CHENNAI: Rajasthan Royals have lost three matches, which on any other day might have seen them ending up on the winning side. But more than failing to cross the line, the manner in which they let their grip loosen should worry the team. In T20s, small margins often look big.
Against Kings XI Punjab, they lost when they needed 39 off the last four overs with eight wickets in hand. In the second match, after Sanju Samson scored a century, they saw Sunrisers Hyderabad chase down 198.
While it can be said that Rajasthan were not in it once David Warner and Jonny Bairstow got going, the ease with which they let them gun down a huge total suggested a thing or two.
Then they arrived in Chennai, where they have not won since 2008. Whatever limited time they had — only a day between two matches — it was enough to realise that dew would play a role. They even had the luck of coin going their way and had Chennai Super Kings reeling at 27/3 in the powerplay.
Leave aside how calculative MS Dhoni was with his planning in terms of which bowler to target, it appeared Rajasthan were playing into the hands of the hosts. After leaking way too many runs thanks to some pedestrian bowling at the death, their batting failed to prosper in a match that was there in their kitty.
Chasing 176 at Chepauk is never easy. But few teams have had a better chance to register a rare win at a venue where Chennai have now won 15 of the last 17 matches. The dew was so bad that in the press box it was like watching from behind a frosted glass. The humidity was making it hard for the fielders and the bowlers were struggling to get a good grip on the ball. It was a huge advantage against a side like Chennai, which had three spinners.
Yorkers had no place on the night and all that the pacers could do was flirt with pace variations. And considering how well Rajasthan’s lower-order did to bring them back, not many gave Chennai a chance when the visitors needed 25 off 12 balls. Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer had just taken Dwayne Bravo to the cleaners in the 18th over, scoring 19 when 44 were needed from three overs. But with 12 needed in the last over, they managed only three.
Rajasthan have another match on Tuesday, at home against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both have been on the receiving end so far, and Stokes admits now is the time to arrest it.
“Losing the first three games, you probably would say we can’t (take positives), but we are trying to and there is no point in looking back...Because if we lose four or five, it’s going to be tough to come back. In our first three games we got ourselves into real good positions, and we know it is just (about) winning those crucial moments.” It has to be done now.