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IPL 2023 Final emotional rollercoaster: Dhoni’s super quick stumping, Sai Sudharsan’s sublime innings & Dube-Rahane’s contrasting styles

Posted: November 05, 2024 Under: News By No Comments

Contrasting styles

Apart from being left handed and right handed batsmen Shivam Dube and Ajinkya Rahane are completely contrasting players who can be hard to captain. While Dube is strong against spinners, Rahane prefers fast bowlers. So in terms of planning, it can be a nightmare for captains to manage his resources properly. With Dube coming in, Hardik Pandya went for Josh Little, who Rahane creamed for two sixes.

– Venkata Krishna B

Chahar swings, but early

After four fairly straight balls, Deepak Chahar had the fifth one to swing in to Wriddhiman Saha, who almost got his front leg too far across, but managed to arrest that movement, and dab it to the on side for a single. A gentle smile spread across Chahar’s visage. If there is a criticism to be made on him, albeit harsh, it’s that his swing starts too early in the trajectory. It looks curvy good, but had that ball tailed in much later in the trajectory, Saha could well not have been able to stop his front-foot movement in time. But that’s Chahar’s style. Both outswing and inswing tend to start pretty early, looks more dramatic, and especially in T20, with the batsmen looking to have big bat-swings, it works like a charm.

Sriram Veera

Chahar drops Gill, Dhoni applauds the bowler Deshpande

Dhoni chose to applaud the bowler Tushar Deshpande even as Deepak Chahar dropped a sitter at backward square-leg. In the dugout, Stephen Fleming chewed an imaginary gum. It was on the middle and leg, and Gill flicked it straight to Chahar, who got down on both knees, cupped his palm, and it didn’t even hit his palm, but almost on the wrist, and rolled away. Chahar winced, Dhoni cast a look at the bowler with that encouraging applause, Deshpande stood speechless, and Ambati Rayudu, playing his last game for CSK, had a pale look come over him.

Sriram Veera

Saha shows why he is the key for GT’s start this final

After two overs of tentativeness, Wriddhiman Saha stepped down the track to hoist Deepak Chahar over wide long-on. Gill would punch his gloves and say, “shot!”. Immediately Dhoni moved up to the stumps for the next ball. Saha’s batting will be vital tonight; he doesn’t have the expectation that Gill or a Miller carries; and could hurt CSK if he is smart with his aggression. A ball after defending after that six, Saha crash-landed a short ball to the square-leg boundary. Dhoni had the sweeper move in from the off and had the man go deep on the leg. In response, Saha moved outside leg for the fourth ball of that third over and walloped it inside-out over the sweeper cover.

Sriram Veera

CSK try the slower one but Gill’s response is different tonight

A slower ball had taken down Gill in the earlier encounter between the two teams, and Deshpande tried it first ball of the fourth over. But that context was different; that was deep into a tense chase with run-rate escalating, plus the pitch was pretty sluggish. Tonight, Gill could offer a more measured response, waiting before short-arm jabbing it to wide long-on boundary. Next ball was fuller, and on the leg, and Gill played his pick-up flick wide of deep midwicket before punching the next ball to left of mid-off. Dhoni pursed his lips and had his head down in contemplation.

Sriram Veera

Chahar drops, again

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Deepak Chahar tried a knuckle ball in the fifth over and nearly had Wriddhiman Saha who mistimed his attempted big hit down the ground. The ball went a touch wide to the left of Chahar, who lunged and got a knocking on his wrists as a reward. It didn’t stick in the palms. Dhoni craned his neck to get a better view of the ball, and saw it being clanged. Chahar flicked his fingers in pain and couple of balls later, saw Shubman Gill unfurl a fine punchy shot to deep point boundary. Chahar tried the slower one, shortish – the kind of ball that he had used to remove Gill in the previous game, but this time, Gill ensured he hit it down to deep mid wicket fielder. Deshpande has tried the fullish length on leg and middle to Gill (it nearly worked too), and Chahar has been trying to get Gill hit an aerial pull to deep mid wicket.

Sriram Veera

Why Gill is good attacking spinners

Shubman Gill, who R Ashwin rates as one of the most difficult batsman he has bowled to, continued to show why he is good in attacking the spinners, picking up three boundaries in Theekshana’s first over, the final over of the Powerplay. It’s an art that he picked up as a kid while batting at a ground outside the main Mohali cricket stadium. Several cricket games would happen simultaneously in that ground, and leg side was barred for the batsmen. It’s where he found the confidence, the skill to manoeuvre the spinners here and there, and later how to step down and attack. Theekshana saw the ball hit the boundary hoardings at deep point, long-off, and long-leg.

