We picked the side which was going to be Chennai-based so we are learning as much as anyone: Stephen Fleming

When Chennai Super Kings started the season, experts and critics were of the view that the management didn’t build a team that can go the distance. There were far too many “senior” players in the team and they had bought players more on sentiment than anything else. But as we stand at the halfway stage CSK are at the top of the points table and that despite the fact that their home games have been moved out of Chennai.

Due to an ongoing political issue in Tamil Nadu, the franchise was forced to shift their home venue and they chose Pune. The Chepauk has over the years has suited the home team’s strengths perfectly. It is a slow wicket, the spinners come into action, only quality batting can get you over the line and well the fans in Yellow give the opposition a hard time as well. CSK coach Stephen Fleming thinks that the team will have to work harder to get home advantage at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

CSK lost to MI

Chennai lost the 7th match to defending champions Mumbai Indians however, this is only their second in the tournament thus far. “We are going to be careful that we don’t get carried away by the loss. The biggest thing for us is to get to know the pitch here, it is not Chennai. We picked the side which was going to be Chennai-based so we are learning as much as anyone,” Fleming said.

“We have to work extra hard to get home advantage. We have learnt a little bit again [on Saturday] and we have only got a day to make sure we try and get the right combination,” they posted 169 runs in the first innings which was 10-15 runs short of a par total, MI in the end chased it down comfortably with 8 wickets in hand.

“We were in the fight. [But] we were probably 10 runs, may be 15 runs short with the bat. But we hung in pretty well and created opportunities. A score of 190 was a possibility, so for them [Mumbai Indians] to bowl well and drag us back to 170 was good cricket. Another 10 [runs] would have been nice for us.”

He praised MI skipper Rohit Sharma who took his team over the line with a half century. “[Rohit] responded well in the 19th over and you are not going to win every game in the [Indian Premier League]. It was a good game,” Fleming concluded.

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