A long chat with Chennai Super Kings legend MS Dhoni in the nets was instrumental in spinner Noor Ahmad’s game-winning spell against Kolkata Knight Riders.
The Afghan left-arm wrist spinner finished with figures of 3/21 in four overs, dismissing Ajinkya Rahane, Rinku Singh, and Cameron Green in the middle overs to help CSK win by 32 runs.
Noor had only claimed one wicket in four games and had yet to create an impression in the ongoing tournament until Monday night.
Noor managed to get on top of the batters on a pitch that provided minimal assistance. With a quicker delivery onto the stumps that Green was unable to connect, he dismissed the Aussie.
Assistant coach Sridharan Sriram of CSK talked about Noor’s preparation for the match and his conversation with Dhoni, who hasn’t played yet this season because of a calf strain.
“I think it was good, the wicket helped today, there was a little bit of boredom for him. The other wickets were quite flat. Today, he was a little bit slower through the air. There was more side spin on the ball, and there was more drop. So that’s something he’s been working on.
“Even MS had a long chat with him during one of the practice sessions, getting him to bowl more leg break. So I think it was very helpful today and the results were there to show,” PTI quoted Sriram as saying at the post-match press conference.
Sriram emphasized how crucial it is for spinners to get deviation off the pitch.
“I think to be able to get some deviation off the surface is very important. I think that is what he’s been working on. Everybody accepts there are going to be days when the wickets are going to be very flat.
“But still looking to be aggressive, putting revs on the ball and getting the ball to spin will definitely help him a lot, and that’s where you can induce mistakes. Because once you start to get defensive, then the batters are going to get on top of you,” he said.
Sriram also mentioned the chemistry between Noor and West Indies bowler Akeal Hosein.
“I think they complement each other very well. They both communicate with each other very well as well. They have a good understanding of camaraderie between them. Today, actually, Akeal was the one who went and told Noor about the exact length. That in-between length that he needed to bowl.
“In his first over, it was either a bit short or a touch full. But then, once he found that in-between length, I think Noor was relatively unplayable. Credit to Akeal as well because I was a part of that conversation in the strategic timeout where Akeal was telling Noor about that in-between length where the ball was just holding enough.
“And hitting down the ground was not that easy,” Sriram added.
