Under dark clouds
The IPL-6 grand finale is here but minus some of the usual fanfare associated with it due to extraneous reasons linked to the spot-fixing and betting saga.
Whether Sunday’s big final between the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians can provide succour to the former champions is anybody’s guess but fans are now looking at everything with a critical eye and not with the gutso of diehards.
CSK are under scrutiny following the arrest of team principal Gurunath Meiyappan and skipper M.S. Dhoni will want his team not to get distracted by the developments, specifically calls to suspend the franchise.
The threat of showers and a feeble crowd response, evident in Friday’s Qualifier 2 between Mumbai and the Rajasthan Royals, are also likely to play a dampener in the high profile contest.
All said but CSK will be a tough nut to crack for Mumbai, the two having played the 2010 final where the men in yellow prevailed. CSK will drive strength from the fact that they have been the most consistent team in the league, winning it twice in succession and missing out the final only once in six seasons.
Their ability to rise to the occasion in situations like these, like the way they did in Qualifier 1 against the same opposition in Delhi, is likely to play a role in the quest. The Husseys, Rainas and Vijays carry the weight of expectations with aplomb and efficiency.
And Dhoni’s finishing powers apart from a canny mind of a skipper, at par with the best in the business, gives their team a real chance of sealing their third IPL title.
Dhoni’s bowlers have done a commendable job led by R. Ashwin and the skipper has a trump card in all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja who is enjoying turning it around for his team in crunch situations.
Mumbai finished on top in the two league encounters against CSK but faltered when it mattered in Qualifier 1. On Sunday, there will be no second chances and Mumbai will need to get their act together with bat, ball and in the field to rattle the Kings.
Dwayne Smith firing at the top is good news for Mumbai, but they will be worried that skipper Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard haven’t contributed much in the last two matches. There is no confirmation yet whether Sachin Tendulkar will play in the match. If he does, Aditya Tare, who showed intent in a 35-run knock against the Royals, will have to make way.
Mumbai’s bowling played a crucial role in their progress to the playoffs but in the last two games, the death overs have left a lot to be desired. Senior campaigners like Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga have to stem the flow of runs towards the end.
If they can do that and Harbhajan Singh continue with his miserly ways in the middle overs, Mumbai may well have the CSK strokemakers in control.
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