Daijiworld Media Network
Kolkata, May 26: Hello, is anyone there? Or is everyone too busy with all the off-field drama? It has been that kind of a week in the tournament. Amidst all the controversies that have been going on off the field, the two heavywights - Chennai and Mumbai - are set to play the final. Chennai finished on top of the league and defeated Mumbai in the qualifier to seal a spot in the final. Mumbai took a longer route but got there as well. It is a repeat of the 2010 final when Chennai got the better of Mumbai at the DY Patil stadium in Mumbai, but it's a very different story today. Chennai, despite their on-field achievements, is the team under pressure, for obvious reasons. Let's hope for a cracker!
Mumbai have won the toss and elected to bat.
Dhoni: 'It's always a big game. Close to two months, it's a bit taxing but you improve as you go on. All of us are in a very good state of mind. The support staff have done a very good job and the team has responded well. Mohit Sharma has bowled well upfront. He has bowled at least 3 overs in most of the games and it has added a lot of stability and balance. In big games, we need to bat first but we are not too disappointed. We don't have control over the toss. I've played a lot of cricket here at Kolkata. They turn up here in huge numbers and support cricket. We have the same team too. '
Rohit: 'We have really had a great season so far. We've stuck to our plans and stuck together as a unit. Today is a big day for us, looking forward to this game. It is an important game but we don't want to put too much pressure on ourselves. We've played really well here at Kolkata and we've adjusted well. Wicket looks good so the toss won't matter much. It looks drier from the last game. There was a bit of grass on it last time. It will be a bit slower today. We're playing the same team. '
Teams:
Mumbai (Playing XI): Dwayne Smith, Aditya Tare, Dinesh Karthik(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Harbhajan Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Mitchell Johnson, Lasith Malinga, Pragyan Ojha
Chennai (Playing XI): Michael Hussey, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, S Badrinath, Dwayne Bravo, Albie Morkel, Chris Morris, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Mahipal Sharma
Dinesh Karthik: 'Very good year for me and I'm happy with the way things are going. We're up for this final. It's a big game for us. This is what we play for, this was our aim when we started in April. '
Match Preview:
Embroiled in the spot-fixing scam, becoming champions for a third time would be a daunting task for Chennai when they take on the formidable Mumbai side in the summit clash of the scandal-marred Indian T20 League. The arrest of its management official M Gurunath, who is the son-in-law of the team owner and BCCI President N Srinivasan, on the suspicion of betting would have surely dented the morale of the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side.
It will be a huge challenge for the players and their skipper to cope up with the situation and play their natural game against a team, which is keen to win that elusive trophy.
Chennai have been a part of four consecutive, five overall, finals but it is the best chance for Mumbai to take a good shot at the title and avenge their 2010 final defeat.
It is one trophy that is missing from the cabinet of the milestone man of Indian cricket. He had a heartbreak as Mumbai captain in 2010 when the team lost to Dhoni's men by 22 runs. It was Chennai's first T20 League title and since then Dhoni's team has grown in stature.
On paper, it's a battle of equals with both Chennai and Mumbai boasting explosive Twenty20 specialists in Michael Hussey, Dwayne Smith, Ravindra Jadeja and Kieron Pollard. Both teams have a penetrating pace attack with Albie Morkel and season's find Mohit Sharma doing a tidy job for Chennai, while Mitchell Johnson, Lasith Malinga and Pollard make a terrific trio in the Mumbai ranks.
In conditions where spin-bowling could prove to be a decisive factor, Chennai have a star-studded line-up in Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja but Mumbai can match them with the experienced duo of Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha.
The return to form of Harbhajan (3/23), who had a man-of-the-match performance against Rajasthan, would augur well for Mumbai even as they face injury concerns with regards to Ojha who has hurt his elbow.
That Eden is a happy hunting ground for Mumbai (five wins from six outings) would certainly give Rohit Sharma's team an edge.
Dwayne Smith's red-hot form would be another advantage as Mumbai would hope the West Indian would fire again and steer the side without gifting his wicket away. Smith's 44-ball 62 (second successive half-century) was once again the highlight of the last night's second qualifier before Mumbai.
Incidentally, Sharma was part of the triumphant Hyderabad in 2009 and it would be a second T20 League final for the Mumbai skipper. The only issue he would have to address is the team's tendency to choke in the middle. It has been a frustrating month for Sharma as the batsman has not been able to convert his starts with his last half-century (79 unbeaten) coming against Punjab way back on April 29.
Sharma's woeful form with the bat continued in the last match as well when his middle stump was rattled by Siddharth Trivedi. Mumbai would hope that the skipper get into the act especially on the stage that matters the most.
Chennai is a team full of stars with Orange Cap holder Micheal Hussey leading the run charts with 732 runs (@56.30) as 'Mr Cricket' would look to contribute again along with another Dhoni's trusted lieutenant Suresh Raina who has 548 runs (45.66) including an unbeaten 100.
In bowling, Dwayne Bravo has been Dhoni's go-to man with 28 wickets. Dhoni will also look up to the young Mohit who has impressed with 19 scalps from 17 matches. But it's the duo of Ashwin and Jadeja who will be encouraged by the Eden conditions as they would look to get maximum out of the spin-friendly Eden conditions.