Dear Viru (The swashbuckling Sehwag) - This poem was written for you quite a few months back when Bedi and Sandeep Patil were highly critical of him on Star News.. It may not fit well yet for the last stanza I wanted to iclude it here.. Viru people in India have short memories.. Wisden cricketer of the year may nt mean anything to them if you could not take Delhi Daredevils to win the second edition of IPL.. and your chances would become very strong if Mumba fails to make it to semi-finals.. Am I reading too much too early.. Read onA Huge Game is on the cards …
Delhi need to put every trick to work in order to really seal Mumbai’s chances of making it to semi-finals..
The first encounter between the Delhi and Mumbai lads is going to be a virtual final of the sorts..
Mumbai according to me are one of the very best side in terms of the available potential only difference has been that they have not been able to realize that potential on the ground. His game is almost a do or die situation for the Reliance owned team. The team would in all possibilities emerge a winner if somehow they get to chase a score below 170. To be considered among the giants like Chennai, Deccan and Delhi they will have to pip Rajasthan out of contention, could it be that simple or straight forward as I write it here.. I doubt. None of the teams is going to allow Mumbai an easy go at them in the forthcoming matches just for the reason that they are one of the tough sides to beat if they makeit to semi-finals.
Delhi feel if they win the toss.. they have won on most occasions.. should immediately put Mumbai in to bat and hope to restrict them in the region of 160 to 170. Any score beyond that has proved a little too difficult for the opponents yet ask Dhoni and Sehwag even 189 and 186 were not seemingly enough during this tournament.. yet Kings XI had successfully defended a modest 119.
This game Mumbai must also consider to look for some formidable combination of players.. unfortunately for them their strike spinner has let them down terribly.. If I were in place of Sachin I would not have thought twice to ask the turbanator to take a forced break.. especially against the likes of Sehwag, Gambhir and Dilshan some of the best exponents of playing spin well in the world.. He will need to strengthen his batting from whatever is available.. the only trouble is that Jaysuriya, Malinga and Duminy pick themselves with no arguments whatsoever.. that leaves Bravo.. some people in the commentary box were very critical of Bravo letting himself got out the other day when the game was very much within their hold.. I doubt if I could agree with that.. I do not know what other options does Mumbai have if they choose to drop him and even Harbhajan Singh..
The selection of foreign players is almost as difficult for their opponents into today’s very important game.. it is a bit of an irony that Delhi could not give a game to McGrath so far with half of the tournament over.. If McGrath is sitting out Delhi would probably some day rue their chances of winning the tournament.. I feel there must be space made to accommodate the greatest bowler of our times.. his experience alone on the filed could make a subtle difference to Delhi’s chances.. He is sure to walk in place of Nannes who despite his good bowling potentials and a good line and length besides his speed still counts among the worst three spells of the tournament, alongside Kallis and Flintoff.. Warner has done well enough in his two games but I think today he would be required to make room for Vettori to return. It really hurts to ask someone as successful as Warner to take a place in the dugout..
Though I know it is a tough game Delhi should win this under two conditions.. one that they field first and chase a score of less than 170 and second that they are able to post a score in excess of 180.. With Sachin, Sanath, Duminy, Nayar a score less than that may not be appropriately defendable..
My team for Delhi Daredevils the correct batting order in case they are forced to bat first:
Gautam Gambhir, de Villiers, Dilshan, Sehwag, Karthik, Tiwary, Vettori, Mishra, Sangwan, Nehra, McGrath. There are no other options available for making a perfect winning combination. If prevailing conditions suggest that spin may not seem to work as well as it worked so far in the tournament, it may also be the right time for Maharoof to make an entry as well, in place of Vettori.. He was quite heroic in some of the games in the first edition of IPL in 2008.
I would rather wish a very good luck to Sehwag and Delhi teammates as this is going to be their biggest ordeal on the field.. and yes in case Viru has not yet recoverd from his stitched up finger Delhi can entirely forget to win this one..