Sriram Veera

Dhoni shows Jadeja how to do it

Of all the people, it was Ravindra Jadeja who missed a run out. He failed to collect the throw at the bowling end. “Ravindra Jadeja ne haath se ball chhuti-jo!” screamed the Gujarati commentator in a voice that captured the surprise and glee at same time. Gill had turned the ball past square-leg, called Saha for the second, and had Jadeja collected the throw, he would have been run out. In the same over, Jadeja missed another run out as he scrambled to his right towards untenanted short mid wicket but couldn’t find the stumps at the non-strikers end. It was then that Dhoni had had enough and did his thing – lightening stumping, to terminate Gill’s stay.

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Gill had stumbled forward in the effort to drive and the ball barely went past the stumps but Dhoni was there with his superhuman reflexes. Dhoni’s skill lies in how he gathers the ball. Even someone as sensationally good as Sadanand Vishwanath was at his pomp, the hands would go back a touch as he would gather. Dhoni came up with his all forward movement, no cushioning, just the take that immediately swoops in towards the stumps.

An unsure Jadeja asked him, “Out?” And as he saw the Dhoni nod, a big smile went up on his face. Later, the TV umpire confirmed Dhoni’s verdict.

– Sriram Veera

Super quick stumping

So far this season, MS Dhoni hasn’t been at his best when it comes to his reflexes behind the stumps. He hasn’t been fluent in his movement because of a niggle in his knee. But on Monday, those lightning quick hands that have given bowlers plenty of wickets in the past were at work again. Having seen his teammates put up a forgettable show on the field, dropping catches and conceding boundaries, it was Dhoni’s super quick stumping that got Chennai Super Kings the wicket of Shubman Gill out of nowhere.

– Venkata Krishna B

Jadeja’s lovely delivery that dipped and turned

There might be lots of rumours swirling around Ravindra Jadeja on social media, with videos sprouting every other day about his alleged unhappiness at the CSK camp. He has shown his displeasure with the fans, tweeting that the man of the match award sponsor knows his value more than the fans. There was a video with him and Dhoni, that was interpreted as unpleasant chat on social media. Another video with Kaasi, CSK’s popular ‘uncle’ in administration, too was similarly interpreted as him being pacified.

On field, though, he has been brilliant with the ball. Before this game, he had picked 19 wickets at an economy rate of 7.42. And in the final, he took out Shubman Gill with a lovely delivery that dipped and turned, and had Gill, who can look pretty assured against spin, groping and searching for the ball. MS Dhoni would grab the attention for his silver-quick stumping but it was a fabulous ball from Jadeja.

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Gujarat Titans had Sai Sudharshan walk out at No.3, presumably to tackle Jadeja. Against left-arm spin he has been striking at 103.57 and getting the runs this season. GT have decided to have Hardik, Miller and co. for the final charge, instead of exposing them to Jadeja in the middle overs.

– Sriram Veera

Sai Sudharsan a la Mark Waugh

It’s his relaxed upright stance that stands out first from Sai Sudharsan. Long-legged, he doesn’t crouch as much as others. Almost a la Mark Waugh, he just places his bat on the ground, and appears as if he is standing relaxed. Waugh was much more stylish of course, giving the impression he is leaning on a bar counter, asking for his drink. Sudharsan doesn’t give that air, but there is a sense of relaxedness about him at the crease. He drives and cuts well, and so far this season has shown he has the temperament to handle the big league.

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Early on his innings, he stopped Jadeja from bowling as he wasn’t quite ready, making it clear he wasn’t going to allow Jadeja do his thing. He hit a few pleasing drives, but the shot that had the crowd going was a monstrous slog swept six off Jadeja in the 13th over.

– Sriram Veera

Slower cutters from seamers the way ahead

As the match has progressed, the CSK seamers have started to bowl the slower ones more and more. One from Tushar Deshpande in the 14th over stopped so much that Sai Sudharsan who misread it initially, had enough time to dab the ball awkwardly but deliberately to the off side for a single. Jadeja had the ball stopping and turning too.

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If it continues like this, the chase won’t be easy and GT bowlers have had a headstart now that they know how to go about on this track. Of course with rain around, that can change the equation. And dew as well. It remains to be seen how the pitch plays out in the chase considering all the variables but thus far, slower cutters from seamers seem to be the way ahead. Unless, your name is Mohammad Shami.

