This was just the case with the Mumbai Indians (MI) in their match against the King’s XI Punjab (KXIP) on Wednesday, April 29.

It was said before the beginning of the IPL in South Africa that the pitches there were ‘batsmen’s pitches’, but the bowlers of all the teams continuously proved this prophesy wrong. So was the case with the MI. The toss was won by Yuvraj Singh, captain of the KXIP, and they chose to bat first. The openers were, as usual, Ravi Bopara and Karan Goel. The bowling attack, meanwhile, opened with Zaheer Khan of the MI.

After an uneventful first over, the second over was bowled by Lasith Malinga. He conceded just one run in the over. Next on the attack came Harbhajan Singh, and soon the man weaved his magic with the ball, resulting in the very first wicket falling, (due to stumping by P. Shah); the man to be dismissed being Karan Goel who had by then managed to make 12 runs off 12 balls, playing at the strike rate of a perfect 100.

The next man to come in was Kumara Sangakarra. The game had barely progressed when the second blow was struck to the KXIP in the form of Ravi Bopara who fell victim to Bravo’s ball (caught by Sachin Tendulkar) and got out after making 6 runs off 14 balls. The next man in was the skipper himself, but he too couldn’t stand the assault by JP Duminy, (caught by Zaheer), and got out after making 10 runs from 13 balls. Next came Jayawardene, but he too didn’t last long, going down on a ball by fellow country mate on the national team, Sanath Jayasurya.

Irfan Pathan, Mota, Piyush Chawla and Ramesh Powar came in next, none of them staying too long. The only person who made a significant contribution was Sangakarra who stayed till the end of the innings, which, on completion, stood at what looked like a very ‘gettable’ total of 120 runs. (KXIP ended at 119 – 8).

In such a format of the game as is the IPL, where fours and sixes come by the dozen, the King’s XI team managed to hit only two sixes, which showed just how strong the MI bowling was.

Next, it was time for the MI to bat, and as the two stalwarts – and heroes of the last game against Kolkata – came on the field, spirits among the fans on the MI were high, as the total looked small enough for the two of them – Tendulkar and Jayasurya – to get it themselves. However, that was not to be, and after delivering a wide on the very first ball of the innings, Irfan Pathan struck big on the second ball, dismissing Jayasurya, and the MI scoreboard read 0 – 1. Now, all hopes were pinned on Tendulkar, but the man who usually rises to the challenge, was unable to do so this time, and he got out on a ball by V. Malik (caught by Jayawardene) after making only one run off six balls. Now, it was upto J. P. Duminy and Shikar Dhawan to get the MI to the total of 120 runs.

But Dhawan fell prey to Yusuf Abdulla, and Bravo came in next to bat. In the sixth over, Duminy hit two consecutive fours and eased the tension in the MI camp just a little bit. (Duminy was the only player in the MI team who stayed on the field for a considerable amount of time and when he got out towards the end, he had made 59 runs off 63 balls). Then Bravo got out, and the trend continued until it was down to the last ball when 5 runs were needed. What was required was a six, but even a four would tie the game, leading to a ‘super over’. But that didn’t prove to be necessary, because Ramesh Powar stopped the ball and the KXIP won the game by three runs.

It was a match worth watching, in that, in spite of putting up such a small total, Yuvi and his boys came out strong and attacked, rather than defended, and that, combined with superb fielding, resulted in them winning the match. Sangakarra was declared Man of the Match.

By – Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala
http://rasharsiblog.blogspot.com/

This sure was the case in the 17th match of the IPL – Mumbai Indians (MI) v/s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). After a not-so-good performance in the previous matches by both teams, expectations were high among the supporters on both sides.

Sachin Tendulkar, captain of the MI, won the toss and elected to bat first. Right from the start, the two opening batsmen – Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasurya – came down strong on the bowlers of the KKR.

The match saw quite a few landmarks, namely, one of the best totals put up by a team in the first innings, (187 runs), a fantastic partnership between the two openers of the MI, and, the most important of all, Sachin Tendulkar’s highest ever IPL total (68 runs).

Right from the beginning of the match, the KKR looked under pressure (evident from the mis-fielding in the very first ball, and also from the fact that Anureet Singh had to retire while trying to save a four hit by Tendulkar early in the match). The match was especially memorable because not even one wicket had fallen till the end of the first 10 overs. When Tendulkar finally did get out on an LBW appeal, (superb bowling by Lakshmi Shukla), it was not before he had made an amazing 68 runs off only 45 balls.

A surprising development was Harbhajan Singh coming in at 1-down. However, he did his job, and before he fell prey to Mendis, (caught out), he had hit two sixes, and made a total of 18 runs off just eight balls.

