Moeen Ali Speaks on Showing Heat as CSK Bagged Maiden Points in IPL 2023
Moeen Ali bagged 4/26 vs LSG (AP Photo)
On a day when there were just 'Thala, Thala' chants, Chennai's Moeen Ali shone like a star on a luminous night. The English all-rounder bagged a four-wicket haul on a flat batting track against Lucknow Super Giants, helping Chennai Super Kings put their first points on the table.
Moeen was brought into the attack by skipper MS Dhoni after LSG opener Kyle Mayers was on song and hitting bowlers all across the park. However, the off-spinner picked the right lines and lengths to bowl at Chepauk, dismissed Mayers, and dismantled Lucknow's batting.
Apart from Mayers, the Englishman snapped three crucial wickets - KL Rahul, Deepak Hooda and Krunal Pandya, registering figures of 3/26 in his four overs.
Additionally, he was well assisted by the left-arm spin of Mitchell Santner, who ended the night with 1/21 on a day where Chennai allowed Lucknow to notch 205 runs.
While talking to the host broadcasters following the extravaganza at Chepauk, Moeen mentioned his partnership with Santner and stated how vital their spells were against LSG's volatile batting lineup.
"It's a tough one because they have some big hitters. I just tried to hit the right areas and spin the ball. You don't want to get against these guys, but the partnership with Santner worked tonight and really happy to finish on the winning side," Moeen said in the post-match interview.
The conditions offered at Chennai were one of the flattest that the arena has ever had in the history of the Indian Premier League. Even the commentators commenting on the match could not keep it to themselves and went on to mention the same.
However, Moeen and Santner showed their hearts in Chennai's batting paradise. Having said that, the conditions did get eased out in the second innings. However, all the other CSK bowlers had a bad day at the office, lending 13 runs per over in the remaining 12 overs.
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