Former champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who were going through a rough patch in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), made a fine comeback. As they tame Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) by 10 wickets, it has heavily impressed head coach Stephen Fleming.
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Batting first, KXIP posted a challenging total of 1784, courtesy KL Rahul (63) and Nicholas Pooran (33). In reply, CSK openers presented a glorious show, as Faf du Plessis (87*) and Shane Watson (83*) ensured that CSK sailed to the win, without any hiccups.
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Following the win, Fleming said that their top-order looked patchy in the initial four games, as the current exposure has led them to get their mojo back. However, he asserted that this was not their peak yet.
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"Most teams, when they are playing well, are getting run production from their first three or four batters. When you don't get that, it has been bits and pieces all the way through, which can make you look patchy, but obviously, performances like that cover up a lot of things," said Fleming during the post-match press meet.
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"We are by no means where we want to be, but individual performances with the bat can really help. Faf has been in great form, but if Watto finds some form, then it makes us a lot more competitive," he added.
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"It is very important for the individual to not get too defensive and introvert in their approach. You have to actually be very courageous when things are not going your way, and be very positive as well. All we try to do is provide some selection security to the guys and then, ask them to be as confident and positive as they can feel," he further affirmed.
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One of the interesting aspects of the game was CSK continuing to show their faith on Watson, who was unimpressive in the opening four games of the tournament. Nonetheless, Fleming confirmed that the reason why they chose to persist with him was owing to the fine form he displayed in the nets, prior to the game.
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"If Shane had been struggling at the nets and looking out of touch, it may have been a selection issue, but he has been nothing but solid, and doing his work in the practice games as well. So again, it was a matter of time and a little bit of fortune, and some good positive thoughts from him. It will do him a world of good and Shane, if he gets on a roll, will be very important to us," he concluded.
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