Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming on Saturday said Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s absence had an impact on the team and captaincy in their previous outing.
“Whenever a great player who is in great form is not in your side, it does have an impact on your team as well as captaincy,” the former New Zealand captain said.
“You have to make adjustments. But it does not mean that we are not competitive. We still turned out a very good side in the last game and still got well beaten,” Fleming said, on the eve of their Indian Premier League match against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
Fleming said Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo will be assessed if they are match fit at the end of the training. On CSK having a core group of players and support staff, Fleming said the team likes to give players an extended run because their form was measured differently in T20.
“We tend to look at short form quite separately. We tend to give guys more chances, because we are asking them to play a high-risk game. So it is unfair to look at form after two or three innings, both batting and bowling wise,” he said.
“The selection policy of the team is more conservative than others, but it tries to get the right team for any condition, which is a challenge in away matches,” he added.
“We are a little bit more settled at home, which is how it should be. But when we travel away we set to work hard on making sure we get the balance between seam bowlers and spinners. That is the simplistic way we look at selecting sides and we’re pretty conservative with the emphasis on cohesion.”
In Bangalore, Fleming expects a high-scoring game, which means there will be more pressure on bowlers and batters.
He said: “It is obviously overcast and a little bit damp around, so you need to wait 24 hours, it is going to change a lot in nature. I think it will be a good track, possibly a high-scoring game which is what we expect. So, pressure on bowlers, but also batters as well.”
“We will read the pitch tomorrow, but one cannot assume it is going to be 200 versus 200.”
When asked about leg-spinner Imran Tahir’s success, Fleming said unlike previous years, the South African has been consistent this year. “This year he has been very consistent and very clear on what he wants to do,” he said.
“He has been our chief wicket-taker. And the way he has done it within the camp please us a lot. His discipline and ability to deliver what we want has been outstanding. At times, he has been guilty of hunting wickets, which means he bowls a different style.”