Cricketer-turned-commentator Ravi Shastri believes that the Chennai Super Kings would have learned some hard lessons from their seven-wicket loss to the Lucknow Super Giants. However, he believes that the five-time winners will recover well in their remaining two league games to maintain their hopes of making the playoffs.
After LSG easily chased down a competitive 187, CSK’s hopes of making the playoffs were severely damaged, putting the Chennai team in a virtual must-win position going into the final stages of the IPL.
“I would take the positives from this game for CSK. I’d think that this wicket wasn’t that easy and, despite batting first, they still made 187. Sanju Samson didn’t score runs, Ruturaj Gaikwad didn’t get many either, so if they find form (in the upcoming matches), that would be key for CSK,” PTI quoted Shastri as saying on JioHotstar.
“Their bowlers will learn what lengths they need to bowl in conditions like these. In Chennai, they know what works and where to bowl, so they will be a much stronger team at home. They will also have their plans ready for that surface. So, I would look at this as an off day, but also as a game that offered plenty of lessons,” he added.
Even though the conditions helped the pacers on a surface that wasn’t totally batting-friendly, CSK failed to restrict LSG with Anshul Kamboj having an expensive game and giving up 63 runs in 2.4 overs.
According to Shastri, Kamboj could have avoided being hit for four sixes by Mitchell Marsh if he had been more alert and focused on yorkers in the blockhole.
“After getting hit for four sixes, what should Anshul Kamboj have done? In my opinion, he should have thought more about bowling yorkers, targeting the stumps right in the blockhole. When you know Marsh was waiting for anything short of a length, either bowl yorkers at the stumps or, if you’re bowling bouncers, bowl them outside the off stump with a deep third man in place.
“Bend your back and bowl them closer to head height, not at chest or waist height, because that is bread and butter for someone, who has grown up playing in Perth. It becomes very easy for him to use the pace,” opined Shastri.
According to the former captain of India, Kamboj would have learned some important lessons from Marsh’s punishment.
“If he hadn’t been hit for four sixes, he wouldn’t have learned from it. Everyone makes mistakes, but what you learn from them is the most important thing,” said Shastri.
