Smith attributes much improved form to influence of Singh

Sudhir Gupta 10:31 07/05/2014
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  • Big strides: Dwayne Smith is the second highest run-scorer in the IPL this year.

    Dwayne Smith appears to have cracked the code for scoring runs in Twenty20 cricket if his recent surge in the Indian Premier League is any indication.

    The Chennai Super Kings opener has notched 335 runs from seven games and is 10 runs behind leading run-getter and Kings XI Punjab talisman Glenn Maxwell.

    The dashing West Indies batsman had been key to Mumbai Indians’ title run last year scoring 418 runs from 13 matches but this season he has switched gears and is averaging 47.85 with an fantastic strike rate of 146.28.

    In fact, Smith and fellow opener Brendon McCullum (281) have largely contributed to Chennai’s six-match winning streak, together scoring 616 out of the team’s 1,139 runs in seven games so far.

    Smith, 31, believes he has found out a way to score in the frenzied format and credited former Indian all-rounder and current Mumbai Indians assistant coach Robin Singh for helping improve his game. 

    “I’ve begun to understand now that if I want to stay in international cricket, you can’t keep going around just smashing the ball all the time," said Smith.

    “You have to temper down, rotate the strike and play to the situation. I started my first-class career with Barbados as an opener, and I always knew that is what I wanted to do. So even when I wasn’t getting chances, I kept working on my game.

    “I have to thank Robin Singh a lot, because he is one guy who has worked tirelessly with me. It was more about changing gears, the mental aspect. He has had an amazing influence on me."

    Smith will hope to extend his run of form when leaders Chennai take on second-placed Punjab in a table-top clash at Cuttack today.

    Chennai will be looking to extract revenge for the only loss they suffered this season, against the same opponents, when they were taken apart by Maxwell’s brilliant 95 off 43 balls in their opening game at Abu Dhabi.

    Chennai have been on a roll since that defeat winning four games in UAE and following it up with two more victories in India.

    Punjab, on the other hand, cleaned up the UAE leg of the competition with five wins in five outings. But in their very first outing in India, their winning streak ended when Mumbai Indians got the better of them at Wankhede Stadium.

    They would be hoping to get back to winning ways to remain in contention for the title.

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