Deccan under pressure to catch up
Match facts
Saturday, April 3Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
Big picture
Time is running out for Deccan Chargers, who have won only three matches by the halfway stage. They've lost two from strong positions. Kolkata Knight Riders, whom they let off the hook in the opening match of the tournament, came back to beat them convincingly in the return match. The other team, Mumbai Indians, awaits on Saturday.If Ryan Harris is fit and ready, Deccan will look to him to strengthen their weakest link. Both their near-misses can be attributed to Deccan's poor death bowling. Like Chaminda Vaas and RP Singh against Kolkata, Kemar Roach and Andrew Symonds lost the script against Mumbai in their first encounter. Even in one of the matches that Deccan won, ordinary bowling from RP let Kings XI Punjab come close in a match that shouldn't have gone into the last over.
Mumbai haven't been thinking twice before accepting such largesse from other teams this season. They have been winning the close matches, a marked change from previous years; they are closing out matches ruthlessly; and they are looking for a win that should all but seal their place in the semi-finals. And we are only about halfway through.
Form guide (most recent first)
Mumbai Indians WWWWLDeccan Chargers LLLWW
Team talk
Harris has arrived in India, and Deccan will be hoping he is fresh and fit to replace Roach, who has gone for 80 in his eight wicketless overs so far. Alternatively, Vaas could come back too, but his death bowling has been a worry. RP could come back after his replacement, Harmeet Singh, failed to impress.Mumbai don't really need changes to a winning combination, but there could be a case for dropping one of their West Indians, and trying JP Duminy. Between them. Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo have scored 131 runs in 11 innings, and Mumbai would like to test Duminy's form before they reach the more important matches.
Previously…
Deccan 3 Mumbai 2In their first encounter this season, Mumbai were stumbling to a below-par total at the DY Patil Stadium when Harbhajan Singh went mad and Deccan lost the plot.
Prime numbers
- Sachin Tendulkar is the highest scorer in Powerplay overs. He has scored 163 in the first six and been dismissed once, and has scored at a rate of 9.40 runs per over. Adam Gilchrist has a strike rate of 11.36 runs per over but has been dismissed six times in Powerplay overs.
- Mumbai are one of only two teams to have scored more than 300 runs through their opening partnerships. They have 301 in seven innings at a run rate of 9.07 per over while Bangalore lead with 378 in seven innings at a run rate of 7.87. Deccan have a higher run rate, 10.93, but their opening partnerships have scored only 195 in seven tries.
- Tendulkar, at 314 runs, needs 49 runs to reclaim the orange cap that he got to wear only for one day.
In the spotlight
Adam Gilchrist has given Deccan a few quick starts but is yet to last long enough to put them in a winning position. That he has faced just 88 balls in seven innings as an opener tells a story. It's about time that Deccan started expecting one of those special nights when everybody else is a spectator.Kieron Pollard gets paid more per match than Dwayne Bravo. Pollard is a less accomplished international player than Bravo. Pollard is less of a bowler than Bravo, and perhaps more dispensable. Despite the winning run for his team, Pollard will feel under pressure. Tendulkar, though, hasn't been a fickle captain, and knows a Pollard special can't be too far away. Pollard will want to prove Tendulkar right as soon as possible.
The chatter
"All is not lost. We have one win less what we were this time last year. After seven games, we had memorable four wins to be back. It goes without saying that there is much work to be done."Adam Gilchrist knows where to look for inspiration
Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo