Pune Warrior vs Royal Challenger Bangalore

Pune Warriors have just pride to play for while Royal Challengers Bangalore would do a world of good to their play-off chances if they win Indian Premier League clash between the two sides on Friday.

After their crushing nine-wicket win over Mumbai Indians, Bangalore are placed fourth in the table while Warriors are languishing at number eight.
It will be a big challenge for Warriors to arrest their slide as they are coming into the clash with six straight defeats.
They have failed to fire as a unit as their batting has flopped and bowlers too have not made the desired impact.

Nothing has worked for the hosts. Neither the inclusion of Australian skipper Michael Clarke nor the change in batting order. All their efforts have been fruitless as the league has progressed.
Bangalore too have their own problems, but they have in their ranks a game-changer in Chris Gayle, who has made a significant contribution in keeping his side in play-off contention.

His whirlwind batting shifts the momentum in his side's favour at any given point of time. Then they have AB de Villiers, who on his day is a match-winner and stand-in captain Virat Kohli, who is gradually getting into the groove.
It is not known if regular skipper Daniel Vettori would return for Friday's clash. And if he does so, the team will have a headache to exclude one foreign recruit.
Tillakaratne Dilshan did well on Wednesday along with Gayle and Muttiah Muralitharan too has done well after being inducted into the side again. But if either of the two will have to make the way for the captain if he returns.

Their bowling looks too good for Warriors with Zaheer Khan and R Vinay Kumar in good form. Vinay Kumar after his lively first spell against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday, has raised the expectations level.

The pace duo is expected to do well against struggling Warriors batsmen. Of all of them, only two -- Jesse Ryder and Manish Pandey -- have managed to score a half-century.

Injury to in-form Kiwi batsman Ryder has just compounded their problems. They need batting to fire in unison if they are to upstage formidable Bangalore.
Skipper Sourav Ganguly too has to lead from the front, although he is not the same batsman as he used to be even a couple of years back.
© PTI

Man behind Dare devils

Sport is often termed as a great leveler. A term that portrays how an individual or a team can be a hero one day and wake up the next, feeling like an absolute nobody. It is this roller coaster of emotions that defines sport and makes it such a desirable commodity. Cricket is no exception to this phenomenon, and that point has already been proved in this season of the Indian Premier League, which has showcased several peaks and troughs.
A recent pop classic that sent the record charts booming was Gotye's "Somebody that I used to Know", and that was exactly how the fans of the Delhi Daredevils would have felt about their franchise after the previous edition of the Indian Premier League, that saw the side slump to the bottom of the table. That feeling, however, has already been shed away with quite quickly this year, as Delhi have romped to the top half of the table and have executed a turnaround as good as any that sport or at least cricket, has seen. Just as any turnaround though, this one too involved some shrewd planning, restructuring and most importantly off loading.
The one man who pulled the strings and was brave enough to risk losing a few friends was Mr. T.A. Sekar, the mentor of the Delhi Daredevils. He decided that it was time for the side to undergo a complete overhaul and it had to start right from the root. As T.A Sekar put it, it was time for a new leader, "the general consensus was to bring in a new coach. Sehwag and the rest of us felt that we needed a new set of thoughts and ideas. Unless a team is doing really well, my opinion is that the coach shouldn't be the same for more than three to four years."
Out went Greg Shipperd and in came Eric Simmons, former assistant coach of the same franchise. A man who had been with the Daredevils through all the ups and downs and had moulded the players into what they are. That solitary change though, was definitely not going to cut it for Delhi, and T.A. Sekar was wise enough to know that. His plan ran deeper than just changing the coach. In the previous season, apart from the skipper Sehwag and Warner at the top, Delhi had shown a clear lack of resources in the batting department. There was a void, a gaping hole that needed to be plugged and Sekar decided to do just that, with a few shrewd purchases. Purchases that were made with some meticulous planning and application of pure cricketing logic.
"During the trading window when Deccan were willing to trade KP, Sehwag said that he would like to include him in the team. I knew Warner was going to play for Australia and that was why we bought KP. So basically KP's exit and Warner's entry was actually very well planned." That statement by Sekar was just a glimpse of the strategic buys that he was on road to making. If the top order was being fortified then there was a need to back it up with a strong middle order as well. That was exactly what DD's mentor did by cashing in on the misfortune of another franchise, "when the Kochi team was disbanded, we thought we needed an experienced cricketer who can anchor the innings and be a good support on the field. That is why we marked Mahela Jayawardene, he is one of the best cricketing brains going around in the world now."
Delhi already had a sound top three and after capturing Ross Taylor in the following trading window, the men behind the scenes could plan out a clear cut strategy. As the former India pacer put it, "we thought of going in with a combination of foreign batsmen and Indian bowlers and hence bought Taylor at the last day of the trade." There was an exception to this strategy though, an exception that went a long way in influencing Delhi's success in the tournament, Morne Morkel. For a bowler who comes in and hits the deck hard at around 140 km/h, the subcontinent wickets might not prove to be the ideal playground, however, Sekar was of a different opinion. "You will see that bowlers who bowl at speeds of 140 are always successful. When a batsmen is trying to hit and you bowl at 140 plus, then it becomes very difficult to hit through long-on and long-off. Morne Morkel is a tall bowler and because of the height, when he pitches the ball he gets a lot of bounce, which makes it very difficult for the batsmen to hit."
Quite clearly the bowling coach had performed a startling make over, one that filled all the gaps and transformed Delhi into a well rounded unit. The most important thing though was that the transformation was done keeping in mind the long term goals and was not performed as a quick fix solution. As the former Tamil Nadu player says, "we built this team for the present, as well as the future." That is a statement of intent, a statement that well and truly shows that Delhi mean business and plan to do it consistently over the years to come.

