Chennai: Chennai Super Kings will eye a crucial turnaround at home when they face an equally desperate Sunrisers Hyderabad in a battle of survival in the Indian Premier League here on Friday.
Both sides have endured a turbulent season, notching just four points from eight games, and must now win all remaining fixtures to keep their slim qualification hopes alive.
Known to make the most of home conditions, five-time champions CSK find themselves in unchartered territory as they haven’t been able to read the wickets well at the Chepauk.
They started strong at their fortress, dominating Mumbai Indians as Noor Ahmad spun a web around the visitors. But the early promise fizzled out quickly, with three successive losses at home. The also endured the ignominy of posting their lowest-ever IPL total at home -- 103/9 against Kolkata Knight Riders.Head coach Stephen Fleming has also voiced frustration over the Chepauk surface, which has offered more to seamers than CSK’s usual spin-heavy attack.
SRH, meanwhile, have endured an equally erratic campaign. A bright start gave way to inconsistency, with their ultra-aggressive, attack-at-all-costs strategy falling flat. The explosive opening pair of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, so vital last season, have failed to hit the same heights this year.
While Sharma’s brilliance secured a win against Punjab Kings, Head is yet to truly make his mark. “When Head and Abhishek don’t succeed, then it’s the responsibility of the other batsmen,” said coach Daniel Vettori.