IPL 2021: “I think the ball got changed and it was a bit drier” – Moeen Ali admits ball change helped CSK spinners

Moeen Ali admitted the changed dry ball helped him bowl better against the Rajasthan Royals. The Chennai Super Kings all-rounder was happy to bowl with a fresh dry ball after Jos Buttler hit one into the stands.

The match ball was replaced with a dry new ball after Jos Buttler smacked Ravindra Jadeja for a six. With the new ball not impacted by the dew on the field, CSK roared back into the game with their spinners as Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali picked up five wickets on the night.

Moeen Ali spoke to Harsha Bhogle after the game and was asked whether the dry ball served as an advantage for the spinners in the second innings.

“Yeah of course. I think the ball got changed and it was a bit drier. There was a little bit of dew. I thought it was a good wicket for both of us to bowl, there was some spin there. As long as you try and spin it, you always got a chance,” Moeen mentioned.

Moeen Ali was awarded the Man of the Match accolade for his all-round performance against the Rajasthan Royals. The English all-rounder scored a quickfire 26 in the first innings before picking up three wickets to cap off a stunning display.

Ali once again impressed at no.3 for the Chennai Super Kings on Monday. He came out to bat in the powerplay and ensured CSK kept the run rate up with his aggressive batting. Moeen Ali’s timely 20-ball 26 meant CSK had a good start despite losing both openers inside the powerplay.

Fastest scorers in IPL since start of 2018 (min 200 runs):Russell - 10.95rpoNarine - 10.4rpoHardik - 9.9rpoDe Villiers - 9.9rpoPooran - 9.8rpoPollard - 9.5rpoMoeen - 9.3rpo#IPL2021 #CSKvRR

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 19, 2021

Moeen Ali reiterated he is not looking to fire a message at England captain Eoin Morgan after his stellar showing with the bat. Ali was surprisingly left out of the playing eleven for the India vs. England T20I series but has been at the top of his game in the IPL.

Admitting the national side had several suitable candidates for the no.3 slot, Moeen Ali was keener on discussing his role with CSK.

“Not at all. I mean, the no.3 currently is the no.1 player in the world. We have many other good players who can also bat at 3. My job here (at CSK) is to try and score as many as I can for the team, and get us off to good starts. When I am up the order, I don’t try and overhit the ball. It was nice, wasn’t an easy wicket. We probable scored well in the end, but it was quite difficult initially,” explained Moeen.

Moeen Ali happy to contribute with the ball too

Came out of Mowhere!#CSKvRR #WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/JceswzpxWd

— Chennai Super Kings - Mask P😷du Whistle P🥳du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 19, 2021

The 33-year-old turned up with the ball as well, dominating the proceedings once CSK got the dry ball to turn at Wankhede. Moeen Ali came on to bowl only in the 13th over of the game but managed to pick up three scalps in his first two overs.

Ali got the prized wicket of David Miller first before running through the RR lower-order with the wickets of Riyan Parag and Chris Morris. Moeen Ali admitted his performances with both bat and ball left him satisfied as CSK cruised to a 45-run win against Rajasthan.

“Bit of both (on whether he liked his batting or bowling exploits more). The three wickets at the end, it depends on when you come onto bowl. I thought it was a fantastic time for me to come and bowl. Two left-handers in, and Jos Buttler just getting out. There’s a lot of credit in that as well. I thought as a team we played really well today, and everybody kind of contributed in their own way,” said Moeen.

Moeen Ali has settled in well with CSK this season. He has made the no.3 slot his own, scoring 108 runs at a strike rate of 154.44. The English all-rounder has contributed with the ball, too, picking up four wickets at an economy of 6.33.

The team will hope Moeen Ali’s strong start to his CSK career carries on as they target a return to the playoffs in IPL 2021.