Cutters, slower bouncers proved the key to disrupting CSK’s rhythm
How drastic does change of pace need to be to draw batters into false shots? Two dismissals during the Chennai Super Kings innings on Friday night highlighted that aspect of fast bowling. The delivery that induced Shivam Dube into a miscue was bowled at 118.5 kph by Pat Cummins, after the previous one was bowled at an express 142.4 kph. Similarly, Ajinkya Rahane was foxed by a 104.8 kph delivery from Jaydev Unadkat, in an over he kept alternating between the high 120s and the 100s.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Aiden Markram celebrates with his captain Pat Cummins (L)(AFP)
Wickets were not the only highlight, of course. That CSK were restricted to just 50 runs in their last seven overs despite having a line-up of power-hitters at their disposal showed to what extent a slow pitch and deft change of pace could scupper plans. The pitch wasn’t slow to begin with, evident in CSK’s quick start. But it did slow down quickly. Conventional wisdom dictates the deploying of spinners to take the sting out of the batting, but Pat Cummins kept faith in his impressive band of fast bowlers, asking them to take the pace off the ball.
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“Luckily, we have got plenty of fast bowlers. Shivam was hitting them pretty well against spin, so I thought we’ll take the chance with a few off-cutters,” Cummins said after Sunrisers’ six-wicket win.
CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said: “As the ball got older, it got slower and slower and we couldn’t capitalise at the end, plus they used the conditions really well. In the last five overs, we couldn’t capitalise. To start off, we were pretty much in a good situation, 80 for 2 at the halfway stage. But they came back and bowled really well at the back end.”
At the core of this clever comeback was the slower bouncer, Cummins leading the way with an impressive 10th over where three deliveries were slower and short of back of the length. Four runs conceded, Sunrisers got the cue for the rest of the innings. T Natarajan strayed in his length but Jaydev Unadkat was excellent, hitting just back of the length at an irritating pace.
“The moment it was decided that there were going to be two bouncers in an over, that’s when all the bowlers decided that,” said Unadkat. “I’ve been talking to a lot of bowlers and everyone is of the view that we’ve got to use it in some way. Maybe someone who has pace can use those pace-on bouncers but slower bouncers nowadays are working because all the batters are trying to hit the ball straight, all the batters are trying to muscle the ball out of the ground,” the seasoned left-arm pacer said.
Dube’s dismissal was important, because it was that sort of a tricky pitch where new batters would struggle to adapt. Jadeja struggled, as did Daryl Mitchell, and even Dhoni in the two balls he faced at the end. Having witnessed that, Sunrisers realised that getting a quick start against the new ball when the field restrictions were in place would determine how they were ultimately placed in the game.
“In the powerplay, you have seen now for long enough that teams have taken it on and that’s the right way to go,” said Aiden Markram, who anchored the chase of 166 with a 36-ball 50. Opener Abhishek Sharma was more than up to the job, hitting 37 off 12 balls. “While bowling, we felt that it was a bit (of a) slow wicket. So, we knew that somehow if we take the powerplay on, then we could just go with the flow after that,” Sharma said after the match. “We had a chance to prepare well before IPL. We knew it was going to be a bit slow. But not much. If we take on the bowler, it is difficult for the bowler as well.”
