From Sunil Gavaskar
Two teams that have made a habit of winning in the final overs of the game clash at a crucial stage of the tournament. It is a big game for the home team simply because if they don’t win they go down the ladder and will have to win all their other games to get in the last four.
The Mumbai Indians have been stuck in the third place for a while now as both the Delhi and Kolkata teams have been winning their games.
Kolkata have gone to the top of the tree with the win over Delhi and that game proved how losing an inform player can take away the rhythm and tempo that had been built up.
Pietersen was in incredible form and in his company Sehwag flourished too as he knew that even if he got out cheaply the big Pietersen would take care of the innings and ensure a substantial total. Against the in-form Kolkata team they just didn’t have enough runs on the board and so relinquished their position at the top.
Kolkata have been playing some terrific cricket and that is in the main due to their skipper who is in a rich vein of form and is leading from the front. In this form of the game there can be no laggards and the Kolkata team’s energy levels are something else in this sapping heat because the captain is showing no signs of flagging and the team is following him.
It was good to see India’s two new ball prospects bowling in tandem and while Varun Aaron coming from injury will take a few matches to hit top speed, Umesh Yadav clocked 150 kph regularly.
The manner in which he got two of the world’s best players of fast bowling hurrying their shots was a sight to behold.
He got both Kallis and McCullum attempting to pull a short ball that was too quick for them. He and Aaron need to be handled with kid gloves for they are a rarity like the polar bear in India, genuinely quick bowlers they must not be overworked.
It was good to see Tendulkar hit the ball sweetly and Rohit Sharma also came good in a partnership with him. For the Bangalore team too it is vital that Gayle, Dilshan and Kohli carry on their good form, with AB de Viliers batting extraordinarily, they can put up or chase a good score.
Dwayne Smith, who was shockingly not picked up at the auction is another to watch out for. In fact some really ordinary players have sneaked in while some made for T20 players have missed out. That though is another story for another day.