IPL 2021: KKR vs CSK Game Plan 1 – Locking in Lockie Ferguson
The Kolkata Knight Riders are one team that dives deep into analytics. We have seen a lot of it in their Chepauk leg. Be it bowling spin in the powerplay or pace in the middle overs, KKR have mostly yielded desirable results with their bowling strategy. Ahead of the game between KKR and CSK, we look at the possible tactical changes that KKR can make.
The start of a fresh leg means that the Knight Riders are coming up with a fresh strategy. The Wankhede this year has produced some belter wickets which have hardly had any assistance to the spinners. Barring a couple of games, all we have seen is a flat track with the batsmen going all guns blazing.
When we look at the split between the pacers and the spinners at the Wankhede this year, it is much evident that the pacers have enjoyed bowling there. The pacers have taken 6 times the number of wickets the spinners have taken. Such is the assistance that this pitch offers.
There isn’t much of a difference in the economy rates between the two classes of bowlers. But when we look at the wicket-taking rates of the two, there is a massive difference of 19 balls. This means that the spinners take 3 extra overs to fetch a wicket compared to the pacers. You definitely can’t give a leeway of 3 overs for a batting side in a 20 over game!
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No more spinners bowling in the powerplay?
In the games that have happened this year at the Wankhede, spinners have found themselves wicketless in the powerplay phase. It is not just in the powerplay that the spinners have found it difficult to get going but also in the next 5 overs post powerplay.
In the games in Chepauk where there was so much assistance for the spinners in the pitch, Morgan was tempted to open the bowling with spinners and it did work well. This gave Morgan the freedom to use Pat Cummins, one of their best new ball bowlers from the previous season to bowl in the middle overs. Since the game has returned to a track that has hardly any assistance to the spinners, Morgan would have to bowl a couple of overs of Pat Cummins in the powerplay. This makes him devoid of a few quality overs from a pacer in the middle overs.
What works well against CSK in the middle overs?
When we make a comparison on how the CSK batsmen have fared against different bowling types in the middle overs, we can see that they have been very comfortable facing spin. CSK batsmen against spin score runs at a faster rate and lose wickets at a slower rate than they do against pace.
So who’s the new middle overs enforcer?
In the previous edition of the IPL, Lockie Ferguson was at his best bowling post powerplay. Ferguson had conceded at just over 6 runs per over in the middle overs phase picking up wickets at regular intervals. Ferguson has not been bad at the death either.
Ferguson’s exploits in the middle overs and the records of CSK batsmen against pace in the middle overs this year can be a few of the major reasons why Morgan would be tempted to play Lockie Ferguson.
All the conditions are ideal. There is some assistance on the wicket. The opposition batsmen struggle against pace in the phase which is considered to be the best phase of Lockie Ferguson. Could this be Ferguson’s day?