Missing in action at Chepauk: Identity, creativity and energy

ERM. Hmmm. Oh. Meh. These may be the only words or expressions to accurately capture the three hours inside the MA Chidambaram Stadium from 7.30 PM.

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At its best, it's a cauldron of colour, noise and joy. An emotion.On Friday night, it was a lifeless circular wall for large parts of Chennai Super Kings' latest anaemic offering dressed in the garb of a T20 match.

What do you prefer? An hour without a boundary? Got you covered. Allowing Moeen Ali to bowl a wicket-maiden in the powerplay? Yep, done. Crashing to their lowest ever total at Chepauk? Tick. Playing out 61 dots -- more than half the innings -- across a T20 innings? Yes.

Just like Manchester United of late, this version of CSK keeps creating unwanted records all over the place. They have now lost five matches in a row in a single season for the first time ever. This is also the first time they have lost three back-to-back matches at their beloved home.

There was a time when teams would get psyched by the mere thought of playing in or against Chennai, such was the respect they commanded. These days? It's approaching 'lads, it's Chennai' territory.