Hard-hitting Chennai not deterred by opening loss in IPL

But some questions remain about the team's attack ahead of Monday's match against Delhi Daredevils in Abu Dhabi, writes Osman Samiuddin.

Ashish Nehra of Chennai Super Kings bowls to Kings XI Punjab at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Ravindranath K / The National
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ABU DHABI // A casual observation of Chennai Super Kings' net sessions the day before Monday's Indian Premier League game with Delhi Daredevils was instructive of how the franchise is set up this season. The side were practicing at one of the Abu Dhabi ovals, the smaller grounds adjacent to Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Batsman after batsman came in, tonked what seemed to be every single delivery out of the admittedly smaller ground. It was happening so frequently so as to endanger the officials and fans pottering around on the outskirts.

This was Chennai, stuffed full of the most fearsome hitters. Amid the carnage, however, it was difficult to spot their bowling attack. Because, even at this early stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) it seems as if this may be their season’s leitmotif: they will score plenty of runs, as they did against Kings XI Punjab in their opening game last Friday.

But they might struggle to defend even big totals, such as the 205 they put up in that game. Maybe it is too early to be making such assessments. But what seems a passable attack on paper, in Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Ravi Ashwin, Pawan Negi and Ravinder Jadeja, looked a little light.

Dwayne Bravo’s inability to bowl after he hurt his shoulder hurt them, and Glenn Maxwell exploded, which, when he does, is difficult to do anything about. But it remains a concern that they may have placed all their eggs in the batting basket.

“When you retain five players you’re always going to be limited with the price purse you have,” Ashwin said.

“That was always going to be a factor. But I personally feel this is one of the strongest teams Chennai has fielded in the last seven years.”

Ashwin did not bowl badly initially, though Maxwell eventually disrupted his line with a series of reverse-handed strokes. He ended up going for 41 off his four overs, but he had begun well and looked dangerous in his early overs.

Part of the reason also was the unfamiliarity with the conditions. A number of players, Ashwin included, have not played in the UAE before. The Friday loss was, Ashwin conceded, as much an opening game as a reconnaissance mission for more information about how surfaces and conditions will be.

That game was played during the day; against Delhi they start in the evening. That made a difference on Friday, when the surface changed characteristic considerably for the second game.

“That was the first time for me playing here,” Ashwin said.

“It was a good learning experience and quite different. That day was about how much information we could get out of the wicket, so that we can plan better for the next game.

“Now I have more insight into the wicket now, how to adjust lengths here and so on.”

The UAE has been fabulous so far, Ashwin says

Given how well the first round of Indian Premier League (IPL) games have gone across the UAE, it is a wonder that the Indian board was for so long so reticent about playing here.

Stadiums across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah have long been used to hosting international contests so there has been no room for complaint there.

As MS Dhoni, the India and Chennai Super Kings captain said on arrival last week, he could see no reason why facilities for players would not be of the highest quality, given how much cricket is played here.

Conditions, though, have taken some getting used to.

Brendon McCullum tired in the heat on Friday as he blasted 67. The nature of that Zayed Cricket Stadium surface changed drastically that evening for the second game and it is something that teams are accounting for now.

The build-up, as one coach noted, has been more laid-back than it would normally be in India but almost the entire first batch of games for the seventh season have been sold out. The atmosphere for the double-headers in Abu Dhabi and Dubai this weekend were not especially laid-back.

“It’s not just the IPL, the UAE has been fabulous so far,” said Ravichandran Ashwin, the Chennai and India off-spinner, who is playing here for the first time.

“It’s been a completely new experience. It’s a visual treat all over the place, including the hotel, where the people are. It’s quite a royal place, so I’ve been enjoying it a lot.”

BCCI propose three-man panel for IPL spot-fixing probe

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday decided to recommend to the Supreme Court a three-man panel to probe a spot-fixing scandal that hit the Indian Premier League (IPL), an official said.

The Supreme Court had last week asked the BCCI to provide details of how it planned to conduct a fresh probe into the scandal, or face investigation by a court-appointed tribunal.

BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel declined to reveal the names in the proposed panel, saying they will be handed to the court at the next hearing Tuesday.

News reports said the panel will comprise former captain Ravi Shastri, Jai Narain Patel, an ex-chief justice of the Kolkata Hight Court, and RK Raghavan, who earlier headed the federal Central Bureau of Investigation.

Lawyers for the BCCI will put forward the three names Tuedsay, hoping the court will accept a proposal to help prevent an outside agency from interfering in the case.

osamiuddin@thenational.ae

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