With due regard to dew: Wet balls and shaven outfield

As Fleming hinted in Mumbai with regards to countering this factor, the team management has asked the curator to shave the grass in the outfield, which will make it quicker.
CSK’s Shane Watson (L) and MS Dhoni during training on Monday | D SAMPATHKUMAR
CSK’s Shane Watson (L) and MS Dhoni during training on Monday | D SAMPATHKUMAR

CHENNAI: Dew and moisture. These were the words that Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming used most often in Mumbai, days after his team had got out of jail against Rajasthan Royals at home. From a shaky 27/3, MS Dhoni had taken the side to 175/5. His bowlers, after reducing Rajasthan 14/3, had almost lost the game before Dwayne Bravo got them home.

What caused Chennai losing the grip of the match with the ball had more to do with dew. While it isn’t a stranger at MA Chidambaram Stadium in April-May, what made it difficult for the bowlers was the intensity. It forced Chennai back to the drawing board with regards to home conditions.

After a dry pitch that spun way beyond the characteristic Chepauk track — making life difficult even for their own batsmen — Chennai altered it to resemble the usual surface which is slow and where the par total fluctuates between 160-180. But the intensity of the dew in the match against Rajasthan has seen them make other adjustments too.

Chennai have started practising with wet balls as it would prepare the bowlers — pacers and spinners — in case they confront the situation during the game. While dew during the previous match might have been exceptionally high, the team is taking no chances.

As Fleming hinted in Mumbai with regards to countering this factor, the team management has asked the curator to shave the grass in the outfield, which will make it quicker. While this move would make life difficult for bowlers, it is something Chennai won’t mind sacrificing, since less dew would suit their spin-centric attack. Winning the toss and batting first has been the preferred choice for captains in Chennai. If one takes into account all the 8pm matches played in the city since the inception of IPL, only in 2012 did teams chasing win more matches. In 2015, the last time Chennai played all their home matches at Chepauk, teams batting first ended up winning five of the six matches. In 2011, when it hosted a playoff and the final, this record was 7-1 in favour of teams batting first.

While it puts to rest the theory that dew makes it easy for the team chasing at th­is venue, the am­o­unt of it this early in the tournament has ma­de Chennai caut­i­ous. “Normally, we do­n’t have this (so mu­ch dew) at the st­art of the tournam­ent. The tournament normally starts ar­o­und seventh of April. Usually, two-three-four weeks look pretty good. The last part of the tournament so­metimes gets affected,” said Fleming.

“We are caught by surprise, it is probably the wettest outfield I have ever seen. Our tr­a­ining methods in Chennai will change. So moving forward, we have to include that in the preparation like bowling with wet balls, just making sure we can be as accurate as we can when conditions aren’t right.”

Even against Punjab, which was a 4pm game, early dew meant Deepak Chahar struggled for control in the 19th over, but eventually got away despite bowling two beamers. If one goes by stats, Chennai prefer batting first over here. Whether they change this ploy this time remains to be seen.

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