Then came Abhishek Nayar and J. P. Duminy, who failed to make any significant contributions. All this while, Jayasurya had stayed put, but finally got out on a ball by Shukla once again. However, he had, by then, made a fantastic 52 runs off only 32 balls. Thereafter, the wickets started falling in quick succession, but by the time the 20 overs were completed, the damage had been done, with the MI ending with a fabulous 187 – 6.

Like they say, ‘the game of cricket is never over until it’s over’, expectations were once again riding high on the openers of the KKR, Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle. However, due to immense pressure on the two, only four runs were made in the first over. Soon, the wickets started falling as first McCullum (who got out on a ball by Lasith Malinga; one run off six balls) and then Gayle (ball – Bravo, catch – Tendulkar; 12 runs off 11 balls) got out. Former captain of the KKR, Saurav Ganguly, and Brad Hodge managed to get a 50 run partnership off 39 balls, but just when things were beginning to look up, they got out, too. From then on, it was a downward fall for the KKR, and before they knew it, they were all out after having made only 95 runs, thus losing by more that 90 runs, one of the worst scores ever by any team in an IPL match.

From the get-go, the MI looked determined to win the match. The ‘DLF Maximum’ award for hitting the maximum number of sixes was shared by the two openers of the MI, Tendulkar and Jayasurya, and the Man of the Match prize was also given to Tendulkar, while Lasith Malinga claimed the purple cap for taking the maximum number of wickets in the series till now.

By far one of the most entertaining matches in the season so far, this victory scooted the MI to the third position (where they must be very happy to be) and looking to make it to the top spot.

–    Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala
http://rasharsiblog.blogspot.com/

One can surely say that about the 15th match of the IPL, held on April 26, 2009, between King’s XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals.

What started out as a fantastic game for the Rajasthan Royals, (what with the first wicket falling on the very first ball of the innings) soon became anybody’s match. After the fall of four wickets, all in quick succession of one another, the King’s XI looked under mighty pressure.

None of the players from the team of Punjab managed to stay on the field for very long under the expert bowling of Kamran Khan, and excellent fielding by Asnodkar (responsible for the fall of Karan Goel’s wicket on the very first ball due to stumping) and the rest of the team.

After the fall of the wickets of Yuvraj Singh – who looked very upset about it – and Irfan Pathan – who made sure that the team made a respectable total – it looked like all was lost. But the saving grace (and eventual Man of the Match) for the King’s XI, was Kumara Sangakarra, with his commendable 60 runs off only 51 balls. At the end of 20 overs, King’s XI Punjab were 6 wickets down and had managed to make a decent, if not great, 139 runs, while in the beginning, a total of even 120 looked difficult for them.

Then, it was the turn of the defending champions to bat. It looked like an easy total which they should have gotten without difficulty, but Irfan Pathan, still going strong and carrying on in the bowling from where he left off in the batting, took two important top order wickets. Soon, the wickets started falling, and after the fall of Ravinder Jadeja and Yusuf Pathan’s wickets – the last hopes of the Rajasthan Royals – the team’s fate was pretty-much decided.

Although the Rajasthan Royals lost the match by a big margin, (making this the second win for the King’s XI team on the trot) what is worth mentioning is Shane Warne’s amazing captaincy. He may not have shown his true worth as a bowler, (and indeed, his bowling did contribute to the opposition scoring many runs) his spirit on the field was very encouraging. Although he couldn’t run between the wickets very often, he did make it a point to stay right till the end, and, even while his team was fielding, whenever the opposite team’s player played well, he acknowledged it by applauding. Also, whenever his own team members mis-fielded – unlike other captains – he did not reprimand them; instead, he spoke to them about where they were going wrong; just like a true captain would.

All in all, it was a great game, and while it must have acted as a morale booster for the King’s XI, the Rajasthan Royals can be expected to come back stronger and better the next time!

- By Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala

http://rasharsiblog.blogspot.com/

Match Preview

The battle within the battle is the one between two pro-active captains who like leading from the front. While Adam Gilchrist has been a magnificent wicketkeeper-batsmen, Kevin Pietersen one feels has been under-used as a bowler for England.

We have the bat

Bangalore may bring back Jesse Ryder for this match. If he takes the place of Kallis, B Akhil will get the nod into the eleven. If Ryder comes in for Taylor which looks more likely, Bangalore may play Rajesh Bishnoi again or bring in another pure batsman or even play young Goswami.

Deccan’s batting line up has largely remained untested after the first match. They will need two of their top four to fire if they are to post or chase a good score.

Overall, Bangalore look one up in the batting department and it will be just a matter of time before the likes of Ryder, Pietersen and Uthappa come into their own.

