IPL 2024: Thought we were 15-20 runs short but did not bowl loose balls in powerplay and middle overs, says Jadeja

Dharamsala, May 5: Ravindra Jadeja, who hit an unbeaten 43 with the bat and took 3-20 in a decisive middle-overs spell in Chennai Super Kings’ 28-run win over Punjab Kings, said the side felt they were 15-20 runs short at the halfway stage. But he added that not bowling loose deliveries in Power-play and middle overs was crucial in the side’s win at HPCA Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

“We thought we were 15-20 runs short but we did not bowl loose balls in the powerplay and the middle overs. My role as a batter is to build partnerships and then play the big shots towards the end.”

“Sometimes, when we lose wickets in the Powerplay, we do not get momentum. In the matches we win, we play all phases well. We had a good powerplay but did not get partnerships in the middle overs. I was trying to build a good partnership to then tee off at the end,” said Jadeja, the Player of the Match, to broadcasters after the match ended.

Apart from him, Simarjeet Singh and Tushar Deshpande returned with figures of 2-16 and 2-35 respectively to derail PBKS’ chase. Mitchell Santner and Shardul Thakur also took a wicket each to ensure CSK got back into the top four of the points table despite being hit by injuries in their bowling line-up.

“It was a day game, so the wicket was slow. As usual, it was expected because it was so hot. The fast bowlers bowled well in the powerplay. Tushar got two important wickets and then Mitch and I did the job in the middle overs.”

“It (the pitch) always seems flat in the powerplay. But when the ball gets old, the ball does not always come on. When playing at a new venue, you don't know how much it will turn or stop,” added Jadeja.

Fast-bowler Deshpande had missed Wednesday’s game against PBKS due to flu but became fit for Sunday’s match and made an instant impact by castling Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw in the same over. “Very happy today because it was a low-scoring game. This was the game we wanted to win badly. I tried my best to play the last game but couldn't (due to illness).”

“It was in my mind that I wanted to give my best. It was a crunch game. At high altitude, the ball does something and my job was to take wickets. (On the pitch) It was a bit slow if we bowled into the pitch. We knew if we hit those lengths, it was tough to play horizontal shots,” he said.

Defending champions CSK, with 12 points from 11 games, will now travel to Ahmedabad to play against ninth-placed Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on May 10.