Chennai: Having crashed to a humiliating eight-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) five opener on Wednesday, Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming said that they were done in by a lack of knowledge about the new home wicket at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
“It is little bit different. We are used to winning games and knowing the conditions we were playing on. We, like Mumbai, were little bit unsure how the pitch was going to play. And that took away the element of home advantage we have enjoyed over last few seasons. That is not an excuse, it is a fact,” he said.
However, the former New Zealand skipper said that his side had gained more knowledge of the wicket and would be looking to adjust their game plan. “We’re watching and learning as much as we could. But obviously the result showed we didn’t learn quickly enough. One of the positives that has come out is that, we have got more knowledge going forward. That may have a bearing on our team selection and also the way we plan,” he said.
Fleming also said that the team was working on getting the right combination for the conditions here and would go back to the drawing board to emerge unbeatable again at home, as they were in the past two seasons. “This pitch has different character than what we had seen. We have to go back to the drawing board and come up with a style. So we are under pressure at home to find a style that makes us the tough team to beat. And we will do it. It is very important to win your home games.”
Fleming, though, was quick to point out that it was not only the wicket that contributed to the loss after CSK were bundled out for a meagre 112 having been put in to bat. “We were rusty. I think boys showed glimpses of form and glimpses of the Chennai that you know. We were losing wickets at regular intervals. We just did not allow ourselves opportunity to get partnerships,” he admitted.
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