The Hindu : Sport : Super Kings has its task cut out

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Super Kings has its task cut out

IPL / It begins as the underdog against the rampaging Chargers

Flintoff’s pull out has added to Super Kings’ woes
Gilchrist has led from the front for Chargers

— Photo: AFP

IN FULL FLOW: Matthew Hayden’s good form has been the only positive sign for Chennai Super Kings so far.

DURBAN: Chennai Super Kings, depleted by star all-rounder Andrew Flintoff’s pull out due to injury and struggling with poor form, begins as the underdog against the rampaging table-topper Deccan Chargers in their Indian Premier League match here on Monday.

The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai side has won just one of its four matches so far. In its fourth game on Saturday, it had to split points with Kolkata Knight Riders after the game was washed out.

Chargers, on the other hand, has been simply unstoppable. It has won all its three matches, riding mostly on its strong batting line-up led by the in-form skipper Adam Gilchrist.

Super Kings has surprisingly been off-colour and managed just one victory — against the bottom-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore. The pull out by Flintoff has only added to the team’s woes.

Encouraging signs

Opener Matthew Hayden’s good form and the fact that he will be available for the entire tournament are the only encouraging signs for Super Kings.

The burly Australian, who retired from international cricket last year, is the leading scorer of the tournament with 166 runs in three innings, including two fifties, at a strike rate of over 171.

But, the rest of the Super Kings batsmen have not been able to support Hayden and this was quite evident in the loss to Delhi Daredevils.

Set 189 for victory, Hayden’s 57 and Suresh Raina’s 41 were the only notable contributions as Super Kings fell short by nine runs.

Dhoni, considered one of the best international skippers at the moment, has somehow failed to inspire the team and his lacklustre form with the bat has also become a concern.

Turning it around

Chargers, which finished last in the previous edition, has turned things around under Gilchrist this year. This has been possible because of the fact that most of the Chargers batsmen are in form.

Gilchrist himself has been in excellent touch and is fourth in the scorers’ list with 119 runs at a strike rate of 156.

Gibbs among runs

South African Herschelle Gibbs and West Indian Dwayne Smith have also been among the runs for Chargers.

In the bowling department, left-arm paceman R.P. Singh and left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha have delivered the goods.

Given its performance in the tournament so far, Chargers starts as the favourite against Super Kings. — PTI

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