MS Dhoni not sure about Chepauk pitch, says ‘the old red soil wicket was a good one’

MS Dhoni and Pat Cummins at the toss. (Pic credit: IPL)

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday voiced his concerns about the current state of the MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch, expressing a longing for the old red soil surface that existed before the 2010 Champions League.
Speaking at the toss ahead of CSK’s clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Dhoni admitted uncertainty over how the pitch would behave. “We are not too sure how the wicket is. The groundsmen are trying their level best. I feel the old red soil wicket was a good one, the one before 2010 Champions League,” said the CSK skipper, after losing the toss.
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SRH captain Pat Cummins opted to bowl first, citing the dry surface and the potential for dew to play a role later in the match.
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“We’re gonna have a bowl first. Chennai is always a big game, coming off a couple of losses but it is a new venue and boys are up for it. If the wicket is good, backing them to get a big total and otherwise also, backing them to do well. The pitch looks a little bit dry,” said Cummins.

Dhoni too revealed that CSK was looking to bowl first for similar reasons. “Dew was the main reason why we also wanted to bowl first,” he said. “When you are not playing good cricket, there’s pressure on other guys as well. We want to get the process right and take it one game at a time.”
Dhoni also confirmed two changes in the CSK lineup, with Rachin Ravindra and Vijay Shankar making way for Dewald Brevis and Deepak Hooda. “We are looking at a few combinations. Have confidence in your ability and execute what you want to,” he added.
The match is crucial for both teams, with SRH coming off back-to-back losses and CSK aiming to correct their course mid-season.

CSK vs SRH Playing XIs

Sunrisers Hyderabad XI: Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Aniket Verma, Kamindu Mendis, Pat Cummins(c), Harshal Patel, Jaydev Unadkat, Zeeshan Ansari, Mohammed Shami
Chennai Super Kings XI: Shaik Rasheed, Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni(w/c), Deepak Hooda, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Matheesha Pathirana