Friday 24 April 2009

The Class of The CSK

As it has been repeatedly said, a sport is not all about winning or losing rather it is the participation and the good and hard work put by the players. This became true in the case of the Chennai Super Kings last night when they faced the Delhi Daredevils. With a win or loss being a different issue altogether, the challenge put forward by the Chennai Super Kings was really awe inspiring. It was a team effort by the Chennai Super Kings unlike the Delhi Daredevils whose credit goes entirely to A B DeVilliars. This is why they were the perfect finalists in the last season I believe.

Had it not been for the likes of AB Devilliars and Tilakeratne Dilshan, the Delhi Daredevils' fate would have been something else. Though Chennai Super Kings were not into the game since the start of their batting, they kept on coming back at the chase despite wickets falling at the other end. Despite a loss, the Chennai Super Kings had something to prove on the field and not only that, it would just be a matter of time before they get back to their dominating days. They might have lost out on chase, but not on their spirit that made them runners up and be the perfect finalists last season.

It was just not understandable for the Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag to make the bowlers like McGrath to warm the benches and go in for someone like Avishkar Salvi and Dirk Nannes of Australia. I heard someone saying Avishkar Salvi to be equivalent to Glenn McGrath when Salvi first made his debut in the tri series in Bangladesh in 2003 (after the world cup). Was this the reason why Virender Sehwag went in for Avishkar Salvi? The Delhi Daredevils team had a depth in talent with likes of Owais Shah, Amit Mishra and Paul Collingwood. With such talent, it was stupid for Sehwag to go in for Avishkar Salvi I believe.

However, on the other hand, the Chennai Super Kings had a decent squad with the likes of Makhaya Ntini and Stephen Fleming missing out. Is injury the cause for this debacle? Otherwise, the team is a perfectly balanced one with all rounders like M S Dhoni himself, Andrew Flintoff. Two wicket keepers in Dhoni and Parthiv Patel can do the job brilliantly though Parthiv is not upto the mark behind the stumps. And a big hitting batsman in Mathew Hayden can just do the job for the Chennai Super Kings whatsoever. They even this time stand as the favourites to clinch the title. And even more better compared to Rajasthan Royals.

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