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IPL 2022: Gaikwad's form is a growing worry for CSK

Punjab Kings have a very balanced team

With two defeats from as many matches, Chennai Super Kings have hardly looked the part of defending champions. In both matches, they failed to prevent the opposition from overhauling their score. This might suggest inadequacy in the batting, but that is true only to a small degree. Rather it is the bowling that has been the big let-down for CSK so far.

It didn’t look so bad when KKR got past their modest total in the first match. But in the second against Lucknow Super Giants, CSK lost despite scoring 210. This exposed the shallowness in the attack. While the Brabourne Stadium pitch had very little in it for bowlers, the bigger problem for CSK was inconsistency. On flat decks, the margin for error in T20s is miniscule. Having batted first and made 200-plus, CSK bowlers should have been aware of what needed to be done. However, without exception, the bowling was error-prone and profligate, undoing the fine effort of Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu and Moeen Ali with the bat, and making it a cakewalk for Lucknow. The new franchise rode on a magnificent first-wicket partnership between skipper KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock to overhaul the stiff target without so much as breaking into a sweat.

Deepak Chahar’s non-availability because of injury has been an unfortunate blow to CSK. Last season, he was among the best bowlers in the league, providing regular brerakthroughs with controlled swing and seam bowling, Since donning India colours, Chahar has become an even more competitive and better player, with ball and bat, which was the reason why he was so avidly chased by CSK in the mega auction, fetching among the highest bids.

In both roles, Chahar’s absence has been felt in the first two matches. In hindsight, it seems surprising that CSK did not appear too intent on to push for more quality bowling talent in the auction, relying on Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja and Mitchell Santner along with a clutch of relative newcomers, to see them through. It’s a tactic that may have worked had the tournament format been of home and away matches. Playing at Chepauk has traditionally been CSK’s strong suit. But if that is nullified, CSK have suffered in the past and looks like being repeated this season too.

Tushar Deshpande has strived hard but lacks the ability of Chahar to give early wickets. Dwayne Pretorious, swing bowler from South Africa, has looked good in spells as has veteran Bravo, but neither good enough to win matches. Spinners Santner, Moeen Ali and Jadeja have hardly looked penetrative or even been able to stem the flow of runs. This has left the team vulnerable against batsmen prepared to take risks.

Of all the bowlers, Jadeja has been disappointingly below par. Among the premier spinners in the world, with an excellent record in the IPL, expectations from him are understandably high. But with ball and bat he has looked tentative. Pehaps this has to do with the pressures of captaincy. But if CSK have to get going, Jadeja being in the thick of the action and leading from the front is imperative.

While the batting has generally been good, lack of runs at the top from Ruturaj Gaikwad is a growing worry. In the past two seasons, Gaikwad didn’t put a foot wrong. In the first two matches this season, he has hardly spent any time in the middle. While veterans Uthupa, Rayudu and MS Dhoni have shown excellent touch, Gaikwad, Moeen and Jadeja have to contribute substantially to give the struggling bowling more runs to defend.

Though Punjab were demolished by Andre Russell’s blitzkrieg in the previous match against KKR, they have a very balanced team, including a batting line-up that starts with Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal and includes in-form Bhanuka Rajapaksa and strong finishers in Liam Livingstone, Shah Rukh Khan and Odean Smith. CSK will remember that this batting line-up chased down 205 made by RCB a few days earlier.

The bowling too has depth and variety with Kagiso Rabada as spearhead, talented left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh as his partner and young leg spinner Rahul Chahar holding charge as the premier slow bowler. It’s not an easy side to beat. To get on to the points table, CSK will have to rediscover their mojo and fire on all cylinders.

Ayaz Memon is an Indian sports writer and commentator