IPL 2018 FINAL

Method, madness and mayhem

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Watson-induced mayhem trumped SRH
Watson-induced mayhem trumped SRH © BCCI

More than two hours before the start of the Indian Premier League 2018 final, none of the cabs wanted to go anywhere near the Wankhede Stadium. It would mean getting themselves stuck in a logjam for a while. There were hundreds of fans trying to get in, and almost as many hoping to find a ticket in black. It was chaos that you would associate with a high profile final. Chennai Super Kings, on a mad, fairytale ride taking on the precise planning and execution of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Despite the bedlam, however, it wasn't the usual traffic mess that you'd associate with Mumbai. As cars on the famous Marine Drive piled on, drivers only sat with looks of resignation. This was one mess where incessant honking couldn't get them out of as many seem to presume it would. As thousands flocked the pathways, cars patiently waited for themselves to inch forward.

At the ground too, the sense of inevitability was rife. There were serpentine queues, and anticipation but not frustration was building. Security had its hands full, as people jostled for space so they could enter the ground quicker. Selfie booths, player cutouts and giant mock IPL trophies were about for the photo-hungry, and the result was only more chaos.

But then again, Mumbai knows how to host the big finals. Fans, despite the rush, did not find themselves wasting hours to get in. They were in much before the start, and loud! But the stalls were ready and well-manned, and everyone was able to get a glimpse of the action real soon.

It filtered onto the ground. Sanjay Manjrekar created confusion as he goofed up at the toss but the teams themselves began the final as a battle of attrition. Sunrisers Hyderabad were more method than madness. Chennai Super Kings, even more so.

But it couldn't last too long. Kane Williamson smashed the window of the prize car in the stadium. Shikhar Dhawan couldn't take the calm anymore and swung for the heavens. The crowd tried to keep themselves engaged by starting off a Mexican wave.

Perhaps both teams had watched the Champions League final the last evening. Maybe, in a game as big as the final, they'd realised that it was more important to cut down their errors than try to take the opposition by storm. Perhaps it was also about how individual brilliance can turn the table upside down - Gareth Bale took that quite literally in Kiev. It was a case of relying on a team's method for glory, or wait for individual brilliance or madness, to steal the game.

It was something Stephen Fleming, the Chennai Super Kings coach, had said his team was aware of last night. "I guess teams win competitions when individuals can win finals so we're game for that match-winning performance and it's going to have to come because the opposition is very good," he had said.

And soon the game saw more streaks of individual brilliance. This game was a canvas that was waiting to be painted still. And it needed the mad dash of someone like Yusuf Pathan and Carlos Brathwaite to bring it to life. The pair combined for to help SRH shrug off their insipid start and make it look like a big platform.

Yet, this was the kind of madness that SRH probably craved for a little earlier in their innings. Their total of 178 was strong for a final, and they had the attack to defend it. But CSK had had the wood on them thrice this year already and knew what it took to beat them.

If Yusuf and Brathwaite painted SRH's essay with the madness it needed, Shane Watson was the time bomb that exploded when no one expected it to. If SRH had its brief highlight of madness, CSK's was straight out of a dream - phantasmagorical and mostly unbelievable.

Watson took 10 balls to get off the mark. Immediately after, and perhaps because of his struggles, Faf du Plessis went for the spectacular shot at the other end and failed. One over later, Watson did the cricketing version of Bruce Banner turning into The Hulk. His big arms were suddenly wielding a sledge hammer, and the ground became much, much smaller in his mind. The bowlers not threats anymore, and the fielders were effectively ball-boys. He ended with 117 not out off 57 balls.

How a game could turn so drastically and spectacularly? On Cricbuzz's ball-by-ball commentary, users posted messages that Watson was turning out to be CSK's Loris Karius. It only took a few big hits form the messages to turn into - 'he's actually their Gareth Bale'.

Bale had smashed home an astonishing overhead kick to win Real Madrid their 13th Champions Trophy title less than 24 hours ago. Now, Watson was producing an innings of astonishing quality to outdo a top drawer SRH attack. Two moments of sporting madness in two nights.

On Saturday, MS Dhoni was asked if he felt making the final was a vindication of their auction strategy of opting for more experienced players. The CSK captain was candid in his reply: "We have done well so far but it is something that can hurt us at any time."

On Sunday, he will be thankful that he not only had a player who could use his experience in getting CSK over the line, but also one who knew how and when to harness his inner beast. For a captain as cool as him, Watson's high-adrenaline mayhem was the panacea.

CSK's madness had just swallowed SRH's method.

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