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In a team that has star-studded and globe-trotting T20 overseas players, Devon Conway easily goes under the radar at Chennai Super Kings. At the 2022 player auctions, as the Super Kings missed out on Faf du Plessis, they didn’t hesitate even once to raise the paddle for Conway, who had by then established a steady name at the top of Test cricket for New Zealand and was only beginning to show his versatility in ODIs.
There is something unassuming in the manner in which Conway goes about his batting. Although he played just seven matches last season, he had impressed with his batting against spinners. But sterner tests awaited him this season as the IPL moved to the home-and-away format. And with Ben Stokes coming in, there was uncertainty about whether Conway would even start.
With injuries to Stokes opening up a place, the 31-year-old has not only established his spot, but with 414 runs in 10 matches so far, he is leading the Super Kings charge with the bat. And the most impressive bit about those runs is that they have come at a strike rate of 144.25 which has ensured Chennai have been able to get off the blocks quickly in the powerplay. Not bad for a batter who keeps telling head coach Stephen Fleming that “he is out of form before every game” this season.
The Den experience, playing under Thala, the Chennai crowd and much more!
📹 Lions Upclose with Devon Conway!#WhistlePodu #Yellove 🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/Gyp6XvlOy0
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 29, 2023
In a league where most teams prefer going for flamboyant openers, especially if they have someone in the mold of Ruturaj Gaikwad – who doesn’t set the stage on fire with firepower – Chennai have been a tad different. Except for a couple of seasons where Chennai had Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith at the top, by and large they have preferred a steady opening pair. But that was from a different age, where teams still showed respect to the new ball and preferred saving up wickets for the death overs. In 2023, the T20 batting landscape has changed totally, and with the Impact Player rule in play, aggression and focus on strike rate have become non-negotiable elements for sides that play on batting-friendly surfaces.
With Chennai, it is all the more challenging for Conway in many ways. Playing their home matches in a venue where spinners tend to bowl a lot, Conway has not just adjusted to the conditions, but is acing them. In four matches at Chepauk, he has amassed 266 runs off 176 deliveries, scoring three fifties in the process.
𝗩𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲. 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁. 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 💥
Devon Conway put his practice to perfection today in Chennai 💛✅#TATAIPL | #CSKvPBKS pic.twitter.com/ChEm0Vsnad
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 30, 2023
For a batsman who seems to have limited range, Conway is showing each game that he can expand. Though he doesn’t have a conventional scoop, the left-hander has found ways – where he just leans to his right to open up the gap – to execute the shot. Similarly, against spinners – blessed with superb hands, Conway, thanks to his ability to pick the length early, has been able to hit the ball in areas that one usually doesn’t. For instance, when a spinner pitches it short, he has rocked back and pulled, not just squarer, but also straight.
“Conway has the knack of hitting the ball in unusual areas because of the angle he picks up,” Sriram Krishnamurthy, who coached him in the New Zealand A-team and High-Performance Centre, told The Indian Express. “Even when a pacer is trying to cramp him for room by bowling from around the wicket, Conway has the ability to play it square on the off-side, and also hit the ball wide of mid-on, which is again not an area that most batsmen play. And more than anything, he has a huge appetite for runs.
Many batsmen have the appetite to bat for long, and it is just about spending time in the middle. But with Conway, it is about runs and how he can get those and he also prefers to bat the distance even in T20s because he believes that the finisher’s role isn’t just restricted to No 6 or 7, even an opener should do it,” Sriram added.
Chennai Super Kings batter Devon Conway plays a shot during the IPL 2023 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings, at M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, Sunday, April 30, 2023. (PTI Photo)
Those angles that Conway creates with his blade are unique, as these are not the pockets that fielding teams usually cover, or the ones that the bowlers usually plan around. With a compact defence to fall back on, Conway has also developed a strong front-foot play that is essential to play in the sub-continent.
These are contrasting conditions that he grew up playing cricket in South Africa and even when he migrated to Wellington to pursue cricket, he played most of his domestic cricket in New Zealand at Basin Reserve, a venue where bounce is a key characteristic. “It is a big credit to him how far he has developed his front-foot play. Usually, batsmen who play on bouncy pitches, tend to get stuck in the crease and hesitate to come forward. But Conway has successfully overcome that and uses his feet well,” Sriram said.
Conway isn’t the most eye-pleasing sort, he may even look clumsy at times, but watch his follow-through, especially when he plays shots on the leg side. It goes through a full motion, often ending up with the bat positioned over his head, with his left leg hanging in the air, a clear sign that he is relying more on timing than power. “Apart from the foot-movement, his timing adds a different dimension to his game, and perhaps explains why he is good against spinners in sub-continental conditions. He doesn’t muscle them or try to hit them out of the park, but relies on timing. When you are looking to time the ball and you are good at it, you would definitely find ways to score and that is what Conway is doing,” Sriram added.
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