Struggling Mumbai Indian need to Make Batting side better

Struggling Mumbai Indian need to Make Batting side better

   April 25, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Mumbai Indians (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Struggling Mumbai Indian need to Make Batting side better

Chennai Super Kings have been one of the busier teams in the UAE, and on Friday will play their third game inside five days. However, they may not be complaining too much about the short turnaround time, given that they have built up a winning momentum after their last two games. After steamrolling Delhi Daredevils, they were stretched by Rajasthan Royals while batting. Their bowlers stepped up for the second time after a horror opening game against Kings XI Punjab, suggesting that they are developing their all-round game early in the tournament.

Mumbai Indians on the other hand have had the last five days to regroup and reassess their poor start to the tournament, having dropped both games with underwhelming performances. Their batting was a letdown on both occasions and the problems begin at the top. Michael Hussey was never an explosive starter while at Chennai Super Kings. He could afford to be the steady accumulator due to the presence of big hitters lower down the order who would routinely shore up the innings. While Hussey is yet to find his feet in his new franchise, it wouldn't be fair to lay the blame on him.

MI have hitters down the order in the form of Corey Anderson and Kieron Pollard, but the lack of contributions from them has compounded their problems, as scores of 122 and 115 suggest. Even their experienced seam attack of Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga need a fighting total to defend, as was the case against Royal Challengers Bangalore, where 115 was still inadequate after having the opposition down at 17 for 3.

Corey Anderson was Mumbai's second-most expensive buy at the auction, behind Hussey, at INR 4.5 crore. Though it's still early days for him in the IPL, he is yet to show what he's capable of. He played eight balls for 2 before he was bowled by Sunil Narine and against Royal Challengers he made 18 off 19 with two fours. He has the power to clear the big boundaries in Dubai. Mumbai need him to step up as a lower-order finisher.

Super Kings have preferred to go in with a more inexperienced Indian seam attack comprising Mohit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey instead of the more experienced Ashish Nehra. Mohit was economical against Daredevils, conceding 17 off three overs and against Royals he bowled two overs for 13. Mohit has been difficult to get away when MS Dhoni stands up to the stumps, which suggests that the captain uses him as a run-saving option. Mohit said that the back of a length deliveries work better in the Dubai pitch, which wasn't the easiest to bat on in Super Kings' last game.

in Short : 

• Mumbai Indians are the only team against whom Chennai Super Kings have a negative win-loss record in the IPL. Super Kings have lost 9 games against Mumbai while only winning 6, out of 15 games 
• The highest run-scorer and the highest wicket-taker in matches between these teams are from Super Kings. Raina has scored 414 runs, while Dwayne Bravo has taken 20 wickets (though he is out of this tournament). 

Mumbai Indians have had the last five days to regroup and reassess their poor start to the tournament.

Kanishkaa Balachandran | ESPNcricinfo 

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why Royal Challengers Bangalore lose game - GAME 11

why Royal Challengers Bangalore lose game - GAME 11

   April 25, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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why Royal Challengers Bangalore lose game - GAME 11 ?

IPL 7, GAME 11—Vinay's over, Lynn's catch turns last-over finish in KKR's favour.

How quickly does a Twenty20 game change? Ask Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

For virtually the entire match it was in their grasp: their bowlers had combined to limit Kolkata Knight Riders to 150 on a flat track in Sharjah, their openers had put them on course in the chase, and even though Yuvraj Singh flapped about towards the end, the asking-rate was never out of hand. Even at the start of the final over with two renowned finishers, AB de Villiers and Albie Morkel, in the middle, Royal Challengers were favourites.

Nine runs were needed, and Knight Riders' two major threats, Sunil Narine and Morne Morkel, had bowled out. Vinay Kumar stepped up to the job and delivered an over filled with full deliveries that kept his old team down to six, sparking delirious celebrations from the Knight Riders camp.

When a bowler defends nine off the final over in a Twenty20, that too against some of the finest hitters in the world, you'd expect him to hog the headlines. 

It is Chris Lynn who everyone will be talking about, however, after he took an acrobatic catch to send back de Villiers and turn the game in the final over.

De Villiers was looking to clear the long boundary at midwicket - the pitch was at the edge of the square - and though he connected well, there wasn't enough to clear the rope. He might still have survived, as Lynn had slipped and fallen before the ball got to him. 

That didn't deter Lynn, who leapt up and plucked that powerful hit bending his back like a high-jumper, and flopped to the ground, somehow managing it all without touching the rope which was a yard behind.

Given the sheer athleticism involved, the stage of the game, and the player who was dismissed by it, it's hard to see how Lynn's catch will be topped this season. "I slipped and I thought if I stood up and dropped the catch, it would look very silly, so just stayed down," was Lynn's straight-faced explanation when asked about his game-changing grab.

After de Villiers' exit Royal Challengers needed six off two, not entirely out of reach, especially for a hitter like Morkel. But the catch left Royal Challengers stunned, and even though the final delivery was a hittable full toss, Morkel couldn't put it away, and Knight Riders' jailbreak was complete.

