Row of failures write the story of sorrow for CSK

Livingstone's brilliant batting and bowling led CSK to sink and the overall failure of the batting department makes the CSK fans relive the painful moments of 2020 once again!

Nothing goes well for CSK in this season so far. The batters and bowlers are failing alternatively in every match. Sunday became a sorrowful day for CSK fans as they got three failures in the row in this season to hit the bottom of the points table.

A wicket in a new ball inside the powerplay overs can always boost up a team's confidence which was missing in the first two games of CSK. But as a tiger to hunt accompanied by fire-filled indent, they started this game pretty well.

Choudhary started the innings with the in-swinger for Mayank which was flicked for a boundary in the fine leg but the bowler avenged it sevenfold by taking the wicket in the very next ball. It was bowled outside the off stump and summoned Mayank to drive. He fell into the trap, attempted to play a cover drive and failed to do it which ended up as a catch by Uthappa. Mayank had to leave for a single digit.

The entry of another destroyer from the recent game, Rajapaksa worried the fans of CSK as he pulled the short ball of Jordan for a six. But winds turned in CSK's favour in the very next ball. When the CSK fans were waiting for the entry of Moeen Ali to bid farewell to the two left-handers, an unexpected twist came in the game. Rajapaksa had sent the ball in the leg-side and started running to the non-striker's end and then realised that the ball reached the fielder and was thrown towards the stump for a direct hit. That sent an alarm to his brain to go back to his spot. Meanwhile, the ball missed the stumps but the guardian angel Dhoni's hands came to its rescue to collect it and finish the story of Bhanuka in a nanosecond. Dhoni's sprint and that dive proved that the hunger is still alive.

CSK's fans let out a sigh of relief without any idea about the upcoming danger. Livingston, the real demolisher, entered to set the field on fire for the next few overs. Livingston is normally a pace hitter but this time he turned into a pace bowler hitter too. Choudhary's balls were especially targeted and there was a rain of boundaries and sixers. In the 12 legal balls bowled inside the powerplay by Choudhary, Livingstone scored 34 runs which skyrocketed their score to 72 runs in six overs.

Jadeja's ball to Livingstone gave a chance as it got the outside edge and reached the fielder in the third man position. But unfortunately, as Ambati had caught it, it popped out and he missed it to add pepper to the pain of CSK. They had to face the consequences of it. Livingstone started hitting the big shots for fun and completed his half-century in just 27 balls. But finally, on the last ball of the first half of Punjab's innings, Dhawan got out for a fuller ball. In the duration of just four balls, Jadeja's short ball did the magic for CSK. Livingstone attempted for a cut shot but this time when it rushed to Ambati in the third man region, he did not miss it and that was the turning point of the game. CSK could smile once again.

From there on, the downfall of Punjab was initiated. The remaining overs had nothing left out for them except a few extraordinary shots from the debutant, Jitesh. His three magnificent sixes added some valuable runs to his side but when he got out the story came to an end for Punjab. Pretorius and Jordan took two wickets each from overs 15 - 19 and that acted as the speed breaker for Punjab's run-scoring task. Finally, Punjab which was predicted to score at least 150+ runs at one stage ended up at 180 which is at least 20 - 30 runs short for that pitch. Punjab had to pin their hopes on their bowlers and CSK had to maintain the momentum in the second innings to register their first win.

Gaikwad's spark remains unseen right from the beginning of this season while Uthappa's fusillade of big shots was a delight to watch in the last match. CSK fans were waiting to witness them both or anyone out of those two at least. But both did not show up. Rabada attacked in his first over for Punjab. Gaikwad misplaced the fuller ball which went outside the off stump to the first slip and the best fielder Dhawan did not miss it. In the very next over, Uthappa tried to go for a big shot miserably caught by the Mayank. Both the openers failed to give a dream start for CSK.

The debutant of Punjab Arora who is known for swinging the ball on both sides did magic with his hands, with the wickets of Uthappa and Moeen Ali. The lack of foot movement cost one more wicket for CSK and Moeen Ali had left the team in trouble, for a duck. Playing in the attacking mode or defending is decided by the situation and CSK batsmen failed to understand that. The woes were worrisome for them when Arshdeep's ball hit the stumps of Jadeja. As a captain, the responsibility for Jadeja is increasing manifold and he remains as the prey for that pressure. Within the powerplay overs, CSK lost four wickets scoring just 27 runs. Fans were waiting for Ambati Rayudu who can play the anchoring role to step up and save the game for them. But even he too pushed the team into the danger zone by throwing his wicket.

It was expected that CSK batsmen may be challenged by Rahul Chahar but even before the arrival of that dangerous spinner, Pacers wrote the conclusion for CSK's top-order batsman. Dhoni and Shivam Dube were left all alone to proceed with the deterioration procedure. It was 36/5 already. In 75 balls, CSK had to score 145 runs, the required run rate was almost 12.

Dhoni started playing the anchoring role and was rotating the strike while this sparkling star was giving a startling performance. The pressure did not choke him and he took it as a chance to prove himself by frying the bowlers. Even the best world-class bowler Rabada was hit hard by Dube's sixers. He scored 26 balls half-century. But that could not help CSK anymore.

The game again got accelerated in Punjab's favour when Livingstone bowled his second over. The two back to back wickets of Dube and Bravo finished the game unofficially in the 15th over itself. Officially, it ended up in the 18th over, when they were all out for 126 runs.

CSK bowlers failed to break the partnership of Dhawan - Livingstone but thereafter they bowled remarkably well later to bring CSK back to the track but this time their batsmen broke them down. The lack of foot movement, failure to read the swing of the ball, irresponsibility, playing without any indent and much more paved the way for the failure.

Punjab's bowlers did an exceptional job for them, it was thought that even 200 cannot be a challenging one but the CSK's batting line-up once again proved that quality matters, not quantity. Punjab had given an elite comeback by beating the defending champions.

Will the wounded tigers revamp from this dead valley of three failures to become Comeback Super Kings or will they end up as Chokers???? Time will reveal it!