4 loopholes that CSK have to plug to win IPL 7

Chennai Super Kings, the most consistent team in the history of IPL, have received a crashing defeat at the hands of Kings XI Punjab in their opening game of IPL 2014. The game, leaving alone the opening partnership, has thrown up a lot of loopholes in CSK's strategy. If CSK are to achieve something substantial this season, the following issues have to be promptly dealt with:

#4 Step on the gas in the slog overs

After a blistering opening partnership of 123 runs in 12.4 overs, one would have expected Dhoni to promote himself to No. 3. Despite having 9 wickets in hand, Raina, coming in at number 3, took some time to settle. He eventually scored just 24 off 19 deliveries. But for some lusty blows by Dhoni in the last over, CSK woudn’t have piled up 205 runs in 20 overs.

When a team is fortunate enough to get the kind of a start that CSK did, the team must get ahead of the game by kicking off in their slog overs a touch early (say, the 13th over), which CSK didn't.

Even George Bailey, the KXIP skipper, confessed that they were slightly happy with 205 after it seemed at a point that CSK would stroke their way to 230 something. CSK need to have flexibility in the batting order if they are to go the distance this season. If Dhoni is hesitant to come up the order, then he may well have to find a pinch hitter, preferably Bravo (if fit).

#3 Jaddu and Negi one has to fire, other needs to be fired

Ravindra Jadeja has been off-colour since the World T20. Seemingly, he hasn’t been able to settle himself into a rhythm at all. His variation in pace has gone horribly wrong. He has got spanked whenever he has tried to fire the ball in. When he slows it down, on the instruction of the skipper, he still gets carted.

If Jadeja’s poor show (4-0-43-0) wasn’t enough, Pawan Negi, another left-arm orthodox, received the same treatment (3-0-37-0) at the hands of Maxwell and Co.

Surely, Dhoni can’t afford 2 out-of-form left-arm spinners in the side, more so, on the relatively greener decks in the UAE. Resting Jadeja could turn out to be a good option as he would have time to reflect. Negi, who showed some signs of comeback after being hit by Maxwell, must be given a few games to express himself.

#2 Can\'t drop dollies at any cost

It has been said many a time, and I will say it again: “You can’t drop dollies at the international level". Dhoni hasn't had a good time with his fielders for quite sometime now. Not too long ago, Indian team dropped quite a few sitters in the World T20. This tradition has now carried on to the IPL, as well.

CSK dropped as many as 4 catches in yesterday’s game, with 2 of them being sitters. Maxwell was dropped at 41 by Ashish Nehra and at 77 by substitute Samuel Badree. Had any of those catches been taken, the story could have unfolded in a different manner.

CSK has always set the bar as far as the fielding is concerned; hence, Steve Rixon, their fielding coach, has a job to do with a couple of fielders to ensure that the bar doesn’t drop.

#1 Need a foreigner to spearhead the pace bowling department

CSK may boast of arguably the best batting line-up in the IPL, but it still needs bowlers to do a job. In the game against KXIP, MS Dhoni went in with 3 specialist spinners and two pacers on a deck with a tinge of green on it. While Ashish Nehra looked decent, Mohit Sharma was taken to the cleaners. With no Dwayne Bravo to turn to, it was always going to get difficult for Dhoni to shuffle the bowlers at will.

IPL history suggests that CSK have always had a world-class seamer to spearhead the attack. Over the years, Doug Bollinger, Ben Hilfenhaus, and Dirk Nannes have been Dhoni’s go-to men. This year, too, given the lack of good Indian pacemen, the CSK team management has to find a wicket-taking overseas bowler.

They do have Hilfenhaus, Matt Henry and John Hastings in their ranks. Hilfenhaus, an experienced campaigner, has played for CSK before, picking up 14 wickets in 9 matches for the team at an economy rate of 6.85.

John Hastings may be new to CSK, but he is no stranger to T20 cricket and was one of the leading wicket-takers in the BBL season just gone by. Henry is a young, inexperienced bowler who may not earn skipper Dhoni’s faith anyhow.

All said and done, Dhoni has to pick a foreign pace bowler. Hilfenhaus may well be his first choice, with Hastings not too far behind.