Morkel does it againnnnnnnnn

Chennai Super Kings kept alive their chances of qualifying for the play-offs by eking out a four-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in a crucial Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.
After restricting Rajasthan to 126 for six, CSK rode on Albie Morkel and Srikkanth Anirudha's late bursts to romp home with 11 balls to spare.
However, CSK's run chase was off to a bad start as they lost wickets at regular intervals to totter at 84 for six at one stage.
Chasing a modest total, CSK were dealt an early blow when Shane Watson went through the defence of a struggling Murali Vijay in the first over.
New man in Suresh Raina (23 off 17) played a cameo before he was brilliantly caught by Ajinkya Rahane off Pankaj Singh.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to promote Dwayne Bravo up the order failed to yield the desired result after the West Indian was caught at deep square-leg by Stuart Binny off Siddharth Trivedi in the 12th over.
To make matters worse for CSK, Michael Hussey fell victim to an unnecessary mix up with Dhoni in the next over.
Needing 30 off the last three overs, Morkel and Anirudha scored identical knocks of 18 off six and stitched an undefeated 43 runs for the seventh wicket to guide CSK to the vital win.
Morkel and Anirudha tore apart the Australian duo of Watson and Shaun Tait to notch up the required runs in 18.1 overs.
By virtue of this win, CSK moved up to the fourth position in the standings with 13 points from as many games, while Rajasthan have slipped to the sixth spot with 12 points from 13 games.

CSK into top 4

Chennai Super Kings 127 for 6 (Raina 23, Morkel 18*, Anirudha 18*) beat Rajasthan Royals 126 for 6 (Hodge 33, Hilfenhaus 2-8) by four wickets

You can't rule out Chennai Super Kings. They are no strangers to wriggling out of a difficult situation, and they did it again in Jaipur, when it seemed their playoff prospects were in peril. The teams, at a crucial juncture in the season, could ill-afford a slip-up, and Super Kings huffed and puffed in a low-scoring chase but made it thanks to a late onslaught from Albie Morkel and S Anirudha. They completely altered the flow of a game heading for a close finish and, with 13 points in the bag, Super Kings broke into the top four.

