Head coach Stephen Fleming and a member of Chepauk’s ground crew walked to the match surface immediately following CSK’s 50-run defeat to RCB after the handshakes were completed. Five days prior, CSK defeated the Mumbai Indians on the adjacent surface thanks to 25 overs of spin-dictated terms. This time, the game was completely changed by seam, bounce, and two-paced deliveries.
Fleming was uncharacteristically blunt following CSK’s most significant home loss. “Well, as we’ve been telling you for a number of years, there was no home advantage at Chepauk,” he remarked. “We’ve had a few victories away from home. We’ve been completely honest with you, but we haven’t been able to read. In recent years, we haven’t been able to read the wickets here. It is therefore not new. We don’t know, but we’re trying to accept what we get every day.”
Playing three frontline spinners as part of their team-building approach was based on the fact that home conditions favoured turn. However, after only two games, such reasoning has been questioned. “It’s not the Chepauk [of old] where you can just go in and play four spinners,” Fleming said. “We’re having to work really hard to try and understand what the nature of each pitch is, and it’s quite different.”
CSK anticipated that dew would help them reach 196 on Friday. Rather, the pitch merely become more tacky. “No, we didn’t get it right,” asserted Fleming. We expected it would slip on with the dew, but it actually got a little tacky. It’s really difficult to read. Thus, it undoubtedly made things more difficult here.
Ruturaj Gaikwad, the captain, agreed. “I continue to believe that 170 was a reasonable score for this wicket. At the post-match presentation, he stated, “It wasn’t that easy to bat.” “You have a little more time when you’re chasing 170, but you have to bat differently in the PowerPlay when you’re chasing 20 additional runs, and that didn’t happen today. It became somewhat sticky and sluggish. There was some sticking of the new ball. I have no idea how it occurred. I backed my shot, and Rahul backed his. It works sometimes and doesn’t work other times.
RCB’s top order made sure their total over par as CSK struggled with the bat. Virat Kohli’s relatively scratchy performance was counterbalanced by aggressive knocks from Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, and Rajat Patidar. During a 45-run opening stand, Salt in particular got off to a scorching start, hitting 32 off 16.
“I think it’s been made very clear to me why I’m here at RCB and what they were looking for in the auction to partner with Virat,” Salt stated. “I am well aware of the dynamics of the partnership, which call for me to be assertive and relieve the other guys of some of their burdens.
“If you don’t take advantage of those early seam overs, you may find yourself in a difficult situation when the spin comes on and they have a chance to really take control of the game, especially when you come here. That was discussed, thus it was crucial in this case.
Salt also praised skipper Patidar, who led his bowling attack to RCB’s first Chepauk victory over CSK in 17 years after using luck to smash 51 off 32.
“I think he’s brilliant in all areas if I’m being honest with you,” Salt stated. “The batting is among the greatest in the area, in my opinion. He can hit spin like no one I’ve ever seen.
“He obviously had some luck tonight, but that’s just part of the game. That comes in patches. He hits the ball off spinners like no one I’ve ever seen. It was amazing, especially when he smashed some of those slower balls for six. When it comes to his captaincy, he is a calm individual. He remains composed under duress. His cricket intellect is excellent. He gives the game a lot of thought. There’s not much more you could ask for, as I’ve already stated, than the way he twirled the bowlers around tonight to ensure that we were always applying pressure on them.”
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