We've got firepower, don't discount us: CSK head coach Stephen Fleming
Chennai, Mar 29 (PTI): A combative CSK head coach Stephen Fleming stoutly countered the criticism that his team's brand of cricket was getting outdated, saying the team had enough "firepower" and no one should make the mistake of discounting them.
Five-time IPL champions CSK lost to RCB by 50 runs, unable to chase a steep 196/7 set by Rajat Patidar's side on Friday.
CSK's defeat to RCB in the 'Southern Derby' in their own den was their first since the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008 and it was also their biggest reversal at home thus far.
In response to a question if his brand of cricket was getting outdated, the former New Zealand skipper shot back, "What do you mean, my way of playing (cricket)? Like winning the first game, that's a good way to play. We've got firepower all the way through. I don't understand this question."
"Just because we don't swing (the bat) from ball one and have a little bit of luck go our way, we'll see at the end," said the New Zealander after his team was restricted to 146/8 in 20 overs.
The 51-year-added that CSK should not be "discounted" just because they had lost one match.
"It's a positive brand of cricket, no doubt about it, but don't discount us. It's a silly question."
The coach, however, conceded the team's fielding wasn't of the highest standard on Friday, adding that the opponents came really hard at them.
Patidar's fine half-century and Josh Hazlewood (3/21) excellent bowling, which reduced CSK to 30/3 at the end of six overs, took the wind out of the home team's sails.
"No, we didn't get it right. It's so hard to read (the pitch), but we thought it was going to skid on with the dew, but it actually got a bit tacky. So, it certainly made it harder.
"A couple of half chance, one or two, it's a real chance. It's just a little bit clumsy. They came very hard, and we had opportunities to really peg them back, but we just let them off the hook. A score of 175 would have been more realistic, but we just weren't good," added Fleming.
Fleming also credited Hazlewood for RCB's win, saying he played a decisive role in the victory.
"Hazlewood is an excellent new-ball bowler when there's a bit of bounce. If you look at the conditions the last game we played, there wasn't that type of bounce or seam. So again, we scratch our heads as to what we're going to get, and we just have to apply ourselves a bit better. We had some chances, but we were just a bit clumsy in the field," added Fleming.
"What we do have to do is apply ourselves better and make sure that whatever surface we're on, we're in the fight. I don't buy into what's talked about over there. We've got firepower all the way through.
"We just have to create the opportunities. Just because we don't swing from ball one and play with it, a lack of fear factor, we'll just sort of see what teams end up at the end," he added.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni striking three boundaries and two sixes to make 30 not out off 16 balls to go past Suresh Raina as CSK's highest run-scorer in IPL history, was only a minor consolation.
Fleming conceded the former skipper had an uphill task when he came in to bat.
"He's been here (training) well over a month, so he's done a lot of work with the trainers to get himself into shape. He's very professional in that way, and just natural ability. It was far too steep in the end."
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta accuses Mamata Banerjee of stalling SIR; TMC hits back
Kolkata (PTI): Alleging that her West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee had approached the Supreme Court to stall the SIR exercise to prevent the identification of infiltrators, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday claimed that the people of the state have made up their minds to dislodge the Trinamool Congress from power.
The TMC countered strongly, urging Gupta to "look into her own backyard" and accused her of making absurd allegations against the TMC government without checking facts.
Addressing participants at the 'Nari Sankalp Yatra' organised by the BJP's women's wing at Science City auditorium here, Gupta alleged that the "hands-off" and appeasement policies of the TMC government had allowed thousands of infiltrators to enter the state in recent years.
She claimed that this had put a strain on basic rights such as access to water, electricity, ration, education, livelihood and the right to vote for genuine citizens.
"She wants to perpetuate this and hence is trying to stall the SIR exercise, which aims at identifying and deporting infiltrators. Imagine a chief minister going to the apex court to argue against an exercise meant to ensure free and fair polls," Gupta said.
The BJP leader alleged that appeasement politics had reached an "alarming level" under the TMC regime.
Raising concerns over women's safety, she claimed that women in the state were not secure despite having a woman chief minister.
Referring to the rape-murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Hospital, Gupta alleged that the state government had failed to respond adequately to such crimes.
She also referred to the alleged rape of a woman medic in Durgapur and another law student on a Kolkata college campus, claiming that criminals had been emboldened to commit brutalities against women.
She alleged that in crimes against women, overall crime incidents and child marriages, West Bengal remained among the top -- "a slur on a state which once led intellectual and social movements and set examples for the rest of the country," she said.
Criticising the state government's welfare initiatives, she said schemes such as Kanyashree were built on "false claims" and asserted that women needed security rather than assurances.
Accusing the state government of blocking central schemes, Gupta alleged that funds worth "lakhs of crores of rupees" had not reached the poor due to non-implementation of programmes such as Ayushman Bharat, PM Awas Yojana and Jal Jeevan Mission by the state.
"You are only interested in renaming projects and taking credit," she said.
Gupta also alleged that the education sector in the state had been adversely affected, saying several state-run schools had closed due to a shortage of teachers and that the government was opposed to the National Education Policy.
Drawing a comparison with BJP-ruled Delhi, Gupta said, "People have already voted out 'Bhaia' (a reference to former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal). Now it is your turn to bid farewell to 'Didi'." Calling upon women to resist what she termed "strong-arm tactics", she urged them to assert their strength, invoking the imagery of Goddess Durga.
"Bengal has the right to live with dignity, and women have the right to live with dignity," she added.
Reacting to Gupta's allegations, West Bengal Women and Child Welfare minister Shashi Panja accused her of making "absurd allegations" against the Trinamool Congress government ahead of elections.
Panja alleged that during Gupta's tenure in Delhi, several incidents had raised serious concerns, including reports of missing young women and a blast near the Red Fort.
She also criticised the air pollution situation in the national capital, claiming that people were struggling to breathe.
The TMC leader said that despite being in power for a year, Gupta was making "tall claims" instead of addressing key issues in Delhi.
Panja further alleged that the Delhi CM visited West Bengal during elections to "peddle false allegations" against the state government.
Rebutting Gupta, the TMC said in a post on X said, "Madam why did you go off-script again? For your edification, here are the cold, hard facts: In total cases of crimes (IPC + SLL), Bengal ranks a respectable 15th, far safer than BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, which languish near the bottom."
"In overall crime rate, Bengal sits comfortably at 28th. Who's second? Your own Delhi. Double Engine Gujarat and Haryana grab 4th and 5th as top-tier crime havens," the TMC said.
"In child marriage, Assam again takes the shameful pole position. And yet you dare lecture Bengal? Stop embarrassing yourself, stop the hypocrisy, and maybe fix the rotting mess in your own backyard before pointing fingers at a state that's outperforming your disasters on every key metric," the TMC countered.
