Pacers hold the aces in Wankhede battle

A look at the Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad squads reveals a stark contrast. Unlike Mumbai, who have many international stars, Hyderabad have few big names. Kushal Phatarpekar reports.

A close look at the Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad squad lists reveal a stark contrast. Unlike Mumbai, who have a good mix of international stars and youngsters, Hyderabad have few big names.

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The one aspect that puts both teams on a par is the potent force of their bowling spearheads — Mitchell Johnson and Dale Steyn.

In the past few games, the two have made the difference, scalping crucial wickets and strangling the opposition batsmen. When the two teams clash at the Wankhede on Monday, the pacers will be in focus on a pitch expected to afford good bounce.

Earlier this season, Sunrisers bowling coach, Waqar Younis, had rated Steyn among the best three fast bowlers of all time. Steyn has bowled spells of sheer class to curtail the big-hitters in most teams. The South Africa speedster has scalped 14 wickets at 21 with his economy rate (5.46) superior to his teammates. Steyn holds the record for the most dot balls in this edition — 160.