On a given day in Lucknow, Anshul Kamboj’s chances of defeating Mitchell Marsh were in a contest outside of cricket. Truth be told, all those fours and sixes felt like knockout punches from Marsh to not just Kamboj but also Chennai Super Kings’ chances of qualifying for the playoffs. Now, it may come down to CSK winning both their last two games, alongside improving their net run-rate.
So, what went wrong for CSK in the ‘Golden City of the East’? Perhaps we have to zoom in on their bowling effort. On a track that offered enough pace and bounce, the likes of Kamboj and Gurjapneet Singh mostly got the ball to kiss the surface. In such conditions, and against a 6’5″ batter who has played enough of his cricket at the WACA, it was never going to work. When Kamboj tried to pull the length back, he couldn’t get the ball to climb higher on the bat. No wonder Marsh played a volley of pull shots.
Meanwhile, Gurjapneet is well over 6 feet and has a high release point, but for some reason, he tended to bowl a fuller length, especially in his second over. Although Spencer Johnson executed his plans better, it wasn’t enough to save CSK from hurtling to a crushing loss. Granted, there was more nip on offer for LSG’s pacers. CSK’s top order also couldn’t carve out a way through in the Powerplay overs. But the crux of CSK’s below-par show was their lack of penetration with the ball in hand.
The missing link behind CSK’s woes in Lucknow could be Jamie Overton. The well-built fast bowler is back in England after being laid low by a thigh injury. Moving forward, Overton’s abilities could be missed in their final league-phase game versus Gujarat Titans. Overton, renowned for summoning quick spells and hit-the-deck skills, is ideally suited to the likely conditions at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
With a battery of tall pace bowlers at their disposal, GT would prefer another surface with some grass cover and bounce. Unfortunately for CSK, they may not have the required arsenal for those conditions. To make matters worse, CSK have the worst net run-rate among the top six teams, 0.027. So, even if CSK win their remaining two games, it still may not be enough for them to sneak through to the playoffs.
On a brighter note, CSK would believe they have the artillery to usurp Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chennai on May 18. As the season has progressed, we have seen tracks offering a little more help for the spinners in Chennai, and CSK have enough firepower in that department. Of course, they would also bank on Sanju Samson and co. to fire with the bat.
The other silver lining is that despite a long list of injuries, CSK have shown deep reservoirs of willpower to recover from a poor start. In fact, before losing to LSG, they had emerged victorious in four out of five matches. Youngsters like Urvil Patel and Kartik Sharma have also grown in stature.
Unfortunately, despite a few positives, the larger picture points to a tough road ahead for CSK. Logic says CSK might have to wait one more season to complete their transition. Although in sport, you never say never.