Royals were favourites when they had Super Kings at 84 for 6 in the 17th over, the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja, caught in the deep, prompting a roar of relief from a usually calm Rahul Dravid. But Super Kings were always in the game with Morkel around, and Anirudha matched him shot for shot as the Royals bowlers buckled under pressure. That surge, which produced 43 off 13 balls, left the home crowd deflated and Royals stunned by the sudden transformation it wrought.

As has often been the case this IPL, the seamers erred at the death, with attempts at bowling yorkers failing miserably to end up as length deliveries. With 41 needed off 21, Morkel launched Pankaj Singh just over the long-off boundary, a mistimed hit carrying all the way. A top-edged four and a single later, the equation was down to 30 required off three overs.

Not even the experienced Shane Watson could maintain Royals' hold. A length ball was smashed over long-on, and Anirudha, having a go himself instead of giving his senior partner the strike, pulled over the midwicket fence before steering a full toss past point for a boundary. Shaun Tait was brought back with 12 needed off 12, but another pitched up delivery was swung towards cow corner. Tait then bowled Anirudha with a perfect yorker, only to find out he'd overstepped, just marginally, before doling out five wides down the leg side to hasten the finish.

Morkel and Anirudha undid an impressive performance from the Royals bowlers for the bulk of the innings; they had given the hosts hope of defending their lowest score this season. Suresh Raina had looked threatening, finding boundaries with effortless ease but his attempt to go over extra cover failed against Pankaj. Michael Hussey and Dwayne Bravo tried to consolidate but the ball was not coming on well enough on a slow track, and the Royals bowlers, especially Siddharth Trivedi, kept the pressure on with their accuracy. Bravo holed out, Hussey was run out, MS Dhoni slashed one to point and Jadeja soon followed. That was until Morkel and Anirudha got together.

Royals' below-par score owed partly to the frustration of having their innings interrupted three times by rain, but largely to some disciplined bowling by the Super Kings seamers, especially Ben Hilfenhaus, that kept the batsmen in check. Hilfenhaus beat the bat often, getting the ball to nip away past the outside edge, and maintained a tight line in the channel outside off. His victims were Dravid and Watson, both caught while trying to accelerate during a troubling spell; Watson was brilliantly taken by R Ashwin, diving forward at third man.

While Hilfenhaus finished with figures of 2 for 8 in four overs, Yo Mahesh backed him up with the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane and Stuart Binny, out after a brief counterattack. Though Brad Hodge targeted the spinners for a couple of boundaries, and an erratic Bravo was taken for runs, the good work done at the start of the game by Super Kings' bowlers was to serve their middle order well in the end

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Match preview

Neither team is certain yet of a place in the playoffs, but the team under greater pressure is Chennai Super Kings. The two-time champions have 11 points, with six defeats and five wins. They could so easily have had 13 points, had it not been for the freakish last over against Mumbai Indians when Dwayne Smith hammered 14 from the last three balls. Perhaps most daunting for Super Kings is that their four remaining games include two against the current table leaders Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils. A defeat against the Royals could jeopardise their chances of qualifying.

Their batting looked over-dependent on Faf du Plessis but against Mumbai there were encouraging signs as the others chipped in. Du Plessis, though, has been down with a virus and remains doubtful for this game. But Super Kings have shown in previous editions that they are most dangerous when the pressure piles up. In 2010, their bowling was in shambles until Doug Bollinger arrived jet-lagged and transformed their fortunes, coincidentally, against Royals. Bollinger, who missed the last game, is reportedly fit and available for selection. However, du Plessis isn't so sure of being. He tweeted about being down with a virus, which he hopes will disappear soon.

