MI & RCB performed like real champions to beat CSK and RR respectively. Sachin leading from the front for MI and Dravid & Kumble performing for RCB to start IPL-2 on a winning note.
I am not going to write on what happened in the match for CSK but on what went wrong for CSK and the mistakes that cost the match for CSK.
1.Hayden dropping a sitter from sachin early on the game.
2.When CSK had restricted MI well Flintoff gifting 25 runs in the 18th over.
3.Flintoff & Hayden throwing their wickets after showing signs of recovery.
4.Playing 11 and batting order.
I feel dropping catches,gifting runs and throwing wickets are normal and sometimes depends on many factors like weather,first game,batsmen just hitting out and taking all the risks etc but what baffles me is the team selection and the order in which the batsmen were sent in for the chase.
CSK were playing with 10 players and the 11th man was playing as a fielder, no bowling and no batting, how can you play Ashwin and not give him even a single over it is ridiculous to play him at the first place when you are playing 3 specialist bowlers and 2 bowling all rounders and having picked him in the team not trying him even for a single over shows how confident the captain is on Ashwin.
I don't understand how you can not pick A.morkel, what ever the reason be (kits not arrived on time !!) it is very silly to think that he can not play with the available kit from the other players in the team. How on earth you can pick Joginder ahead of balaji (even though joginder did well) i doubt if Dhoni has any confidence in the chennai players. It is really hurting when you see only 2 players picked from chennai for the CSK team and 1 of them did not bowl or bat and the other specialist batsmen walking in at the end overs when the asking rate has gone up to 11 a over.Its a shame for TNCA and Chennai players that they are treated so badly in spite of owning the team. All the other teams (except RR) play minimum of 3-4 players from the state and they are key performers also.Some how i get a feeling that dhoni is not confident about players from TN.
How is that all the big hitting batsmen were sent in one after the other early in the innings and send the inexperienced players in the end overs and expect them to perform. May be he is experimenting in the initial phase of the tournament but it is always good to start winning so that the team's morale and confidence gets momentum going forward. I am not blaming Dhoni alone here its a total failure of the team management which includes Fleming. I strongly feel that its time that dhoni starts to keep wickets and create an option to include one more batsmen/bowler in the team. I would want to see Flintoff at number 6 and Morkel at 7 and may earlier depending on the match scenario and not at no 4 / 5 pre-planned.
I am sure the team management on cricketing affairs get together and plan for the next game and come out with the best possible lineup which should include Hayden,Morkel,Flintoff and Murali and make sure they start winning.
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7 comments:
Vasu .. a word on sharing kits. Not many are comfortable with others gears (especially gloves, thigh-pads, abdomen guard etc.), so though not playing Morkel sounds like a lame excuse there might more to reality than just that.
I agree with your views on Ashwin's inclusion, batting order in this game and Dhoni keeping, but on Dhoni not taking in other Chennai players has "political" connotations :-). I get the feeling he must have thought let me field the most experienced fellows in the first game and see how it goes. Well, I am not defending Dhoni here. I believe in his leadership abilities and he makes the right moves most times, but he is susceptible to mistakes too, so let's give that to him.
The TN boys got opportunities in the 2008 version but I didn't see anybody do exceptionally well. Can you single out anybody? (a la guys from RR) Maybe just Badri in a game or so.
Badri was the most experienced of the lot from the TN batsmen and I think Dhoni believed they could pull it off when he came in to bat. 101-5 in 14.3. 65 to get at just over 10 an over. You would pip Dhoni/Badri to do it with one or two big overs. Could see the disappointment on his face when Badri holed out (they didn't even cross!) that too in just the 2nd ball.
Anyway, to add to your misery, read this - http://content.cricinfo.com/ipl2009/content/story/400362.html :-) Well, I hope CSK gets it right in the coming games.
Btw, did you see the DD game? Considering the form Sehwag/Gambhir are in, I don't think the other batsmen in their team are going to get much of the batting :-)
VJ
As for as Morkel not in the opening match is absolute blunder, what ever reason may be.