We have the ball

Praveen Kumar was splendid in the first match but wasn’t quite up to the mark in the second one. Dale Steyn has picked wickets at the death but hasn’t been much penetrative at the start. Bangalore will have big hopes of him. Kumble is likely to be a big factor in this match as most of the Chargers’ batsmen except Laxman are likely to find him too hot to handle.

Deccan would want Pragyan Ojha to continue his good run and will hope Fidel Edwards can do a repeat of the performance against Kolkata. Others apart from these could be cause for concern if these two fail to pick many wickets.

Patrolling Party

Bangalore were exceptional in the field in the first match but were off the boil in the second one. Deccan have Gibbs at point but Bangalore overall look to have a slight edge.

High on betting meter

Deccan are marginally high on most betting meters with odds between 0.92 and 0.99 as against Bangalore’s 1 to 1.06

 Who gets the tick?

Deccan will depend on Gilchrist, Gibbs and Fidel Edwards. If we don’t see a scintillating show stealing performance from any of these three, Bangalore will cruise through.

Editorial: Mohit Goyal
goyalmohit.blogspot.com

Captaincy is not an issue at Kings XI Punjab but skipper Yuvi who has come into the IPL with poor form and had an ordinary season with the bat last year will want to prove a point or two. The issue of captaincy has a become a clash of egos in the Kolkata camp and Mc Cullum, Buchanan and SRK will all need a win here to raise their collars.

We have the bat

While the performances of Gayle or Mc Cullum at the top will make or break it for Kolkata, Yuvraj and Sangakkara are the two men around whom Punjab’s batting will revolve. A big performance from any of these players will almost certainly rule other small pawns out of the game.

Ganguly and Chopra for Kolkata and Jayawardene for Punjab haven’t promised much but can play crucial roles if they leave anchor and others play with freedom.

We have the ball
Both these teams are not very strong bowling units but Kolkata have a slight edge with Ishant and Murali Kartik looking good. If the pitch in Durban too assists the slower bowlers, Gayle could be a valuable contributor for Kolkata and so could be Yuvraj for Punjab. Kolkata may look to bring in Mendis and push in Indian like Saha or Pujara in place of Brad Hodge. Mendis could wreak havoc if the pitch suits him.

Patrolling Party
Both the teams are average fielding units. Yuvraj may play a crucial role for Punjab.

High on betting meter

Punjab may be higher on betting meter but the bookies might be in for a surprise.

 Who gets the tick?

Yuvraj, Sangakkara, Gayle and Mc Cullum…. Look out for these four men and you will get the vibes about the result.

Editorial: Mohit Goyal
www.goyalmohit.blogspot.com

Indian premier League 2009

Match Preview – Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings at St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth

The last series between India and England was tipped as a tussle between MSD and KP, the supposedly best captains in world cricket. Kevin Pietersen must surely have felt hard done, with mediocre resources as compared to Dhoni’s armor. This might be his chance to have a say and press his case and also hit the English Cricket Board below the belt.

We have the bat

Royal Challengers look the strongest batting side in the competition, at least on the paper. Jesse Ryder can be devastating on his day, while Ross Taylor would like to make amends for his stupid walk towards the off side in the first match which enabled Dmitri Mascarenhas to dislodge his leg stump.

Chennai have firepower with Hayden, Raina, Dhoni and Morkel but Flintoff has been below par with the bat in last few years. Also, there is a question mark over the abilities of Parthiv, Badrinath and Joginder on these bouncy pitches.

We have the ball

Dale Steyn and Anil Kumble are top notch performers but Praveen Kumar would require help from the pitch and conditions to be as effective as he was in the first match. Akhil and Vinay Kumar weren’t tested in the first match. If the pitch has something in it for the bowlers, Challengers may look to play Kallis in place of Ryder and bring in a batter in place of Akhil.

Chennai’s spin department will be bolstered by the likely inclusion Muttiah Muralitharan in place of Thushara. Albie Morkel in place of Jacob Oram will beef up the batting but bring down pace battery’s reliability.

Patrolling Party

While Chennai were not up to the mark in their first match, Bangalore were just exhilarating on the field and Virat Kohli was sensational. Uthappa surprisingly did a splendid job behind the wickets and looked at ease keeping to Kumble (extremely rare to find such keepers). Chennai will have a superb athlete in the outfield with the inclusion of Albie but over all they will need to tighten up a bit.

High on betting meter

Chennai are high on most betting meters but this result of this match may reverse the odds when these two teams meet the next time.

 Who gets the tick?

This match will be a battle between Bangalore’s top order and Gony, Flintoff and Murali’s bowling. Whether Bangalore get off to a quick start or Chennai restrict them and pick quick wickets, is likely to decide the outcome of this match.
Editorial © 2009 iplcricketforum.com

dr.mohitgoyal@gmail.com
www.goyalmohit.blogspot.com