Chennai 6 runs after 1 over
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Kolkata will bank on home support against Delhi
KOLKATA: At the Eden Gardens on Thursday, Shah Rukh Khan's men resume the journey they undertook last season - to put the chaos behind them and claim their rightful place in the IPL.
With key changes in personnel and a new skipper in Gautam Gambhir last year, Kolkata had their best-ever finish in the tournament, but a last-four berth was still considered 'below par' for the most high-profile franchise.
If 'going all the way' is the belief they begin with, Kolkata will be grateful that they take on a Team Delhi that is dangerously depleted. With many players mopping up their international commitments before arriving for the big T20 bash in India, Delhi will be without the likes of Mahela Jayawardene, Kevin Pietersen and David Warner. New Zealander Ross Taylor is out with a broken arm. In contrast, Kolkata will miss only James Pattinson.
If this imbalance on the 'missing men' front encourages Gambhir and his troops, they will be sobered by the thought that in the game's shortest format, it doesn't take too many to turn a match on its head. While Virender Sehwag, who leads the Delhi outfit, is potentially a one-man army irrespective of his dip in form, Irfan Pathan is a man on an upsurge.
But, then, Team Kolkata don't just have the personnel from last year's 'turnaround' show, they have also strengthened their squad with impressive new acquisitions. Brendon McCullum, who had launched the team with that blistering 158 in the inaugural edition, is back and the top-order looks ominous. The Kiwi may well open with Jacques Kallis with Gambhir slipping up and down the order as per the situation.
South Africa's Morne Morkel, New Zealander Doug Bracewell, Umesh Yadav and Ajit Agarkar present appetising options for Delhi in the pace bowling department. With the pace department so well-stacked, Jharkhand sensation Varun Aaron, who is coming back from injury, may just have to wait. But Delhi do seem a trifle short on spin, a department that is teeming with talent in the Kolkata camp. If Shakib-al Hasan added real bite to their spin last year, the options have been further boosted by the induction of West Indian spinner Sunil Narine.
The hosts may well be tempted to present a slow turner, which surprised and felled a few visitors last year. But, then, they are increasingly acquiring an all-weather look about them.
Sibling rivalry too much to handle for Irfan Pathan
KOLKATA: Irfan Pathan, back from injury and "enjoying every moment" of his time with the game, should have been raring to go as Team Delhi prepare for their opening battle in IPL 5 against Team Kolkata on Thursday at Eden Gardens. Instead, he's left with mixed feelings.
"This is the only game of cricket that I don't enjoy. It's something I think I can't handle," Irfan declared at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday as the prospect of taking on brother Yusuf loomed on the horizon. "Otherwise, I love this game; I want to play every day if I can. Honestly, I didn't think it would be upon me first up in the IPL," he added in the same breath.
Then, almost as if he was admonishing himself, the all-rounder reminded that "we are professional cricketers and have to be honest to our teams" before he conjured up a likely and 'dreaded' scenario.
"Just yesterday we were talking and I told him that hope a situation doesn't arise where I'm bowling the last over to him with 10 or 15 runs required. This is the only time I'd be thinking negative; otherwise I love a challenge," he said, before settling for a 'solution'. "The best would be if he scores a 50 or a 100 and we go on to win the match," Irfan smiled.
With Wasim Akram around as Team Kolkata's bowling consultant, is he going to seek his tips too?
"It's too short a time. I only got to say a 'hello' today," said Irfan, who sees Team Kolkata as having "some of the most talented cricketers in the IPL and a good leader in Gautam Gambhir".
Irfan views his comeback from a career-threatening back injury as his "second innings". "This is god's gift. I am enjoying every moment, whether it's boarding the bus or practising. I am counting my blessings," he said.
Not even thinking of an Oz berth: Marsh
MUMBAI: Shaun Marsh's sabbatical to rebuild his game for a spot in the Australian squad starts with IPL 5. The Aussie big-hitter, who intends to give Team Punjab the thrust to go the distance, spoke to TOI on his personal form, struggle to mount a comeback into the national side and much more.
Excerpts...
Team Punjab looks a balanced side. Where do you see the team finishing this IPL?
We are looking very good for IPL 5. We are hoping to get one step better than last year and make the final. It's disappointing for Broadie (Stuart Broad) that he got injured. I've no idea whether he's available or not but, obviously, it would be nice to have him over here because he's a world-class bowler.
Your form must be a concern as Punjab will depend on your batting...
