CHENNAI: The wicket at MA Chidambaram Stadium has come under scanner for producing a slow rank turner in the first match of this IPL, played between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both captains expressed their dissatisfaction after the clash. With Chennai set to play their next match at the venue on Sunday against Rajasthan Royals, it has been learned that the concerns over the surface will be addressed in time.
There was not much for batsmen in both innings, as evident in the way Chennai struggled to chase down a low target of 71. While Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli described the game as “scrappy sort of start” to the tournament, winning captain MS Dhoni said he would expect the pitch to get better for the upcoming fixtures which potentially include a play-off and final.
That Chennai has always churned out turning tracks is a known fact. But the amount of deviation seen in the opener — from the very start — took everyone by surprise. The amount of movement off the pitch for spinners was abnormally higher than expected. Such wickets also raise doubts if it is ideal for the fast-paced format where batsmen are more often than not expected to go bang.
“We will definitely take some steps,” said Chennai Super Kings CEO Kasi Viswanathan on Sunday.
“When we saw the match, we knew that there will be some criticism for such a wicket. Before seeing what happens on the field of play, how can you predict how it works? It was not a good wicket for T20s. That is why everybody is after us. It will be a better wicket next time. We hope that TNCA (Tamil Nadu Cricket Association) will be able to provide that.”
Though Chennai have loaded their squad with many spinners, this kind of pitch can be counterproductive to the team’s plans. Though exaggerated spin will be utilised by their tweakers, a slow rank turner might not suit their batsmen’s style of play. While Chennai hoped for a pitch where 140-150 would be a par total, they ended up getting one were another 30 runs from Bangalore would have made life difficult for them.
“We would have loved to play on a wicket that wouldn’t have spun as much as this did,” Chennai’s veteran off-spinner Harabhajan Singh said after the match. “Given the boundary size, we have got experience in our spin department. We know to bowl on a flat wicket and go and take those important wickets. You will get to see old Chepauk wicket; a much better wicket than today (Saturday).”