CSK captain criticizes bowlers and fielders: The legendary captain opened up on shortcomings after maiden loss in IPL 2019.
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During the 15th match of the ongoing 12th season of the Indian Premier League between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at Mumbai, Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings by 37 runs. While it was Indians’ second IPL 2019 victory, it was Super Kings’ first loss of the season.
Chasing a 171-run target, Super Kings never really looked comfortable in the chase. From losing opening batsman Ambati Rayudu (0) in the first over, CSK failed to recover from the blow as fellow opener Shane Watson (5) was dismissed in the following over.
All-rounder Kedar Jadhav (58) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni did stitch a 54-run stand for the fourth wicket but an ever-increasing required run rate in association with Dhoni (12) getting out didn’t work well for them. In what became a downfall for the visitors, they ended up scoring 133-8 in their allotted quota of 20 overs.
“We’re missing a few players already”
Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Dhoni admitted that a lot of things went wrong for CSK. The skipper also highlighted his fielders dropping catches and the death bowling issues. “I think quite a few things went wrong for us. I think we started off well and 12th-13th over also we were on the mark, but after that there were some drops and mis-fields.
“The death bowling also didn’t come off. It was slightly tough on them. We do more one-on-one stuff than team meetings. On a wicket like this, what is important is carefully study which boundaries they could have cut off, and where is the error in execution,” Dhoni was quoted as saying.
Being asked about whether Mumbai Indians all-rounder Hardik Pandya’s heroics changed the momentum before the interval, Dhoni denied momentum playing a big part but also opened up on various issues faced by some of his players such as the all-rounder-duo of David Willey and Dwayne Bravo.
“Momentum totally depends on where you are at. I don’t think the in-between innings break really plays a part. Even if you have finished well, you need to start [the second innings] well. I don’t think momentum really matters. What counts more is setting the tone while batting [or bowling].
“Bravo has a bit of a hamstring problem, so we’ll have to see the combination. We’re missing a few players already. There are areas to work on but what is important is for individuals to step up and take responsibility,” Dhoni added.
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