It might be a bit late in the day to recap the 2008 IPL season but with the next edition looming large on the horizon, some reflection on the inaugural competition could throw up a few lessons for us.
If anything, it was a bit of a roller-coaster ride for me as well as the Chennai Super Kings who started strongly, but tapered off before picking themselves up for the push to the final.
The fire-power of Hayden, Hussey, Oram and Murali provided four straight wins. Dhoni, Raina, Badrinath, Parthiv and Joginder Sharma along with the new find Gony complemented with flamboyance and consistency to give CSK a dream start.
But when Hayden, Hussey and Oram, coined H2O by the media, left to honour their international commitment with their respective National teams, it caused severe dehydration in the CSK ranks!
Suddenly, CSK lost its way. The replacements in Albie Morkel, Fleming and Ntini were taking time to adjust to the pace set by H2O. With every loss, the pressure was mounting on the team and its supporters. The capitulation against Rajasthan Royals at Jaipur made CSK appear fragile. It was not time for panic yet was the thought the coach and captain advocated.
The roar of Haydos was missing in the team bus and dressing room. We could not find an alternative out in the middle either. MSD was not a great believer in long drawn out preparation through team meetings, but surely missed the pearls of wisdom from Haydos and Hussey. However, Dhoni was an island of calm which helped the team to stabilise. The ship was sinking and as an irate passenger, it left me nervous and agitated. With the batting left weaker by the departing H2O, time was running out on experimenting with local potential to fill critical positions.
The bowling looked better with Lakshmipathy Balaji making a brave comeback through dint of sheer hard work and commitment. Again, the safe approach delayed his entry by a few matches in the competition. Fortunately, he stuck it out without losing heart.
Batting continued to disappoint with Fleming and Parthiv providing steady starts but never enough. Dhoni and Raina were under enormous pressure to strike and stabilise. In attempting the thrust, we lost them cheaply and the final score was never competitive. It was at this point that Dhoni decided to chase scores instead of setting targets because the advantage of batting first was being frittered away despite carrying a potent bowling attack.
The turnaround was almost instant. CSK defeated Daredevils on their home turf in a last ball finish and followed it up with a home win against Punjab. It was the turning point to reach the last four stages, but losses against Royal Challengers and Rajasthan Royals at home brought this high to an abysmal low.
The Chepauk pitch for the Challengers game was an overused surface. Dale Steyn, bowling with the old ball at frenetic pace on a low and slow track was hard to hit. The low scoring game was a good advertisement for IPL-T20 but not for CSK.
Thus, CSK was in a must-win situation in the away game against Kolkata Knight Riders to make the semi-final cut. Swirling winds and rain came to the rescue with a win decided on the D/L method. The Eden Gardens was in a tail-spin with heavy pitch covers flying dangerously around the field. It promised to be a tough game but CSK was not complaining.
The semi-final clash was expected to be difficult. Kings XI Punjab had a strong batting line up. Shaun Marsh was expected to pulverise the CSK attack. Innovative Dhoni had other plans. Murali came on to bowl with the new ball. This upset the young Aussie’s rhythm and Ntini cleaned up the Kings XI openers for just 11 runs. The Kings XI batting caved in for mere 112 runs. The bowlers had done the job and CSK romped home by nine wickets against presumably one of the best sides in the competition.
The final was a last ball finish in spectacular setting. Pre-match and post-match entertainment was a great spectacle. Before we could think of what might have been, Dhoni wanted the team to be proud of its achievements and leave the result behind.
This was a very unique reaction and his leadership gained respect and adulation. Seldom do we see losing sides showing the resolve to match the joy and happiness of a winning team. This was to me the defining moment in the entire IPL 2008 season.
With the 2008 Champions League cancelled, we need to qualify for this year’s CL-T20. Of course, we would have to review the situation ahead of the 2009 IPL, but that is another story to tell.
