IPL 2023: On a slow wicket at home, the tried-and-tested formula works for CSK

SYNOPSIS: Having waited for six home games for a slow strip with turn, Chennai Super Kings aced the conditions to defeat Delhi Capitals 27 runs.
So far this season, the MA Chidambaram Stadium pitches have been batting-friendly and Chennai Super Kings were unable to bank on their tried and tested home strategy of unleashing spinners on rival batsmen.
On Wednesday, for the first time, the home team got a track which was to their liking. Even in the first week of April when both the teams scored over 200, this particular pitch offered grip and turn.
Having been exposed to the hot conditions over the past week, this was the driest surface CSK has played on this season.

Super show with the ball from @ChennaiIPL! 👏 👏
The @msdhoni-led unit beat #DC 2⃣7⃣ runs in Chennai to seal their 7⃣th win of the season! 👌 👌
Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/soUtpXQjCX#TATAIPL | #CSKvDC pic.twitter.com/SnF0uo2uu4
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2023
With temperatures soaring, and humidity over 75 per cent, it was surprising to see Dhoni win the toss and decide to bat first. It seemed like a bold decision, especially because on the eve of the match when both teams practised, there was dew. CSK even stayed back till 10 pm just to assess the conditions as the ground staff used the anti-dew spray.
That Chennai picked only three overseas players in the first half and left the remaining one spot for either fast bowler Matheesha Pathirana or spinner Mitchell Santner as an Impact Player gave away the fact that they were unsure of how much of a factor the dew would be.
So batting first, Chennai had to assess the condition and put up a total that would be safe even with dew —which would make it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball — around in the second half. And straight away, openers Devon Conway and Ruturaj Gaikwad realised how this pitch was a far cry from any of the flat decks they had batted on.
They rushed into shots, only for the ball to arrive late, which meant Chennai had to scrap their way to put up a competitive total. On such pitches, batsmen tend to struggle in terms of finding the fluency and a batting line-up that has been at its free-flowing best, was kept quiet Delhi’s attack. Chennai added only 49 runs in the powerplay, their second-lowest this season, for the loss of Conway.

DO NOT MISS!
When @msdhoni cut loose! 💪 💪
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/soUtpXQjCX#TATAIPL | #CSKvDC | @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/kduRZ94eEk
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2023
Overs that mattered
As spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav used the conditions well slowing it down and giving plenty of air, allowing the ball to grip and turn, Chennai went 28 deliveries without a boundary. It took Shivam Dube’s arrival for Chennai to find their first six in the 11th over. It was now evident that this was a pitch where one special knock or one good over could turn out to be a game-changer. And the one that Chennai desperately sought arrived in the 14th over bowled Lalit Yadav – who had taken an acrobatic low catch off his own bowling to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane. Yadav was hit for 23 runs Dube and Ambati Rayudu (6, 6, 1, 4, 0, 6). If that over had provided the much-needed impetus, Dhoni provided the finishing touch that helped Chennai end up with a competitive total of 167/8. In the 19th over, delivered fast bowler Khaleel Ahmed, Dhoni hit two sixes and a boundary as Chennai scored 21 runs.

THAT. WAS. STUNNING! 👌 👌
Relive that sensational catch from @LalitYadav03 👍 👍
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/soUtpXQjCX#TATAIPL | #CSKvDC | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/z15ZMq1Z6E
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2023
Capitals falter
A target of 168 was always going to test a Delhi Capitals line-up that has seldom given headaches to bowlers. Much of their fate on the evening depended on how their overseas batsmen – David Warner, Phil Salt, Mitchell Marsh, Rilee Rossouw – performed on a pitch where spinners were going to bowl most of the overs.
The four of them are not the most effective batsmen against spinners. But the early blows were struck a fast bowler. Warner gifted away his wicket to medium pacer Deepak Chahar in the first over, who in his next, accounted for Salt who skied the ball to mid-on. The ball had stopped on the Englishman, denying him the elevation he had expected.

Yes!
No!
Mix-up!
… and @ChennaiIPL cash in! 👌 👌
Mitchell Marsh is run-out!
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/soUtpXQjCX#TATAIPL | #CSKvDC pic.twitter.com/DCrCojcKL5
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 10, 2023
And off the next over, Marsh’s brief stay was over as he was run-out thanks to a poor calling from Manish Pandey, who started off, only to turn his back. At 25/3 in 3.1 overs, this match was already headed CSK’s way.
With enough damage already done, Chennai’s spinners – Maheesh Theekshana, Ravindra Jadeja and Moeen Ali – did the rest in the middle overs. With dew not having a substantial impact, Jadeja ended-up bowling his usual Test match length, with the pitch doing the rest. Mostly pitching it in the middle, his deliveries gripped and spun to choke Delhi. The all-rounder ended with figures of 4-0-19-1, with Rossouw being his only scalp.
With Pathirana coming in as Impact Player and doing what he knows best and picking up three wickets – Pandey, Axar and Lalit, Delhi’s chase ended the way it started —without any momentum on a slow pitch.