– Sriram Veera

Captain’s reassurance

After two dot balls in the 15th over, the non-striker Hardik Pandya called out “Sai, Sai!” And as the striker looked at him, Hardik gave him the thumbs up and gestured to carry on, don’t worry. It was a nice moment for the youngster as in case he had felt the urge that he has to now strike out, he had that validation from the captain to carry on. And on this pitch, a settled batsman might find it easier than a new batsman anyway. Next ball was a gift from Theekshana – a full toss that was sent over midwicket boundary and Hardik came over to pat Sai Sudharsan on his helmeted head. Off the fifth ball, Sai cleared his front leg to smash the ball high over long-on for another little big six.

– Sriram Veera

Hit just right

He was lucky with a top-edged six off a lap shot to a wide delivery that flew over third man but the four that followed was high quality. In terms of how he found the gap between extra cover and mid-off. It was a short of length slower ball that gripped and broke away from Tushar Deshpande, but Sudharsan expertly waited and flat-batted it precisely in that gap. He didn’t go too hard, he didn’t go too soft; just right. Next ball was another slower cutter and it was skilfully punched to the straight boundary. Next ball was fuller and wider outside off but Sudharsan lunged on his knee to carve it to cover boundary. And it had Hardik Pandya shaking his head in respect. That second boundary though in that over might not make it to the highlight package, but to get that timing, placement, and the destination to that delivery was quite something.

– Sriram Veera

Bag full of Hardik tricks

Once he was slammed for a six over wide long-off, Tushar Deshpande abandoned his well-outside-off theory against Hardik Pandya in the 19th over. He went round the stumps, aiming it to angle across Pandya, who should have done better with the first ball from that angle. It was within his reach, but angling away, and he missed with his big sliced drive. Next ball was a fab yorker and Pandya could do nothing but get his bat down just in time to keep it out. But Deshpande erred with a length ball next ball and Sai Sudharsan, who had come on strike, thwacked it to the straight boundary.

Pandya returned to face the final ball; “Hardik bhai nu hard disk ma der saaro ideas chey,” screamed the Gujarati commentators. Well, they were right. He inched further to his right, covered the Deshpande’s round-the-stumps angle, and hammered the full one into the humid night sky and it dipped over long-on.

– Sriram Veera

Big bang in big final

Sai Sudharsan started the final over with an almighty whack against Pathirana. It was short of yorker and the ball was thrown back from long-off stands. Pathirana slung the next ball straighter, in line of the stumps, around the off, and Sudharsan pulled off an astounding shot: He went down on his knee to heave it over long-on. Now, he was on 96, just one shot away. And a smiling Hardik came over for a big hug. Pathirana nailed him lbw with a skidding length ball that dipped under the bat to hit him in front of middle stump. Thus far in the over, he had pinged the straight boundary but this time he had tried to swat it to square-leg. As he was about to walk, Sudharsan told Pandya he is going for the DRS and Pandya indulged him. No luck, though, but what a memorable and highly-skilful hundred in a big final.

– Sriram Veera

Flem’s vacant look

As Rashid Khan fell off the last ball, and Dhoni applauded his team off the field, the camera swooped in on the coach Stephen Fleming in the dug out. He had a vacant look on his face as he peered into the distance. Was he staring at the scoreboard? Was he experiencing a sinking feeling? Or was he wondering what words to use motivate his team?

– Sriram Veera

Hardik’s animated huddle talk

It was his version of Shahrukh Khan’s “sattar minute” speech. Hardik Pandya was extremely animated as he jabbered away in the huddle at the start of the chase. Eyes widened, mouth moved rapidly, and he seemed to have his team in a trance as they heard him out rapt in attention. As he broke away, a black head band struggling hard to hold the unruly hair in its place, he went to the umpires for his next chat. The pitch was still being readied; the roller was on. He then moved to Shubman Gill for one more round of feverish talk. Hardik has the habit of crouching a touch with a slight tilt forward when he speaks, and his head was bobbing out of the neck like a busy bird. This time, Gill listened. Then after three balls into the chase, the clouds opened up to drench the ground. Will Hardik give another rousing speech on resumption?

– Sriram Veera

Conway time

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In the later stages of the IPL with the pitches getting slower, Devon Conway has been struggling a bit with his timing. An otherwise fluent batsman, he hasn’t been able to pace his innings the way he liked. On Monday, all eyes were on the Kiwi as to how he will start chasing a big target. But this being a flat deck and the ball coming on nicely, Conway didn’t waste any time to get off the block as he brought out his shots on either side to good effect.

– Venkata Krishna B

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