SRH vs CSK Game Plan: The over-dependency on Dwayne Bravo

The 44th match of the IPL 2021 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad (CSK v SRH), could all be about match-ups. Here, we take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the game. Vulnerable death overs bowling: An area of concern for CSK The […]
 
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SRH vs CSK Game Plan: The over-dependency on Dwayne Bravo

The 44th match of the IPL 2021 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad (CSK v SRH), could all be about match-ups. Here, we take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the game.

Vulnerable death overs bowling: An area of concern for CSK

The table-toppers Chennai Super Kings are set to take on the bottom-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad in their eleventh game. While the Men in Yellow seem to have plugged in almost every hole, there is still an alarming area of concern for them. CSK’s death-overs bowling, worryingly, is a chink in their armour.

 

While CSK is comparatively good in the first two phases of an innings, they lag behind in closing it down. They concede more than 28% of an innings runs in the last five overs this season. But, obviously, this gives very little information.

Their overall numbers in the death overs are not mediocre at all. They have a reasonably fair economy (9.51) and balls per boundary ratio (5.1). Moreover, they have also managed to take wickets at regular intervals.

SRH vs CSK Game Plan: The over-dependency on Dwayne Bravo

But, this has two contrasting sides as well. And, those two sides are 'with Dwayne Bravo' and 'without Dwayne Bravo'. The over-dependency on a particular player can be hardly manifested by any other example than the chart below.

 

The numbers change a lot with just one bowler - Dwayne Bravo. While CSK concedes at less than 8 runs per over in the presence of Bravo, they leak runs at an economy rate of more than 12.19 in his absence. The balls per boundary ratio is also more than double without him.

Remember their game against Kolkata Knight Riders in the first half, where KKR almost chased down 221 despite losing seven wickets inside the first 15 overs? Similarly, Mumbai Indians made 66 runs in the last five to snatch victory from their jaws. All that happened in the absence of Dwayne Bravo.

CSK bowlers in the death overs

CSK have used as many as six pacers in the slog overs so far. And, barring a couple, others have been below-par throughout.

 

Let's take the example of Shardul Thakur, for instance. 16.8% of his balls have been full tosses, 18.18% have been on the good length, and 23.37% have been in the slot, which means he has bowled 58.35% hittable deliveries. He does not have any lucrative cutter to deceive batsmen either.

And, this has been the same story for other bowlers as well. Josh Hazlewood and Lungi Ngidi have bowled 66.66%, whereas Sam Curran has bowled 63% such deliveries. While Deepak Chahar has been excellent, he has bowled out the majority of his overs before the death overs.

Dwayne Bravo's excellence

Dwayne Bravo was substandard in the IPL last year in the few matches he featured in. But, he has, true to his remarkable career as a T20 bowler, turned it around this season. The numbers also paint the same story.

 

Among all the bowlers to have bowled a minimum of eight overs this season, Dwayne Bravo has the best economy rate (7.50) in the death overs. Moreover, he has also bowled the second-highest % of yorkers, only behind Trent Boult's 39.70%. The batsmen have not been in control in 31.94% of his balls this season.

His plan has been simple. He bowls slower deliveries and off-cutters in the wide outside off-stump line and deceives the batsmen. The veteran has used all his variations effectively.

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What can CSK do?

While the dependency is understandable, this is borderline over-dependency. CSK expect Bravo to step up for them every time, and he has also managed to do so. But he can not bowl from both ends for his team.

Furthermore, he has had fitness issues of late. And, whenever he has been rested, the opponents have exploited their weakness to a large extent. So, CSK need an alternate plan to counter this situation.

Bowl two overs of Deepak Chahar in the powerplay and make him bowl two in the death overs. Similarly, Josh Hazlewood should bowl two overs upfront as well. Bowl out Sam Curran and Ravindra Jadeja before the death overs.

This gives two overs to each Chahar and Hazlewood, whereas Shardul Thakur can bowl the remaining one over. While Hazlewood has not been great in the slog overs, he is still a much better option than Curran with his hard lengths and short balls with pace, something he is capable of, on paper, nailing.

Hazlewood's effective use in the middle-overs might go away, but in Bravo's absence, it becomes a temptation CSK will have to resist. All things aside, CSK would be hoping for Bravo to recover fully as soon as possible.