Delhi Daredevils: Team Preview & Expectations

Indian Premier League III ended with much fanfare with Chennai defeating Mumbai in the finals. And what followed it was mayhem. Corruption charges, Lalit Modi, endless speculation etc. Chirayu Amin took the post of the Commissioner of the IPL and then took place the auctions of 2011, where two new teams too had a chance to buy players for their team. All teams got reshuffled. Delhi Daredevils, the team I look forward to, retained their marquee man Virender Sehwag. Delhiites will be sad to have lost Gautam Gambhir who will now captain Kolkata Knight Riders.

Sehwag has a strictly good team at his disposal. On paper, he has the most explosive top three in his team in himself, Warner and Aaron Finch, but as we go down the middle order, the team lacks firepower. Travis Birt, youngsters Matthew Wade and Robin Bist who was a part of Rajasthan's Ranji Trophy winning team & Colin Ingram, the bright Protean youngster, will be expected guard the slide if the openers fall early. Middle order could also be manned by India rejects Sridharan Sriram and Venugopal Rao. One big advantage this team has over any other team in this IPL is the presence of many all rounders and utility cricketers. Irfan Pathan, Roelf van der Merwe, James Hopes, Andrew McDonald make for the most lethal lower middle order in the competition. In Naman Ojha, Delhi has a fine wicket keeper option, somehow who can bat explosively and can even open the innings. That gives the captain a lot of options. Spin department is where Delhi is going to suffer the most. Except for van der Merwe and Rajesh Pawar, the team only has a few slow bowlers in reserves. Shahbaz Nadeem maybe tried and might even get the success Shadab Jakati has got for Chennai in the last few editions. Morne Morkel will by far be the captain's go to bowler. One of my favourite Indian bowlers, Agarkar, Salvi, Umesh Yadav and Ashoke Dinda will be Morkel's support with the new ball.

Delhi has a good mix of youth and experience. But what's missing from the team is an assurance. Top order looks promising, but the middle order weak. Pace bowling department looks well equipped, but spin department totally bare. They have all rounders in numbers but none that could change the course of the game like an Afridi, Symonds or Yusuf Pathan. Delhi, looking at the team, on paper it would do enormously well for itself getting into the semi finals. Getting through to the finals and winning it will just be a huge bonus. Chennai, Mumbai, Pune looks the most balanced team in the competition. Delhi, along with Kolkata, Deccan, Bangalore look an unstable unit. Rajasthan, Punjab and Kochi, by the looks of it lack firepower. They don't enough impact players to make an instant difference to the outcome of the match.

Here's to an amazing Indian Premier League 4. 

Common Opponents Face Off In The Biggest Match Ever

The finalists of the ICC World Cup 2011 have played each other 30 times in the last two years. Such has been the frequency of India and Sri Lanka playing against each other that the fans on either side have been heard praying for respite. But here they are, competing at the finals of the biggest cricket tournament. Its the third finals for either side and both have won the World Cup once each. First time ever in the history of World Cups two Asian teams meet each other in the finals. Only fitting, two of the hosts, also two of the most versatile sides have made it to the finals to be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Both teams have overcome disappointments and shortcomings on their way to the finals of the Cup. One defeat each in the league stages against South Africa and Pakistan. Lets look at how the teams might be looking at each other's line ups.

India have overcome challenges from Australia and Pakistan in the knock out stages of the tournament. Both teams considered as contenders have stretched the home team but never to a bothersome extent. India's bowling a worry in the league stages looked much improved in their two knock out games. Bowlers seemed to have found some rhythm. Batting, at least to me, isn't a big worry. The power packed Indian batting has had a few uncharacteristic collapses, but I wouldn't read too deep into them. If the Indian batting plays to potential, there is no stopping them. Tendulkar and Sehwag form the crux right on top of the order and both have been in ominous touch. The Lankans must be tiring themselves on the drawing board trying to plot their dismissals.Gambhir though has been amongst runs, hasnt set the stage alight in any of the matches yet. Yuvraj is probably in the phase of his career where he can barely do any wrong. Been excellent with both bat and ball. Winning four Man of the Match awards in the same World Cup is no mean achievement. Zaheer, as expected has been India's lynchpin with the ball. The tournament's 2nd highest wicket taker, Zaheer has foxed  batsmen throughout the Cup with his excellent variations and perfect lengths. India are expected to play both Harbhajan and Ashwin in the finals. Both have looked good when they've bowled together. They together must plan to stifle Dilshan, Tharanga and Sangakkara who've been in excellent touch.

Sri Lanka on the other hand have had it comparatively easy after their defeat to Pakistan in the league stages. They only had to face a weary and almost uninterested looking England in the quarters. Lankan openers pulverised English bowling to take the team home by 10 wickets chasing a modest score of 230. New Zealand's resistance with the bat was poorer but they fought hard with the ball causing a mini collapse, but Lanka won the game by 5 wickets. Both England and New Zealand are traditionally poor players of spin. All Sri Lanka had to do was to spin a spin web around. Sri Lankan top order is in fantastic touch. Middle order though is a spot of bother. Samaraweera and Chamara Silva havent been amongst the runs. Sri Lanka is going to miss Angelo Matthews dearly. He is one player in their ranks capable of changing gears with great ease. Lankan bowling has been quite upto the mark. Murali's fitness though would be a worry. Unless 100% fit, his effectiveness against quality players of spin that Indians are can be questions. Malinga and his yorkers will be something India would be working on though.

Ultimately it is going to come down to how the two teams react to pressure of the situation. Both teams have played innumerable final games against each other. But this surely is a notch above them all. I would say Sri Lanka have a slight edge over India in terms of chances. India after two mentally draining games really need to re focus on this all important game. Sri Lanka have had two breezy wins in the knock outs. They are yet to be stretched in the tournament except for their defeat vs Pakistan over a month back. India on the other hand need to field and bowl as well as they did against Pakistan to pose a challenge to the Lankans.
Both teams have a huge legend in their ranks, one who will play his last ODI tomorrow and the other whose CV has everything but a World Cup medal and is expected to hang his boots in the near future. Muttiah Muralitharan is expected to bowl to Sachin Tendulkar one last time in international cricket. As the cliche' goes, May The Best Team Win.