NEW DELHI: After suffering their fourth loss in eight games, the Chennai Super Kings are prepared to allow players like
Daryl Mitchell
some time to acclimate to life in the top three. Head coach
Stephen Fleming
is not searching for a "quick fix" to his team's batting problems.
Throughout the season, CSK has been mixing hitters in the top three.
Ajinkya Rahane
and
Ruturaj Gaikwad
opened Tuesday's match against the Lucknow Super Giants, while Mitchell moved up to number three from number five.
Gaikwad moved down to number three in the last game to make room for Rahane and
Rachin Ravindra
.
Fleming stated that they must adjust their batting lineups after their crushing home defeat at the hands of LSG.
"It's a mixture of trying to find that (combination) and also form. We're a little bit uncomfortable with some areas, so we're trying to find not a quick fix, but the right combination where players are going to contribute for the back end of this tournament," said
Fleming
after first loss of the season at home.
Mitchell has scored 146 runs in seven innings since being purchased in the auction for Rs 14 crore.
Fleming maintained that the fellow New Zealander would be most suited at number three.
"There's a lot of pressure, obviously. Getting up the order is more comfortable for him. Me putting him down the order in the hitting role wasn't his best position.
"So, we've looked to rectify that and get him up the order where he has had his best performances internationally. That might take a little time, but the top three need to contribute the majority of runs.
"Ruturaj did that today, so hopefully, he can continue his form, and the others can pick that up... We're not firing on all cylinders by any means, but we're in each game asking teams to play well to beat us. We just got to get a little bit better," he said referring to skipper's unbeaten hundred in a losing cause.
Even though Mitchell's elevation did not have the expected effect,
Marcus Stoinis
' move to the number three spot for LSG changed the course of events. With an undefeated 124 off 63 balls,
Stoinis
was the only player who could turn the tide and win the match for his team.
Fleming, who has collaborated with the Australian all-rounder for the
Melbourne Stars
in the Big Bash League, remembered the effect the player had made at the top, particularly as an opener.
"He's got power, but he's also got good batsmanship. For Stars, we got him to open the batting, and he was quite prolific," he remembered.
"Today, we saw the quality of his work. His 50 came up in about mid-20 balls (26), and then he just controlled the innings.
"What more could you ask from your top three? They needed someone to answer for what Ruturaj did, and Stoinis did that beautifully."
Fleming and his team had expected the massive amount of dew that was expected during the CSK-LSG match.
"(Apart from Gaikwad) We saw another great hundred from Marcus Stoinis, and they (GT) answered pretty well. It was a good game of cricket, and we felt we played well given the conditions in the backend, but we did some little things wrong under pressure."
(With PTI inputs)
English (US) ·