CSK vs LSG review

A super Sunday was not unheard off in the IPL, but a super Monday was a first yesterday for the league, as two "Super" teams faced off. In match number 6 of the TATA IPL 2023, Chennai Super Kings beat Lucknow Super Giants by 12 runs to get off the mark. Playing at the Chidambaram stadium for the first time, CSK was welcomed by a huge roar from a fully packed stadium... the first time in many years, as half the stands remained empty due to a legal dispute. And the biggest cheer was for the Indian hero, MS Dhoni.

Dhoni won the toss and chose to field on the fresh Chidambaram wicket. And right from the word go, the men in yellow set the tone. The successful opening pair of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway gave CSK an electrifying start, as Gaikwad scored his 2nd consecutive fifty in this season, and Conway scored an impressive 47. The two made a 100 run stand, and just as things looked frightening, LSG leggie, Ravi Bishnoi removed Gaikwad. And the dangerous Conway fell trap to Mark Wood. Shivam Dube and English all-rounder Moeen Ali came and played some shots but couldn't capitalize, and Jadeja and Stokes, 2 off the best all-rounders in the world, couldn't contribute with the bat.

But little did everyone expect the old but experienced Ambati Rayudu to come out and play aggressively, scoring 27 off 14 balls. As Mark Wood removed Jadeja in the final over, the sound meter readings reached its peak, as out walked Thala MSD, and unlike what he's been doing recently... of taking his time, he showed the world why he's still one of the best finishers in the sport, scoring 2 sixes of his first 2 balls. These 2 maximums made all the difference, as LSG were exactly 2 hits away from the target. Ravi Bishnoi was the best bowler for LSG, taking three wickets for 28. Mark Wood too chipped in with 3 scalps but conceded 49 runs in his four.

Coming out to bat, West Indian opener Kyle Mayers and Indian opener KL Rahul came out and gave Lucknow an electrifying start to chase the score of 217, as the former notched up his 2nd fifty of this season in lightning quick time. But the English all-rounder Moeen Ali was brought into the attack in the last over of the powerplay, and he struck gold with the wicket of Mayers, right after he notched his fifty. Then the mantra of spin... which has worked in Chennai, did wonders as Deepak Hooda, KL Rahul and Krunal Pandya all fell to spin, playing rash lofted shots.

Marcus Stoinis, Ayush Badoni got some runs, but couldn't capitalise. Nicholas Pooran though, played a blinder, scoring 32 from just 18. A late blitz from Mark Wood and Krishnappa Gautham gave some hope, but the target remained out of reach as LSG fell short by a couple of sixes.

Although CSK won the match, there are still some unresolved issues for the men in yellow. The bowling attack has conceded too many runs, with Deepak Chahar and Hangargekar leaking runs and not controlling the run flor. Ravindra Jadeja and Stokes are yet to fire in the league and it is imperative that they fire. But the opening duo of Conway and Gaikwad has shown great signs, and Thala MS Dhoni has shown the ability he had in his younger days to finish with a bang.

LSG too, have some screws to tighten. Captain KL Rahul, who has been under massive scrutiny throughout the year for his form, has only put up scores of 8 and 20... needs to find form. The absence of Mohsin Khan, who was an X-factor last season, has also hurt the LSG bowling attack. But the likes of Kyle Mayers, Nicholas Pooran and Mark Wood have looked good with their performances. It's still early days, but Lucknow may be in for a topsy turvy season, and so does CSK. They can fall down hard, or they may rise high... depending on how they perform and how they address these issues.