On TN players yes i partially agree with you on not performing to the expectation but do you agree that Flintoff and Oram should come before badri walks in ?? I think that's the point i wanted to make and may be i was very disappointed on the no show by our own local cricketers,why you want to go for the shots when the captain in the other side is playing sensibly, why con't these guys play the supporting role?? all this made me write that harsh part.Having said that i think resting balaji and playing joginder for the opener makes me think so.
I am not really sure why Vidyuth & Anirudh were sent back, i would have expected one of them to stay back, may be one of them will join the team after flintoff leaves.
On DD, yes when the two gets going its done for the opponents but i doubt if Sehwag will get runs when it matters most :-) It will be left to Gambhir and co to perform when it really matters (crunch games).
Vasu, few observations :
Why does media (including your blog) react like MI are already champions and CSK have hit the bottom with one game ?
A.Nayar playing that innings and Malinga bowling that spell is something you normally dont expect. Those two factors influenced the result, so give them credit.
Except one Flintoff over, CSK seems to have bowled well. And the shots by their batsmen looked more cleaner, compared to A.Nayar's or even Sachin's and Sanath's edges (dint watch it live).
Its natural Dhoni not having confidence on TN players, unless they perform. If he is going to get biased and political, that spells doom for Indian cricket as a whole.
I was more surprised that Duminy and Smith played the opening games, than Morkel missing it. They just finished a ODI with australia the previous night.
Looks like no team is going to be a pushover, given that conditions sometimes completely favour the bowlers. So am just trying to control all my excitement and anxiety to take it easy if CSK does not do well (as it happens with most pre tournament favorites).
Between 92 and 96 world cups we had completely different teams in the SFs. Wish it happens this year, so all 8 teams have been there in IPL SFs :)
Funny comment by Ajay Jadeja like an astrologist. "Possibly bad time has started for Dhoni with not declaring in NZ, discarding the padma award function and losing the IPL opener. May be he will lose his Midas touch" :)
And finally, what started as a quick read over tea, ended up as this long comment :(
Vasu, looks like we are back on track. Hope it continues.
Am not belittling ourselves, but CSK has so much intensity and character, but its guys like Balaji who are not living upto it. Gony, Albie all got hit, but the way Balaji bowled the 2nd over was pathetic. He was lucky he got to bowl again. Dhoni could not have bowled him again on the 4th over !
May be CSK is a great combination of some brilliant brains in team administration from TN and skill and power from elsewhere, led by Dhoni ! So dont feel bad TN guys are not getting to play, but this team sums up Chennai :)
Go CSK ! Go Dhoni !!
Vasu, yes I too was not too pleased with the batting order for CSK in the first match, so agree with you on that.
As for Sehwag, let's just say, he gets the runs needed to get his team to the "when-it-matters-most" position. That is also important right? :-)
Btw, any reason why Dhoni was keeping in the 2nd game?
VJ
Rajesh,
Yes CSK has come back strongly and should keep up the momentum.I would like Dhoni not to experiment too much till Flintoff is around and make sure that we win all the matches when he is available and ensure a place in semi-final. Once he not available then anyway Dhoni has to experiment with some of the bench strength.
VJ,
Dhoni keeping wickets is a good thing and it creates a sort of pressure in the minds of the batsmen and also makes the bowlers think twice before experimenting something. On the whole he can take a closer look of the wicket and take better control of the proceedings. After all that's the best place to observe the game.
@Vasu A bit late to respond to this thread. This post almost reflected my thought after the first match. One thing which I strongly agree with you is that Dhoni never has faith on the TN players. That is not a good thing for the team. In case of losing the openers quickly as what happened in the first match it should be Badri taking the guard at 2 down. That is the best place where he can play his natural game.
As long as Haydos comes good and scores well there shouldn't be much of a problem for the rest of the batting line up to bat around him. The second match was a real treat to watch. Hope the team carries on the winning momentum.
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