Will Sourav up the ante at the Eden?

Barring the Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers, who are perched at their respective ends of the spectrum, the remaining teams have not shown signs of settling down. Mark Waugh writes.

Things are heating up with the points table bearing a different look every time I look at it. Barring the Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers, who are perched at their respective ends of the spectrum, the remaining teams have not shown signs of settling down.

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To be fair to the Chargers, they have now notched up a couple of wins. If they can get their combination right and play Juan Theron as well, the Chargers could end up being more than party-poopers.

Pune have been disappointing in their last four games and take on aspirants Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday. This has been touted as the game to look out for with Sourav Ganguly taking the field at what has been his home ground for years, before he was forced to turn out for the opponents.

He will have the crowd support, but the question is whether he can up the ante with the bat after what was a below-par performance against Mumbai. Chasing 120 should not have been difficult, but a middle-order stutter and Ganguly's slow batting did not help.

Kolkata will be no pushovers, not at home. Gautam Gambhir's form has been exemplary. Where Kolkata have struggled is their middle order and it is time that Yusuf Pathan gets some of those rasping slogs over long-on going.

The writer is a former Australia cricketer