IPL 2019: Qualifier 1 - Three mistakes that cost CSK the game

Mumbai Indians didn’t start the IPL on a winning note but they have started the playoffs in the right way as they became the first team to reach the Final of IPL 2019. MI defeated CSK by six wickets in the Qualifier 1 at the Chepauk on Tuesday.

This the third time they have defeated Chennai this season. Winning the toss, MS Dhoni chose to bat first on a turning wicket at the Chepauk. Chennai didn’t start well as they lost three wickets in the power play. The MI spinners were all over the home team as they picked up wickets at crucial intervals.

Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu finished decently which took CSK to a total of 131. Chasing 132, Mumbai lost two early wickets as both the openers were back in the hut. That’s when Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan joined hands for an 80-run stand which turned out to be the deciding factor in the end.

CSK will be disappointed that they lost a game at their home ground and now would need to play the Qualifier 2. Let’s have a look at the three mistakes which cost CSK the game.

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#1 Suresh Raina going hard against an off-spinner on a turning track

Suresh Raina - Image Courtesy (BCCI/IPLT20.com)

Mumbai Indians dropped Mitchell McClenaghan and brought in Jayant Yadav to counter the left-hander. They expected the pitch to take turn and so they packed their team with three spinners. Jayant being the only off-spinner in the team, he was the only one could have troubled Suresh Raina. It would have been smart if Raina hadn’t gone after him.

Jayant Yadav was introduced as soon as Raina came to the crease. He started off with a no-ball and Raina even hit a boundary off the free-hit. The pitch was turning square and Raina had already got a boundary in the over so there was no need to take him on again. However, Raina did it and eventually lost his wicket to a caught and bowled.

Raina was in good form before this game and he would have been crucial on a difficult wicket but he just threw away his wicket which resulted in a below-par total for CSK.

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#2 Giving an extended spell to Deepak Chahar

Deepak Chahar - Image Courtesy (BCCI/IPLT20.com)

Chennai Super Kings had scored only 131 runs and they desperately needed wickets at the start of the innings to win the match. As usual, Deepak Chahar opened the bowling and even picked up the wicket of Rohit Sharma off his second ball. Chahar has done pretty well in the powerplay throughout the IPL but only when there is swing on offer.

The pitch at Chepauk wasn’t really supporting the pacers and so it was easy to target them. There wasn’t much swing for Chahar and so MS Dhoni could have turned to the spinners.

Harbhajan was bowling well from the other end, so if Dhoni would have introduced another spinner, run scoring would have been difficult. Chahar bowled three overs in the powerplay and gave 24 runs which was slightly expensive considering that they were defending a small total. MS could have introduced either Ravindra Jadeja or Imran Tahir earlier, which could have changed the game.

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#3 Dropping Suryakumar Yadav twice in the innings

Suryakumar Yadav - Image Courtesy (BCCI/IPLT20.com)

CSK had got the two important wickets of both the openers in the first four overs. The match was at a crucial stage as MI were 2/26 with two young guys at the crease. Suryakumar Yadav was batting on 11 when he tried to flick a ball on the on-side and got an edge towards mid-on.

Murali Vijay who was at mid-on was late to react and dropped an important catch. After a partnership between Ishan Kishan and Yadav, CSK had made a slight comeback as Imran Tahir picked up the wickets of Kishan and Krunal Pandya on two consecutive deliveries.

Ravindra Jadeja induced the outside edge of Yadav’s bat on the next delivery but Shane Watson at slip failed to hold on. Yadav was dropped twice in the innings which eventually turned out to be a costly affair as he was the one who scored a match-winning 71* to take MI home.

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