Trying to play along ground more, says Shaw; CSK batsmen need to have glucose: Sehwag

Prithvi Shaw’s 64 off 43 balls helped Delhi Capitals set up a 44-run win over Chennai Super Kings here on Friday. Shaw hit nine fours and a six and was adjugded the Man of the Match for his performance.

“In the start you have to see how the wicket is, playing along the ground is more important. I was striking the ball well last year as well, but I was making silly mistakes,” he said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Shaw managed just five runs in his previous match. He was dismissed while trying a big shot off Mohammed Shami in the previous match and ended up getting caught at mid-on. He said that he tried to keep the ball down more often this time, something he says he is trying to do this season, which helped him build a long innings.

“This year I am going to try and play my strokes but more along the ground. I would like to see the highlights of my knock and see what I did well to get to the 50. We had a bit of a slow start in the powerplay and but we knew if we didn’t lose a wicket in the powerplay it will go well later,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag feels CSK batsmen have not been able to play freely and score quickly so far in the 13th IPL edition and thus they need to have “glucose” to add intensity to their game.

“Chennai ke batsman simply not getting going. Glucose chadwaake aana padega next match se batting karne. (CSK batsmen are not getting going. They need to have glucose when they come out to bat in the next match),” Sehwag said in a tweet on Saturday.

On Friday, MS Dhoni-led side suffered their second defeat of the tournament on Friday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

After the conclusion of the match, Dhoni also admitted his side was lacking steam in the batting department.

“I don’t think it was a good game for us. The wicket did slow down a bit, there was no dew, but I think we are lacking steam in the batting department. We need to figure that out,” the 39-year-old said after the match.

CSK have a six-day break before their next outing and the skipper said that the imminent return of Ambati Rayudu for their next game against Sunrisers Hyderabad would help their team balance.

“The break in the next seven days is the best chance we could get: give them match simulation and look for the right balance,” said Dhoni.

Chennai in muddle with misfiring spinners, says coach Fleming: CSK have struggled to get their lineup right and the team’s misfiring spinners have added to their woes after two successive losses, team coach Stephen Fleming said.

Fleming said spin bowlers Piyush Chawla and Ravindra Jadeja had been unable to exploit slow pitches after winning the season opener against Mumbai.

“It’s an area of concern because it is such a strength for CSK,” Fleming told reporters in a virtual chat.

“The style of play that we have developed over the last 12 years is heavily based on spin,” he added.

Chawla claimed two and gave away 33 runs from his four overs against Delhi while Jadeja went wicketless as he leaked 44 runs.

Jadeja and Chawla’s combined eight overs cost 95 runs in the team’s previous loss to Steve Smith’s Rajasthan Royals.

Chennai’s batting has also disappointed, though South African veteran Faf du Plessis leads the tournament’s individual score chart with 173 runs.

Dhoni was criticised earlier this week coming down the order in the side’s unsuccessful chase against Delhi.

“We seek to be a little clearer of what we are doing and perhaps what we are missing is a bigger contribution at the top,” said Fleming.

“We are trying to find combinations where we get the best players in at the right time. To keep shunting the order all over the pace is not our style.”