In the end I must add that the game is tilted in favour of Mumbai Indians as it is much more important outing for them if they wish to remain a force in the tournament.. a loss here might make their task of making to semis a semi-dream..
Abhaya India May 9 2009 11:33 AM IST
Delhi need to put every trick to work in order to really seal Mumbai’s chances of making it to semi-finals..
The first encounter between the Delhi and Mumbai lads is going to be a virtual final of the sorts..
Mumbai according to me are one of the very best side in terms of the available potential only difference has been that they have not been able to realize that potential on the ground. His game is almost a do or die situation for the Reliance owned team. The team would in all possibilities emerge a winner if somehow they get to chase a score below 170. To be considered among the giants like Chennai, Deccan and Delhi they will have to pip Rajasthan out of contention, could it be that simple or straight forward as I write it here.. I doubt. None of the teams is going to allow Mumbai an easy go at them in the forthcoming matches just for the reason that they are one of the tough sides to beat if they makeit to semi-finals.
Delhi feel if they win the toss.. they have won on most occasions.. should immediately put Mumbai in to bat and hope to restrict them in the region of 160 to 170. Any score beyond that has proved a little too difficult for the opponents yet ask Dhoni and Sehwag even 189 and 186 were not seemingly enough during this tournament.. yet Kings XI had successfully defended a modest 119.
This game Mumbai must also consider to look for some formidable combination of players.. unfortunately for them their strike spinner has let them down terribly.. If I were in place of Sachin I would not have thought twice to ask the turbanator to take a forced break.. especially against the likes of Sehwag, Gambhir and Dilshan some of the best exponents of playing spin well in the world.. He will need to strengthen his batting from whatever is available.. the only trouble is that Jaysuriya, Malinga and Duminy pick themselves with no arguments whatsoever.. that leaves Bravo.. some people in the commentary box were very critical of Bravo letting himself got out the other day when the game was very much within their hold.. I doubt if I could agree with that.. I do not know what other options does Mumbai have if they choose to drop him and even Harbhajan Singh..
The selection of foreign players is almost as difficult for their opponents into today’s very important game.. it is a bit of an irony that Delhi could not give a game to McGrath so far with half of the tournament over.. If McGrath is sitting out Delhi would probably some day rue their chances of winning the tournament.. I feel there must be space made to accommodate the greatest bowler of our times.. his experience alone on the filed could make a subtle difference to Delhi’s chances.. He is sure to walk in place of Nannes who despite his good bowling potentials and a good line and length besides his speed still counts among the worst three spells of the tournament, alongside Kallis and Flintoff.. Warner has done well enough in his two games but I think today he would be required to make room for Vettori to return. It really hurts to ask someone as successful as Warner to take a place in the dugout..
Though I know it is a tough game Delhi should win this under two conditions.. one that they field first and chase a score of less than 170 and second that they are able to post a score in excess of 180.. With Sachin, Sanath, Duminy, Nayar a score less than that may not be appropriately defendable..
My team for Delhi Daredevils the correct batting order in case they are forced to bat first:
Gautam Gambhir, de Villiers, Dilshan, Sehwag, Karthik, Tiwary, Vettori, Mishra, Sangwan, Nehra, McGrath. There are no other options available for making a perfect winning combination. If prevailing conditions suggest that spin may not seem to work as well as it worked so far in the tournament, it may also be the right time for Maharoof to make an entry as well, in place of Vettori.. He was quite heroic in some of the games in the first edition of IPL in 2008.
I would rather wish a very good luck to Sehwag and Delhi teammates as this is going to be their biggest ordeal on the field.. and yes in case Viru has not yet recoverd from his stitched up finger Delhi can entirely forget to win this one..
In the end I must add that the game is tilted in favour of Mumbai Indians as it is much more important outing for them if they wish to remain a force in the tournament.. a loss here might make their task of making to semis a semi-dream..
Abhaya India May 9 2009 11:33 AM IST
PS Do not become bind to any of my decision.. the fact remains that you are a far bigger cricketing brain than an Abhaya Sharma could ever be.. but do ponder over points I mentioned here.. before you decide the XI for an important game like today's..
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