IPL 6: CSK vs SRH – Flops of the Match
The Sunrisers from Hyderabad, deprived of the services of their Sri Lankan players, fell to the Super Kings in a last over finish at the Chepauk stadium tonight. The fourth win on the trot for Chennai keeps them in second place, behind the Royal Challengers, although they are now level on points with the top side, and 2 points ahead of the Sunrisers. It was a game which seemed headed the way of the hosts for large periods of the game, and ended up doing so after a minor scare in between. Here are those who let down their team’s cause.
Quinton de Kock – On his way out
Key stats: Batting figures – 4 off 3 (1 four); Catches - 1; Stumpings - 1
Picked to play simply because Sri Lankan players are banned from playing at Chennai in this season’s tournament, the South African poucher failed to make the most of his opportunity yet again. Opening the innings, as always, de Kock looked set for a good innings with his drive through the offside which fetched him a boundary, but then fell to an excellent catch from Murali Vijay. Almost certain to be dropped from the side for the next game when both Thisara Perrera and Kumar Sangakkara become available for selection.
Thalaivan Sargunam – Clueless on debut
Key stats: Batting figures - 10 off 17 (0 boundaries)
Sent in to bat ahead of Ashish Reddy, the 28-year old made a mess of his debut, appearing clueless with the bat in hand. Whether he was fazed by the occasion, or just is not cut out to play at this level in cricket was not quite clear, but his performance certainly tended towards the latter. Even Amit Mishra, much better known for his bowling skills than his batting, did better than Sargunam, who hit no boundaries. A few more runs from those deliveries he wasted, and the result could have taken a different complexion.
Amit Mishra – Catches win matches
Key stats: Batting figures – 15 off 21 (2 fours); Bowling figures - 4.0 – 0 – 26 – 3; Catches - 1
Speaking in the strictest sense of the word, Amit Mishra was far from a flop in tonight’s game, with an important three-wicket haul which ties him at the top spot for leading wicket-takers in the tournament. However, just one moment in the game, where he let go of a chance to get rid of Dhoni early in his innings came back to haunt his side, and ultimately took the game away from them. For someone who bowls so well, and bats decently, Mishra’s fitness and fielding skills are quite ridiculously poor, and for failing to pouch that simple yet crucial catch, Mishra makes it to this list for this game.
Cameron White - Captain terrible!
Key stats: Batting figures - 2 off 3 (0 boundaries)
Standing in for Kumar Sangakkara, Cameron White had done fairly alright in the couple of games before this, with respect to his decision making. Tonight was quite the opposite, with his experimental decisions, whether it be sending Mishra to bat at number 5 or to hand Ashish Reddy the ball for the final over, backfiring spectacularly. Also, for a team as short on batting talent as the Sunrisers were in Chennai, a contribution of 2 runs from their premier batsman must have been hard to digest.