Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming conceded on Friday that the spin department of his side has not been as effective as compared to previous IPL seasons but denied that the team management has lost confidence in the slow bowlers.
Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming conceded on Friday that the spin department of his side has not been as effective as compared to previous IPL seasons but denied that the team management has lost confidence in the slow bowlers.
"The spin part of the game is not as effective as it was in previous years so far. That is one area we would like to give a bit of more penetration. But our bowling attack is working well. We can give the spin component in middle overs," Fleming said at the media conference ahead of his side's IPL match against Kings XI Punjab in Chennai on Saturday.
Asked if captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has lost confidence in Ravichandran Ashwin -- who has bowled just four overs in last three games -- and Ravindra Jadeja, Fleming said, "It is some match situation. Ashwin was the main bowler in the first two games here and was a leading bowler. We know that Ashwin bowls very well in home conditions.
"Jadeja, we feel is a little bit out off. But he is working hard on it. I think the pitch conditions we played during the last three games, we thought favoured medium pace and that pushes spin component back a little bit. But, we have got lot of options in our squad. I do not believe that Dhoni lost confidence in them," said the former New Zealand captain. Fleming is pleased with the performance of veteran pacer Ashish Nehra, the leading wicket taker for his side.
"Nehra is in good form. I would say he is our ace in bowling. He is a rhythm bowler. When he is in form, Nehra is quite quick and he has got everything working for him. When he is out of rhythm he just struggles but he is in the groove at the moment. He is swinging the ball with good pace and has got good experience behind him," he said.
"Nehra has been a revelation in leading the attack and he leads the group. We are delighted what he has done thus far. What he has done thus far has been outstanding," he added. On South African batsman Faf du Plessis' role in the team, Fleming said, "In the last game, he played the role of finisher very well. It was a crucial game for us and we wanted to finish between 185 or 195. He has come to our group during the last two years in different roles. He is doing very well internationally and for us."
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