The first question Suryakumar Yadav was asked, on the eve of Mumbai Indians’ season opener, was how would their batsmen line up against Chennai Super Kings’ spin trio.
It’s a query likely to be posed to every captain visiting Chepauk, where Ravindra Jadeja gets to reunite with Ravichandran Ashwin after 10 years at the franchise. The duo will have Noor Ahmad, the left-arm wrist spinner from Afghanistan, for company. This isn’t an ordinary spin trio. If anything, it is one of the strongest to have ever assembled as Chennai, after missing out on a playoff berth last season, set their sights on turning Chepauk into a fortress again.
The MA Chidambaram Stadium had a reputation for being helpful to the spinners in the past. However, over the last two seasons, especially after the square was relaid, the characteristics of the pitches changed considerably. From being a predominantly red-soil venue, it now has a mixture of both.
While the spinners have managed to find the bounce that was missing in recent times, it isn’t slow or sluggish anymore and if anything it has offered runs. From head coach Stephen Fleming to the support staff that includes Mike Hussey and Eric Simons, they repeatedly lamented last season how they are missing out on valuable home advantage.
The numbers back their claims too. In last year’s IPL, spinners accounted for just 25 wickets at Chepauk. Of them, Chennai’s spinners managed just 5 wickets at 55.40.
Ahead of this season, Chennai went back to the drawing board and got rid of their two overseas spinners Maheesh Theekshana and Mitchell Santner, whose inclusions made them compromise on balance. And with Jadeja being one dimensional in terms of where he usually bowls – between 7-15 overs – Chennai instead went for their tried and tested successful formula of having two Indian spinners together, and ones who now provide Chennai with more versatility.
“You have someone like Ashwin and Jadeja who are obviously good and then we also have Noor. We always wanted someone in our bowling department, who could be aggressive and can come in and take wickets at regular intervals. And there were very few in the option pool. So, we wanted to get the best whoever is available and I think Noor is right up there. So, hopefully, if conditions suit us, definitely it will be a great threat for the opposition,” CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad said.
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By roping in Ashwin and Ahmad — given that Jadeja will control the middle overs — Chennai have addressed two aspects they have missed at Chepauk. Though off-spinners aren’t the most sought-after products in the IPL, Chennai have always preferred one in their ranks.
Muttiah Muralitharan, Harbhajan Singh and Ashwin himself were all a part of their success years. Ashwin, unlike his peers, seldom relies on his off-breaks in the IPL. He prefers to use a carrom ball and variations more, which, even if the pitch doesn’t offer turn, would be very handy for the 38-year-old. Moreover, the 38-year-old also provides Chennai with the option to use him in the powerplay, which they have missed in recent times.
If they showed huge interest in getting back the homeboy Ashwin, the desperation they showed to bring Ahmad to Chennai was a departure from how they operate at the auctions. After fending off interest from Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans using the RTM option, Chennai nearly doubled the bid to get him.
At Texas Super Kings, a sister franchise of the CSK in Major League Cricket, Fleming and Simons have seen what Ahmad brings to the table. A left-arm clone of Rashid Khan, he is even quicker through the air and in the practice sessions here at the Chepauk, the pace at which he operates has taken everyone by surprise.
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In his brief career so far, because of his flat trajectory and airspeed, batsmen have found it difficult to get down the track to him. With his release points, it has been challenging to get underneath the ball as well and with a well-disguised googly up his sleeve, irrespective of whether the pitch offers turn or not, he can banked to make a mark.
That’s two spinners to go with the accuracy of Jadeja. While dew has been a factor to consider here in the second innings, with the option of a second ball available after 10 overs, Chennai won’t be concerned. Though they have just one home fixture lined up in May – the month where the pitches usually aid more spin because of the summer heat, Chennai believe their three spinners can overcome any condition that is thrown at them at home.
“It is really hard to assess, really hard to judge (the pitches). I feel the role of curator…his role is more important in how the wickets he is making. So, it is not really up to our hands and definitely whatever wicket he makes, I am sure it will be good whether it is for batting or whether it is for bowling. But the kind of attack we have this year, I think it is dreadful for any opposition on any kind of wicket. So, I think we are not really worried about that,” Gaikwad said.