The high drama at the end masked a diffident performance from Knight Riders for much of the game. The only other passage in the match when they looked in control was when Lynn was in the middle, swatting sixes off the returning Muttiah Muralitharan. Lynn, bought as an afterthought in the IPL auctions showed some of the big-hitting that has earned him loyal fans in the Big Bash League.

Lynn put on 80 for the third wicket with Jacques Kallis, after Gautam Gambhir fell for his third successive duck and the in-form Manish Pandey faltered. Lynn's dismissal in the 12th over drained the momentum from Knight Riders' innings and they finished on what seemed an inadequate score. Varun Aaron showed he had control as well as pace, and legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal turned in his third impressive performance in a row to keep the Knight Riders in check.

Royal Challengers' dominance increased after their openers, Parthiv Patel and Yogesh Takawale, provided a strong start, and Virat Kohli was at his usual best to guide the chase along. Narine was watchfully played out till Kohli was bamboozled off the penultimate ball of his spell to give Knight Riders a faint chance. Yuvraj couldn't force the pace towards the end giving Knight Riders more of a grip on the game, before Vinay and Lynn yanked it out of Royal Challengers' hands.

Friends Views 

why is Yuvraj playing like Pujara in T20... we all know Pujara is not a big hitter but the way Yuvraj has been playing lately he is making Pujara's strike rate look better and he has been more consistent with the bat than Yuvi. 

The way Yuvi has been playing lately he is putting pressure on other batsman to hit the boundaries... Seems like he is too worried about himself not getting out... AB De Villiers should come ahead of Yuvi

Yet another show of a game that in this short form of 20/20 nothing can be predicted till the last ball is bowled. AB and Albie hailing from SA had all the time in the world to plan the strategy seriously between them, especially when there were 12 balls left and the target was within reach...alas! it was not to be...one fielder (Lynn) diving acrobatically to catch the flying ball bravely and another intelligent bowler (V. Kumar) without wavering or panicking at the last 6 balls reversed the result to the amazement of thousands of fans in the stadium and millions watching on TV! Congrats Gambir! No one to my rememberance got 3 ducks in a row! excepting ofcourse Rohit in 50 over match against Srilanka in their soil for 6 ducks!

Wow! It's again a Yuvi show all the way. Any youngster watching, this is how you make your life miserable and miserable for the team too. The match was lost because of Yuvi's yet another pathetic show. Poor RCB, they wasted a fortune on this "Goner"!!! The most expensive players is also the worst player in this tournament. It is like he has become a huge burden on RCB.

Gambhir and Shewag were doth playing well for India, when they both eyed thr Indian captaincy. When Dhoni had a short period of slump, they doth tried to aggravate the situation by purposely playig sadlt according to a plan. And, see, both are out of the team and will never make a come gack.

Siddarth Ravindran | ESPNcricinfo

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Royal Challengers n Kolkata Knight Riders Two teams

Royal Challengers n Kolkata Knight Riders Two teams

   April 25, 2014       prabhakardalvi

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Big Picture — Two teams jolted by recent defeats will be eager to get back the winning momentum. Royal Challengers Bangalore have just a day to shake off a stunning defeat at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders, for it was a game they weren't meant to lose. Any team needing 25 off 18 balls with seven wickets in hand would back itself to seal it, but a combination of nerves, intelligent death bowling from Vinay Kumar, and a blinder of an outfield catch from Chris Lynn turned the match on its head.

It was Royal Challengers' first defeat in three games, but more importantly, it was the wake-up call they needed to ward off complacency. Chris Gayle's likely return will perk them up, but the opening position is not their worry, for they have managed well without him. Yuvraj Singh has scores of 52*, 0 and 31 but he won't be very satisfied with his strike-rate. Virat Kohli cannot be expected to win them every game, which means the others around him have to be more consistent.

Still, the Royal Challengers may not be as concerned about form as the Rajasthan Royals will be. The team succumbed to Glenn Maxwell defending 191 and against Chennai Super Kings, they failed to chase 141. They could not pin down Super Kings at 74 for 5, and despite restricting them to a middling total, the batsmen never really asserted themselves.

It begs the question of whether Shane Watson should move up the order, with Abhishek Nayar struggling. If Watson can take control at the top, it relieves the pressure on the middle order. 

Varun Aaron had to endure negative press coming into this IPL, after he leaked 74 off only 7.5 overs in an ODI against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. Fortunately, he has managed to turn that around with economical spells. He took 1 for 9 off three overs against Delhi Daredevils and his best performance was 3 for 16 against Knight Riders. That he has managed to be penetrative without compromising on his pace is a bonus for Royal Challengers and himself.

Rajat Bhatia joked that the Dubai pitch was slower than his bowling. The experienced medium-pacer has been hard to get at because of the pace he takes off the ball, forcing the batsmen to use extra muscle to clear the long boundaries. He makes the batsmen play to his tunes and that explains his economy rate of 6.63. He was at his miserly best against Super Kings, giving away just 13 off four overs and picking up two wickets.

Among current players, Shane Watson is the leading run-scorer in matches between Royals and Royal Challengers, with 210 runs. The record, though, is held by Rahul Dravid (323) who has retired.  Virat Kohli has a below-par record against Royals, with only 158 runs at a below-par strike rate of 92 and an average of 17.55. Kanishkaa Balachandran | ESPNcricinfo 

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