Royals have also played 12 games and are just a point ahead of Super Kings. However, two of their remaining games are against the bottom-placed Deccan Chargers and Pune Warriors, and three of them are at home in Jaipur, where they have a sound record. On paper, Royals have a better chance of qualifying. They are also bolstered by the arrival of Shane Watson, who plundered the Warriors with an unbeaten 90.

Form guide (most recent first, completed games)

Rajasthan Royals: WWLLL

Chennai Super Kings: LWLLW

Players to watch

M Vijay had been in woeful form, scoring only 45 runs in 59 balls until the game against Mumbai Indians, when he smashed 41 off 29 balls. That innings included three sixes and showed signs of his form from the previous season. He has struggled this time and that has contributed to Super Kings' wobble this year. Vijay doesn't have too much time to turn things around but at least he's made a start.

As significant as Watson's 90 was the three-wicket haul by Shaun Tait against Warriors. The unpredictable Australian fast bowler silenced Sourav Ganguly and Michael Clarke with accuracy, pace and swing. The pitch was slow but Tait extracted life out of it.

Stats and trivia

Royals are clearly ahead on the batting front with nine fifty-plus scores to just four for Super Kings.

Super Kings have a 6-4 win-loss record against Royals.

Super Kings dropped just five games in total in 2011. This season, they have already lost six.

Quotes

"If you look at a team like the Delhi Daredevils, you will find guys like Virender Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen finishing off matches for them. We need someone to finish the games off." Super Kings bowling coach Andy Bichel on what the team lacks, though not convinced by the likes of 'finishers' like MS Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo.

"With a couple of teams in contention it looks like 18 points will be needed (to make the playoffs) but we must not worry about what is needed but just play good cricket." Rahul Dravid, Royals' captain

Bichel rues lack of a finisher for CSK

Former Australian speedster and Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Andy Bichel feels that their team is missing a "good finisher" during matches that go down to the wire in this edition of the IPL.
"If you look at a team like the Delhi Daredevils, you will find guys like Virender Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen finishing off matches for them. We need someone to finish the games off.
Our batting group and bowling group is fine, but we need to show character to bounce back. We need to show consistency," Bichel stated on the eve of his team's away match against Rajasthan Royals.
Talking to the media on the eve of their crucial match against Rajasthan Royals, Bichel said that CSK are all set to string a comeback after blowing hot and cold in the first half.
"There is still a chance for us. We are addressing our problems, and trying to bounce back and carry on with that form the rest of the season."
Bichel feels that Mike Hussey's absence during the first part of the tournament certainly had an effect.
"We missed Michael Hussey and players like him and Shane Watson, who give huge inputs to their teams. Watson is a class player and has been doing well for his country and also for the Rajasthan Royals. Others like Rahul Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane, Brad Hodge and Owais Shah also have done well so far.
We can't have any specific strategy for the likes of Watson, but have to bowl a good length. It might work or it may not," he said.
Praising Shaun Tait for his good spells in previous two matches, Bichel said that his team's left--arm seamer Doug Bollinger is fit and available for selection.
"Doug is well now. He would be on the selection list but the team would be finalized on basis of conditions out there," he said
Former Australian speedster and Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Andy Bichel feels that their team is missing a "good finisher" during matches that go down to the wire in this edition of the IPL.
"If you look at a team like the Delhi Daredevils, you will find guys like Virender Sehwag and Kevin Pietersen finishing off matches for them. We need someone to finish the games off.
Our batting group and bowling group is fine, but we need to show character to bounce back. We need to show consistency," Bichel stated on the eve of his team's away match against Rajasthan Royals.
Talking to the media on the eve of their crucial match against Rajasthan Royals, Bichel said that CSK are all set to string a comeback after blowing hot and cold in the first half.
"There is still a chance for us. We are addressing our problems, and trying to bounce back and carry on with that form the rest of the season."
Bichel feels that Mike Hussey's absence during the first part of the tournament certainly had an effect.
"We missed Michael Hussey and players like him and Shane Watson, who give huge inputs to their teams. Watson is a class player and has been doing well for his country and also for the Rajasthan Royals. Others like Rahul Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane, Brad Hodge and Owais Shah also have done well so far.
We can't have any specific strategy for the likes of Watson, but have to bowl a good length. It might work or it may not," he said.
Praising Shaun Tait for his good spells in previous two matches, Bichel said that his team's left--arm seamer Doug Bollinger is fit and available for selection.
"Doug is well now. He would be on the selection list but the team would be finalized on basis of conditions out there," he said

