Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson said Royal Challengers Bengaluru will have to tweak their team composition to suit the demands of the Chepauk pitch in their second IPL match against Chennai Super Kings in Chenna on Friday.
The Royal Challengers are coming off a fine win over Kolkata Knight Riders, but Watson believes that they will face a bigger challenge against Chennai. “It’s going to be a huge challenge for RCB to go to Chepauk, especially given the quality of bowlers CSK have at their disposal.
RCB will likely need to adjust their team composition to counter CSK’s strengths. But make no mistake — Chepauk is a fortress,” said Watson, a JioStar expert.
Watson, who played for both CSK and RCB in his IPL career, cited the presence of quality spinners in Chennai’s ranks as primary reason for their dominance at their home venue.
“CSK’s entire setup is built around excelling in Chennai. Just look at the three spinners who bowled brilliantly in their opening game against MI — Ashwin, Jadeja, and Noor Ahmad. They are going to be a real handful on that surface.
“Seeing Noor Ahmad make such an impact in his first game for CSK will only boost the team’s confidence, knowing they have another wicket-taking option,” he added.
Watson, who was a part of Rajasthan Royals’ title run in 2008, said his former club is thin on spin resources and it was revealed in the match against the Knight Riders.
The KKR scored an eight-wicket win over RR in Guwahati on Wednesday.
“The Rajasthan Royals batters struggled to find their timing and made a few execution errors, which prevented them from putting up a big total.
“A major difference was the calibre and quality of KKR’s spin attack. Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali bowled exceptionally well, whereas Rajasthan’s bowlers, particularly in the middle overs, lacked the potency we’ve seen from them in the past.” The lack of bite in RR bowling, Watson said, made things easier for Quinton de Kock, who slammed an unbeaten 97 off 61 balls.
“This (lack of depth in bowling) made things a lot easier for Quinton de Kock — he was patient, waiting for loose deliveries, and didn’t take unnecessary risks. With his wide range of shots, he can accelerate quickly when he’s at his best,” Watson noted.
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