Yeah (sighs), I had a pretty disappointing summer for Australia. I am looking refreshed now having been away from the game for a while. I am looking forward to performing in the IPL, hopefully, play well and get some runs under my belt. In T20, whether you're in form or out-of-form, you go there and play with freedom. You don't have to worry a lot about your form. You walk in, play a few shots and you're in the zone...
New season, new plans - have you been briefed about your role this year?
I arrived on Monday but knowing Adam Gilchrist, who is captain and coach, he will get the boys up and going. We had a great team spirit last year, and there's no doubt that the team would be bonding with the same intensity under him. I want to contribute to my team, stick there and enjoy my cricket. I am also looking to help the young guys coming through with my experience as much as possible. I have done so in the previous IPLs and I don't think this edition will be any different. We can't wait to kick start our campaign this season. We are hoping to get off to a good start and get the momentum going early.
Do you think the Australian selectors might consider your case if you perform well in the IPL?
I am sure the (Aussie) selectors will take note of all the Aussie players playing in the IPL. It's a big tournament in world cricket now having moved into its fifth year. Obviously, if any of us perform well over here especially when it's off season in Australia, I am sure the selectors will take note of that.
Will the slump and pressure to perform affect your game?
Getting back to the Australian team is the farthest thing in my mind at the moment. I have a job to do here for the Punjab boys and that's where my thoughts are going to at the moment.
What do you feel is the strength of the team this year?
We have a good bowling line-up. Obviously, Praveen Kumar heads the list. He's a very clever bowler and when Ryan Harris comes he's going to be a big boost for us. We have the young Jimmy Faulkner, who performed very well in Australia this summer for the Melbourne Stars in Big Bash. I am looking forward to seeing him play. And then we have some fantastic young spinners like Piyush Chawla. Our bowling is stacked up and if we can bowl and bat well in the first game, we'll have a strong chance to go the distance this year.
Moreover, if there's a bit of grass on the wicket in Mohali and Dharamsala and we bowl to the conditions, it would be tough for the visiting teams any day. Our bowlers will, hopefully, put us in a good position to do well in the tournament.
Which is the team to beat in your view?
You can't really go past Chennai. They have been pretty consistent over the last three or four seasons. So, they're going to be the team to beat again, but I am backing Chennai to play well. We beat them last year and proved that we can be a tough team too. But unless we do that consistently they will have the upper hand.
Mumbai off to flying start, crush Chennai by 8 wickets in IPL opener
CHENNAI: It suddenly became unknown territory for Team Chennai at their Fort Chepauk and Mumbai made full use of it to get their IPL campaign off to a flying start.
The eight-wicket loss was CSK's first in IPL at home since April 15, 2010 and it had a lot to do with the grass on the relaid pitch. The ball was doing a bit and the Mumbai Indians bowlers hit the right length, which made things difficult for the famed Chennai top-order. Once pushed to the back foot, it wasn't easy for the batsmen to play with the kind of freedom that they are used to and the variety in the Mumbai attack did the rest.
Things got worse for Chennai with three run-outs (Faf Du Plessis, MS Dhoni and R Ashwin) as the Mumbai fielders made use of every opportunity that came their way. The tone was set by Ambatti Rayudu in the very first over when he had Du Plessis with a direct hit from cover. The runs didn't flow during the PowerPlay and as Chennai tried to take liberties against the spinners, they lost wickets to the guile of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha (2-17). Raina (36 off 26 balls) looked the dangerman for Mumbai, but he, too, holed out in the deep and Chennai were in trouble. And when Dhoni, a brilliant runner between the wickets, failed to beat a throw from Abu Nachem Ahmed, there was no way back for the Men in Yellow.
113 is hardly a target for Mumbai's batting and all they had to do was not to lose early wickets. Sachin Tendulkar saw that Albie Morkel was making the ball talk and he left a few, which is a rarity in T20 cricket. And when there was anything marginally loose, Tendulkar made full use of it. There was a lot of interest about the other opener Richard Levi (50 off 35 balls), who was making his IPL debut. Levi, with the fastest T20 international ton, was under no pressure and with the Little Master guiding him, things became easy.
The Chepauk crowd, though, got a feel of Levi's hitting talent as he hit a few out of the park with hardly any backlift. However, once he got out, there was a bit of a flutter as Rohit Sharma failed against the bouncing ball and got out while Tendulkar retired hurt after getting hit on his left hand by Doug Bollinger snorter that jumped from a length.
Things could have got trickier if Chennai had managed two more wickets at that stage, but James Franklin and Rayudu put their heads down finished the job.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)