Here's why Chennai's bid to win a third consecutive IPL title is under threat
Misfiring opening duo
Faf du Plessis and Murali Vijay have registered stands of 4, 2 and 0 so far. Though du Plessis scored 39 against Deccan Chargers, Vijay is yet to enter double digits. In IPL-IV, Michael Hussey & Vijay formed an effective pair
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Slacking champions: CSK skipper MS Dhoni talks to Doug Bollinger during their match against Deccan last Saturday. Pic/AFP
Dhoni batting too low
THE captain batted at No 7 on two out of three occasions. CSK’s success over the years has come largely due to Dhoni’s exploits alongwith Suresh Raina up the order. At the moment, Dhoni is facing too few balls for his team’s liking
Bollinger’s dismal show
The left-arm seamer played a pivotal role in Chennai’s previous two title victories. As compared to an economy rate of seven last season, he has conceded nine runs per over in IPL-V. Also, his bowling at the death has lost sting
Middle-order flop
S Badrinanth, Suresh Raina and skipper Dhoni have failed to hold together the middle-order of Chennai’s batting. In fact, the Super Kings barely managed to cross the 100-run mark during their losses to MI and Delhi
Margin of defeats
They lost to both Mumbai and Chennai by an identical margin of eight wickets. The re-laid surface at Chepauk hasn’t been conducive to spinners. That’s the reason CSK’s bowlers haven’t been able to defend low totals like before
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