CSK vs RR

Upbeat after their two consecutive victories, Rajasthan Royals would aim for a hat-trick of wins and inch closer to a playoffs spot when they take on an insipid Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match on Thursday.

Rajasthan have the winning momentum with them and have emerged from the shock of four consecutive defeats by posting two impressive wins over Kings XI Punjab and Pune Warriors.

The match will be a keenly-fought contest because a defeat in the match might just spoil the chances of either team to make it to playoffs.

The team composition for the previous two matches has been remarkable for Rajasthan Royals. With Australian all-rounder Shane Watson and pacer Shaun Tait in the side, they have proved that they are better as a team than their more fancied rivals.

Shane Watson has been in fine form both with the bat and ball while Tait has proved that he is more than a handful in conditions that suit him.

The batting of the hosts revolves round the opening partnership of skipper Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane who has surrendered his orange cap to Delhi skipper Virender Sehwag.

Shane Watson, at number three, has added strength by smashing the bowlers while Ashok Menaria, Brad Hodge and Owais Shah have played their role to perfection.

The bowling has been consistent and Shaun Tait, who had to wait for a couple of games to get a chance, has been lethal in the past two matches. The reliable Sidhartha Trivedi and Watson give a settled look to bowling.

On the other hand, champions for the past two years, Chennai Super Kings have not been in prime form this season and are languishing at sixth with five victories and six defeats.

They have not been able to finish off close games and have lacked consistency.

But Chennai have enjoyed a three-day break which might have provided them with enough time to regroup and plan for their remaining four games. The fact that they are the most successful IPL team, having played in three finals and have been victorious twice, should also give them confidence.

Besides, Mahendra Singh Dhoni leads a team that boasts of several international stars who have the ability to turn games.

Their batting has a solid look on paper with Faf du Plessis and Murali Vijay at the top and the likes of Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Dhoni and S Badrinath coming down the order.

All-rounders such as Ravindra Jadeja, Albie Morkel and R Ashwin add depth to the line-up. The bowling appears strong with Ben Hilfenhaus, Morkel, Bravo, Jadeja and Ashwin.

The fact that Chennai beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets at home should also give the visitors some confidence.

The slight drizzle last night has increased the humidity which might also help the visitors.
Teams:
Chennai Super Kings (From): MS Dhoni(w/c), Michael Hussey, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, Albie Morkel, Dwayne Bravo, George Bailey, Srikkanth Anirudha, Faf du Plessis, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ravindra Jadeja, Shadab Jakati, Joginder Sharma, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Vijaykumar Yo Mahesh, Abhinav Mukund, Wriddhiman Saha, Scott Styris, Sudeep Tyagi, K Vasudevadas, Ganapathi Vignesh, Doug Bollinger
Rajasthan Royals (From): Rahul Dravid(c), Stuart Binny, Johan Botha, Deepak Chahar, Dinesh Chandimal, Ankeet Chavan, Aakash Chopra, Paul Collingwood, Kevon Cooper, Aditya Dole, Samad Fallah, Faiz Fazal, Shreevats Goswami(w), Brad Hodge, Ashok Menaria, Sumit Narwal, Pankaj Singh, Amit Paunikar, Ajinkya Rahane, Abhishek Raut, Owais Shah, Pinal Shah, Amit Singh, S Sreesanth, Shaun Tait, Siddharth Trivedi, Shane Watson, Dishant Yagnik, Brad Hogg, Ajit Chandila