When a 'home' game is not a home game
Match facts
Sunday, March 28Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
Big picture
If Deccan Chargers arrive at the DY Patil Stadium, one of their three 'home' venues this season, expecting the crowd to cheer for them on Sunday night, they'd be kidding themselves. It's the 'away' team, Mumbai Indians, led by Sachin Tendulkar that the thousands will bring the roof down for.After two failed campaigns in 2008 and 2009, Mumbai are the form team this year, leading the league with four wins out of five matches. Though Tendulkar didn't want to look as far as the semi-finals just yet, after their victory against Chennai Super Kings, offspinner Harbhajan Singh had no such qualms, expressing the desire to become 2010's first semi-finalists. They're well on their way to achieving that goal and need to win four out of their next nine games to have one foot in the final four.
Deccan Chargers had strung together three wins in a row before receiving a hiding against the resurgent Rajasthan Royals. They are currently tied on points with Rajasthan, Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders but have a game in hand over each of those teams. A win tomorrow will strengthen their footing in the top half of the table.
Form guide (most recent first)
Mumbai Indians WWLWWDeccan Chargers LWWWL
Team talk
Mumbai could be forced to make a change to their winning combination. South African fast bowler Ryan McLaren has a niggle and, if he isn't match-fit, he could be replaced by Sanath Jayasuriya, Graham Napier or JP Duminy. If they go with Jayasuriya, he is likely to open. If they go with either of the other two, they will fill a middle-order spot. Ambati Rayudu has recovered from his injury and could return at either Shikhar Dhawan's or R Sathish's expense. Dhawan, however, scored a fluent half-century in his last innings against Chennai.This is Deccan's second game in three days and they arrived in Mumbai only at 10pm on match eve. They had only two medium-pace options during the loss against Rajasthan - RP Singh and Chaminda Vaas - and they might want to strengthen that department. They have Kemar Roach and Dwayne Smith on the bench but playing either would mean dropping an overseas player.
Previously…
Deccan 3 Mumbai 1In 2008, Mumbai were ambushed by Gilchrist in their first match at this very venue. Gilchrist smashed 109 off 47 balls to set up a ten-wicket victory. However, Deccan's top order collapsed in the second and they slipped to a 25-run defeat in Hyderabad. In their first game of 2009, Deccan won after Mumbai lost their way following the strategy time-out. Mumbai's batting stumbled yet again in the second encounter and Deccan won that too, by 19 runs.
Prime numbers
- Gilchrist has hit the most sixes in the IPL, 57, but Yusuf Pathan, after smashing eight sixes against Deccan, has leapt to 56. Gilchrist has a chance to extend his lead tomorrow.
- Tendulkar's average of 62 is the second highest (after Jacques Kallis' 155) among batsmen who've scored at least 150 runs this season.
In the spotlight
Mumbai's West Indians are yet to have a major impact on the IPL. Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard are integral to their team's plans: they can hit the ball far, bowl four useful overs, and are athletic in the field. Their batting skills, however, haven't been needed because of excellent partnerships at the top of the order and neither has played a critical role with the ball. Bravo has had only 13 balls to face in four matches, Pollard 43. Bravo has had more bowling to do - 13.1 overs - compared to Pollard's six. The opportunity to play a substantial role will come soon enough. It could be tomorrow.VVS Laxman's approach just isn't working this season. He's trying to force the pace by playing unnaturally, attempting heaves across the line, looking to hit over the top with manufactured strokes. And he hasn't succeeded, scoring 54 runs in four innings at a strike-rate of 122. Another failure or two could prompt Deccan to make a change at the top of the order.
The chatter
"We have a few games coming in a row now so the good thing is we can put it behind us and move on pretty quickly and get into the next challenge"The chance for Adam Gilchrist and his team to move on from the thrashing against Rajasthan Royals is now
"It's too early to think of the semi-finals and we don't want to take things like that for granted. This is a funny game and the moment you think things are fine and going along nicely, they go horribly wrong. So we plan to stay on our toes."
Mumbai Indians may be table toppers at the moment but Sachin Tendulkar isn't getting ahead of himself
George Binoy is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo