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Past is passé for the table-scrapers
The Kochi Tuskers and Deccan Chargers don't have a choice. After doling out easy wins in their previous matches, the onus is on them to engineer a turnaround, and fast. Somshuvra Laha writes.
A crushing loss in a packed tournament like the IPL is like a double-edged sword. It can have a cascading effect on the team's morale or can be a motivator. The Kochi Tuskers and Deccan Chargers don't have a choice. After doling out easy wins in their previous matches, the onus is on them to engineer a turnaround, and fast.
Nearing the halfway stage, Kochi and the Chargers are not far apart in terms of points accumulated with the latter at the bottom of the table.
McCullum's back
The good news for Kochi is that Brendon McCullum should be fit for Wednesday's match. A shoulder injury had kept the Kiwi batsman in the dugout against the Rajasthan Royals. With McCullum back, skipper Mahela Jayawardene will be a relieved man after their batting woes against the Royals.
DC’s batting worries
The Chargers are still not getting their batting right. Shikhar Dhawan, Ishank Jaggi and Sunny Sohal have been tried as opening batsmen but barring a few blasts from Sohal, success has been limited.
The middle order too has been wobbly with captain Kumar Sangakkara trying to get into a rhythm. Nevertheless, the Chargers bat deep, with all-rounders Dan Christian and Ravi Teja coming in at six and seven in the last match. Bharat Chipli is due for another free-spirited onslaught, and Amit Mishra's cameo in the last match should encourage the Chargers.
Pace threat
The Kochi Tuskers will also be threatened by the better bowling line-up presented by the Chargers. Dale Steyn can mesmerise with his express speed and Ishant Sharma, spurred by the urge to get back into the India team, will look to give his South African teammate able support.
Slow will do
But it's the slow bowlers, Pragyan Ojha and Mishra, who can be a bigger threat. While both have been economical and chipped in with wickets, the Kerala side doesn't field a wicket-taking slow bowler often. Muralitharan has been sparingly used and Ravindra Jadeja has been asked to fill in, which he has done remarkably. With the stakes high in what is a crucial match, both teams wouldn't want to brood over the past. Learning from it is more important.
