs he scored today were less than run-a-ball. The pressure created by his slow strike rate is one of the major reasons for the middle order wickets falling in heaps.
5. Fleming & Ntini: Both these players have not provided a ideal IPL start to the team. While Fleming has not been able to stamp his class, Ntini has not been able to take even a single wicket. [Hope they make a turn around or at least bring in Chamara Kapugedera quickly]
6. Joginder Sharma: He calls him an all rounder. But both his bowling and batting has been pretty ordinary. Time to bring Palani Amarnath or Balaji in the place of Joginder?
7. Badrinath: In the last two matches, Badrinath got opportunities to show his class and put up his name for the Indian team selection . But sadly, he failed both the times.
8. Raina: He has been the best batsman of the lot. Hopefully he changes his habit of throwing his wicket away.
9. Kepler Wessels: I don't know what he is doing. He has not been able to come out with strategies to win matches or any surprises to put the opposite team out of balance. It is time he gets innovative.
10. 'Bat First': Three matches have shown that Dhoni's 'Bat First' philosophy has not been working for the team. [Only 10 out of 26 IPL matches has been won by teams batting first]. It is time we give 'Bowl First' option a try.

"When the going gets tough, the tough gets going"

Chennai Super Kings next face Delhi Daredevils at Delhi. If they did not make some drastic changes, expect another thrashing and a humiliating defeat at the hands of Delhi Daredevils.