Enormous task for Challengers

Bangalore outfit looks to tame formidable Chennai Super Kings in their own den

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is wise enough and has been around long enough to recognise that there was very little he could have done to stop the marauding Mumbaikar two nights back. The 27-year-old’s blistering unbeaten 120 powered a struggling Kings XI Punjab to a sensational win in Mohali on Wednesday, but in many ways, that knock merely proved that it would require a special effort to conquer the holders of the IPL and Champions League titles.

Royal Challengers Bangalore, on a downslide after two comprehensive defeats, will therefore be hoping desperately to unearth a Valthaty of their own when they attempt to beard the CSK lions in their own den, at the MA Chidambaram stadium, on Saturday afternoon.

Having begun the competition promisingly in Kochi, the Royal Challengers suddenly look seriously vulnerable. Despite the continued incisiveness of Zaheer Khan and the parsimony of skipper Daniel Vettori, the Challengers have had no answers when the batsmen have come hard at them, as Mumbai Indians did at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday, and as the Deccan Chargers did in Hyderabad on Thursday.

It’s inevitable that gremlins of self-doubt would have crept into the Challengers’ ranks, therefore it is imperative that they haul themselves back on track with a display of character and determination. The aura of invincibility that hung over the Super Kings has diminished slightly this season – with a little more common sense, Kolkata Knight Riders would easily have surged past the finish line here in the season-opener – and if the Challengers can play to their potential, there is no reason why they can’t emulate Kings XI.

For starters, though, they have to improve their fielding standards. In Hyderabad, they were positively sluggish and lacklustre, gifting away nearly 25 runs through elementary mistakes that wouldn’t have pleased Vettori and coach Ray Jennings one bit. Indeed, the captain remarked caustically that unless that malaise was remedied quickly, it would become an Achilles’ heel that other teams would try to exploit. Especially given their travails with the fifth bowler – neither S Arvind nor Ryan Ninan made a particular impression on Thursday – it is crucial that the fielding is committed and electric, because the Super Kings are past masters at capitalising on the slightest of openings.

At different stages in the first two matches, most of their top-order batsmen have been amongst the runs. Aniruddha Srikkanth, Murali Vijay and S Badrinath, all local boys, have notched up half-centuries while Dhoni’s blistering willow decimated the Kings XI attack. Suresh Raina hasn’t yet fired on all cylinders, and what damage he can do when he strikes form is no secret. Throw in the arrival of Mike Hussey, and it only reiterates the batting might of the Super Kings.

Not too much should perhaps be read into Challengers’ top-order collapse in Hyderabad against a quality new-ball attack, but that doesn’t camouflage the fact that the team is overly dependent on Virat Kohli. The Delhi youngster was sensational during his 51-ball 71, but the consistency required of Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers and Saurabh Tiwary has been sorely missing. The young Mayank Agarwal has to realise that not even Twenty20 cricket can allow one to disregard the conditions or the merit of the ball. The Challengers will be confronted with a new challenge on Saturday should Dhoni persist with R Ashwin’s off-spin first up. The Tamil Nadu lad will relish the prospect of a duel with the usually aggressive but strangely subdued Dilshan, a battle that could set the tone for the rest of the match. The possibility of Aussie Doug Bollinger making his first appearance of the season will further magnify the enormity of the task ahead of the Challengers.

Teams (from): Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt), Aniruddha Srikkanth, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, Mike Hussey, Albie Morkel, Tim Southee, Shadab Jakati, R Ashwin, Doug Bollinger, Scott Styris, Suraj Randiv, George Bailey, Francois du Plessis, Ben Hilfenhaus, Joginder Sharma, Nuwan Kulasekara, V Yomahesh, Abhinav Mukund, Wriddhiman Saha, Sudeep Tyagi, K Vasudevadas, G Vignesh.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Daniel Vettori (capt), Mayank Agarwal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Saurabh Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara, Johan van der Wath, Ryan Ninan, Zaheer Khan, S Arvind, Asad Pathan, Charl Langeveldt, Abhimanyu Mithun, Rilee Rossouw, Jonathan Vandiar, CM Gautam, Luke Pomersbach, Nuwan Pradeep, M Kaif, Abrar Kazi, KB Arun Karthik, Raju Bhatkal, BN Bharath.