IPL 2021: CSK vs MI Game Plan — Can MI stop the Moeen Ali show?
The 30th match of the IPL 2021 tournament between the blockbuster teams, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians (CSK v MI), could all be about match-ups. Here, we take a look at a key game plan that could play a role in the game.
Moeen Ali, the aggressor, has contributed massively to CSK:
CSK would be very pleased with their decision to recruit Moeen Ali in the auction. Moeen, who provides an LHB option in the middle-order, has performed his role of an aggressor brilliantly. He has scored at least 15 runs in each of his innings, and his strike rate has been under 145 just once.
Moeen has solved one major problem which CSK faced in the IPL 2020 – their slow tempo in the middle overs. He is CSK’s leading run-scorer in the middle-overs (7-16) and has scored at an amazing pace. Also, the CSK management (read MSD) should be credited for giving him a consistent run at No. 3.
Moeen, who is often termed as a spin-basher, has been terrific against pacers, especially medium-pacers. Against medium-pacers, the English batsman has scored 62 runs in this phase at a 12 RPO without being dismissed even once.
Another fascinating aspect of Moeen’s magnificent show has been his ability to provide stable and quick starts. In the 2021 IPL season, in the first 15 balls of his innings, he has been out just twice and has scored about 61% of his total runs. Among batsmen who’ve batted in at least six innings, his strike rate (156.3) and balls-per-boundary ratio (3.48) are second-best and third-best respectively.
CSK vs MI Game Plan: What can MI do to stop Moeen Ali?
The opposing sides probably didn’t consider Moeen as a major threat in the first half. Perhaps Mumbai too didn’t. In their previous meeting at Delhi, Moeen scored 58 runs off 36 balls. MI pacers allowed the southpaw to score boundaries easily. 75% of his runs against pacers were in the leg-side region.
IPL 2021: Moeen Ali's overall wagon wheel vs MI | Credits: iplt20.com
James Neesham, who isn’t a reliable T20 pacer at the IPL level, was well hammered by Moeen (22 runs off 9 balls). It is arguable that MI made a mistake to give Neesham the ball (or play him at all in the first place) because Moeen was always going to cash in against the Kiwi.
Although the sample size is too little, Bumrah was the only MI pacer who didn’t bowl in the leg-stump, outside leg-stump and middle stump line to Moeen. Other pacers bowled 11 balls in the aforementioned lines and Moeen scored 22 runs, hitting four boundaries.
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So, the first thing MI shouldn’t do is trying to sneak in their weaker link against Moeen. That will be a huge risk considering the proactive T20 batsman Moeen is. With his role being clearly defined, he can well change the match situation by hitting some quick boundaries. It's worth stressing that he likes to feed on mediocre bowling.
Another problem which MI will face against Moeen is the lack of a quality off-spinner in their ranks. Rahul Chahar isn’t a reliable bet against Moeen. Since 2020, the leg-spinner averages 38 with an economy of over 8 against southpaws. His head-to-head numbers against Moeen also aren’t great. Moeen has scored 27 runs off 18 balls against Chahar without being dismissed.
This is mainly because of his googlies which don’t pose a major threat against batters. Bowling 107 googlies in the IPL since 2020, Chahar averages 51 with an economy of 8.48. Against LHBs, the average drops a bit but the economy worsens.
So, finally, the answer is to bowl fast and short against Moeen. However, doing just that isn’t enough, Moeen must be cramped for the room. Bumrah did exactly the same in their last face-off. Trent Boult can also operate at a good pace, and Mumbai can potentially play Adam Milne as well. Milne played one game in the first half and wasn’t good but MI can still try him again. He was pretty good in The Hundred and T20 Blast.
It seems that Moeen loses a bit of his shape while pulling. Also, he isn’t able to transfer his weight well on the backfoot. The other idea is to bowl on the fullish good-length in the outside-off line with the ball angling away from him and trying to pin him on the crease and get him trapped. The opposing teams should see Moeen as a threat and test him with quality and quick bowling.