JOIN USGiven a lifeline by torrential rain, Trinidad and Tobago will like to make the most of the opportunity in their make or break outing against Group B table-toppers Chennai Super Kings in the Champions League T20 contest here on Wednesday.
The Caribbean team stayed on course for a semifinal spot after their victory via Duckworth-Lewis over the Titans on Monday. In an exciting turn of events, Titans needed 36 runs to win from the remaining three overs with AB de Villers in a punishing form at the crease before a heavy downpour abruptly halted the match. The South African outfit was already down six wickets in their chase of 153 and the Duckworth-Lewis calculations found them short of six runs.
With Titans already through with their share of four matches with 8 points, their fate now hinges on the outcome of the Wednesday’s match between T&T, also on 8 points but with a better run-rate, and Super Kings, who are already in the semifinals with an all win record so far. All T&T now needs to do is not lose miserably to Super Kings and maintain a better run-rate to pip Titans for the last four stage.
And they do have the resources to keep their heads above water. They have a tricky off-spinner in Sunil Narine who stifled the Titans into submission. On a slow Feroz Shah Kotla wicket, he can be menacing and their best bet in bowling. Not for nothing is he the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with eight wickets at an impressive economy of 4.75. The experience of medium pacer Ravi Rampaul can never be discounted. He is well be complemented by fellow pacers Rayad Emrit and Lendl Simmons.
Their batting revolves around an irrepressible Darren Bravo. But the way the little known opener Evin Lewis blazed away to his 70 during the brisk 109-run stand against Titans gives an insight into the potential of its top order.
As for Super Kings, they are undoubtedly the most formidable unit in the tournament. Led by charismatic Mahendra Singh Dhoni, it has been a smooth sailing for the three-time IPL champions. With the likes of Michael Hussey, M Vijay, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja in their ranks, there has been no bowling attack in this event to disrupt the harmony of their batting line-up.
The spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Jadeja can trouble the best in the business with Mohit Sharma, Albie Morkel and Bravo adding to their strength.
There are no freebies against Super Kings even in a dead match, and T&T will have to be on their toes to rein in the real titans of the tournament.