If one goes by their clashes in this season’s IPL then Team Mumbai should beat MS Dhoni’s Chennai in the eliminator round in Bengaluru, writes Sunil Gavaskar in The Times Of India. “Mumbai’s last match of the league may just have given them the opening combo that they need. Dwayne Smith was batting too low down the order and his promotion to the opening slot gives them just the impetus in case The Master is struggling a bit. It then creates a solid platform for the likes of Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard to push the team towards a good total,” writes Gavaskar, adding that batting first when there’s is no pressure of the asking rate is a lot easier than chasing a target.
“Chennai will be hoping that Raina comes good for he is one batsman who settles down quickly and can hit form the first ball. They have to find a way to give Albie Morkel more overs to bat.”
Meanwhile The DNA writes that going by form book, Mumbai are the favourites. “Moreover, they have never lost any IPL game in Bangalore and will certainly want to keep the record clean. The team is also high on confidence after their emphatic victory in Jaipur. There’s nothing like the potion of self-belief in an eliminator.”
“Sachin Tendulkar’s return to form and his match-winning opening partnership with Dwayne Smith (vs Rajasthan Royals on Sunday) must have come as a relief to the Mumbai think tank. They may have been concerned about the consistency of Mumbai’s first-wicket pair. They have tried various combinations there,” says the report, adding that Mumbai’s middle order, comprising Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu and James Franklin have been more consistent than their Chennai counterparts.
According to a report in The Hindu, squaring up against Mumbai Indians, Dhoni's team will remember its twin defeats against Harbhajan Singh's men in the league stage. History's sobering reminder may well count for nothing in a do-or-die match with the loser crashing out and the winner finding a berth in the second qualifier.
Faf du Plessis (398), Suresh Raina (341) and Dwayne Bravo (305) have clicked for CSK while Dhoni (269) remains a pivotal presence despite the lack of a game-changing innings in the latest edition.
The rest have cobbled together some runs but more needs to be done in a decisive game on a pitch, which has been good to batsmen.
CSK's bowlers though will be hard-pressed against the Mumbai Indians batsmen with Rohit Sharma (419), Ambati Rayudu (322), Sachin Tendulkar (313) finding adequate backing in recent times from the likes of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Smith.
Lasith Malinga (22 wickets) is the biggest impact bowler on either side and the way he is countered will also determine Mumbai Indians' progress and CSK's fate.