2nd Semi Final Preview: Chennai Super King vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Nicknamed the 'Bullring', Wanderers is situated south of Sandton in Illovo and is home to the Highveld Lions. While Chennai have played just one match on this ground, Bangalore have played two matches and have a 100% record here. The combination of high scores and low scores over the past few matches have shown that the pitch provides equal assistance to both the batsmen and the bowlers.
Temperatures: Min - 46F Max - 69F | Conditions: Clear skies
Team updates:

Bangalore: After restoring their pride in season-II, Royal Challengers Bangalore will look to stretch their dream run when they clash with Chennai Super Kings in their Indian Premier League semifinal match. Having turned around things for themselves under the inspiring leadership of Anil Kumble, Bangalore look capable of shattering Chennai's IPL dreams. But for that to happen Bangalore bowlers have to produce something extraordinary against the formidable batting line-up of Chennai. Ross Taylor has played a significant role in re-shaping the Bangalore campaign and the Kiwi batsman will have to shoulder the burden yet again though Manish Pandey has been a revelation of sorts for them. However, Bangalore top-order has been inconsistent and it has to fire in the semi-final clash.

Chennai: Chennai dominated in the first-half of the league stage before suffering some close defeats towards the latter part of the tournament. Chennai would bank on the batting troika of Matthew Hayden, Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni to fire in the match against Bangalore. Hayden has treated the bowlers with utter disdain in the tournament and with his powerful batting while Dhoni with his midas touch, has also found his rhythm, shrugging off the initial lean patch. To add to that is the diminutive Raina who is a precious asset for the team with his all round abilities. The bowling department is secure in the hands of Muralitharan and co. However, Chennai have to lift themselves in the fielding aspect if they look to pursue their IPL goal.

Key Partnerships:
Kallis and Taylor: The Protea has been a consistent performer for Bangalore having scored 337 runs including 3 fifties. His Kiwi partner had a dull start but made it up with two vital knocks towards the end. Bangalore would count on the duo to secure the batting department and help Bangalore's cause.

Hayden and Raina: The bulky Australian has been the batsman of the tournament, having scored 546 runs in this edition of the IPL. He has the ideal partner in the talented Raina, who has been a revelation for Chennai with both the bat and the ball. Chennai would bank on the duo to fire in the semi-finals.

Numbers game:
6: The number of fifties scored by the Bangalore batsmen in this edition of the IPL.
58: The number of fours scored by Hayden in IPL 2009, putting him on the top of the list of boundary hitters.

Fake IPL Player Blog Post: Rest in Pieces

It ain’t over till it’s over folks. I was all set to rest in peace after my ‘don’t tell all’ video, but the ferocity of comments has shattered my rest to pieces and compelled me to return for this one last post for this IPL season. I can take anything you guys hurl at me, but the line needs to be drawn somewhere. You can call me anything you want and I won’t mind a bit, but one particular anonymous commenter simply crossed the final frontier of my tolerance by calling me Bishen Singh Bedi. Even the guy who called me Himesh had some sense level of decency, although how he recognised Himesh without a mike held at a precise 47.5 degree angle is a little hard to understand.

If you are still reading this post after my obituary, I assume that you are amongst the 37% of readers who have enjoyed the blog in the right spirit, have contributed to the quality of the blog with your intelligent, witty comments and constructive criticism. I hope I am safe to assume that all the Mr. Anonymous’ and Ms Anonymous’ who started and continued inane & immature discussions in the comments section won’t find this blog interesting enough after the last video post.

Read More

We didn't miss McGrath: Sehwag

A legend he might be but Glenn McGrath was not missed by Delhi Daredevils as the Australian pace great was not in form, insists skipper Virender Sehwag.
"I don't think we missed McGrath because he hasn't played in the last one year. He was not in that kind of form the way he bowled last year. (Dirk) Nannes was fantastic right through the tournament," Sehwag said after the crushing six-wicket loss to Deccan Chargers in the semifinal.

Asked whether McGrath's experience would have come in handy when Adam Gilchrist went berserk last night to take the game away from Delhi, Sehwag said no bowler could have stopped the rampaging Aussie.

"I think he batted extremely well. I don't think anyone could have stopped him. It was Gilchrist's day," he said.

However, his opposite number Gilchrist said he was surprised by Delhi's decision of not playing McGrath.

"I am very surprised that Glenn McGrath didn't get a chance to bowl in the tournament. But you can't be too critical. They had set the benchmark during the entire tournament. They were the team who were at the top and the other teams were chasing them. Their overseas players have served them really well.

"I was surprised that McGrath didn't get an opportunity but that does not means that they needed him to play today. Considering the fact that Dirk Nannes and other overseas players have done well, it is hard to leave out international guys out of the playing XI," Gilchrist said

How Gilly predicted Delhi’s fall

Much before he scripted Delhi’s fall with a blistering 35-ball 85, Adam Gilchirst had penned down the result of the match on a piece of paper: a six-wicket win for Deccan Chargers. “I don’t know if anyone will believe me but before coming to the ground, I actually wrote on a piece of paper what the result of the game would be,” said Gilchrist showing the piece to everyone.

Gilchrist also admitted that this was one his best T20 innings. “I scored a 100 last year but it wasn’t a semi-final. We hadn’t beaten Delhi in two years and it’s nice to get that monkey off the back.

“I was really upset getting out a ball before the strategy break. You expect people to learn from experience but 15 years at the top doesn’t seem to have done me any good.” Virender Sehwag, who ended up on the wrong side of a semi-final result yet again, felt there was little a team could do when Gilchrist got going. “I tried everything, bowled every bowler, including myself but he finished the match in 10 overs.” Despite the hammering, or perhaps because of it, Sehwag said he was backing Chennai to win the IPL.

Gilchrist blitz inspires Deccan to crushing win

DD again fall at the semi-final hurdle. But to be fair to them no attack in the world can stop a player like Gilly when he is playing like that. Remember Gilchrist comes up trumps on all the big matches, he has scores of over 50 in three World cup finals including a hundred against SL in 2007. So Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Gibbs departed early, but Gilly was on another planet as he plundered everyone to all corners of the ground. By the time he left only 52 were needed. Then after the break, Symonds also smashed a cameo to put the result beyond doubt. Then Suman and Rohit applied the finishing touches.

Gilchrist just came out like some super natural power had invaded his body and tore apart the Delhi side. The opening over set the tone as he crashed 5 consecutive boundaries off Dirk Nannes. It was a deliberate strategy to target Nannes as he was the most potent weapon of the Daredevils attack. It was just one of the most exhilarating experiences if you are a Cricket fan. Even Harsha Bhogle said that he will remember the Gilchrist innings until he lives. It was pure joy to see such batting from a champion cricketer.

Gilchrist: Amazing what a little bit of freshness does right, in response to Ravi Shastri's question of not playing for a year and then to play like this. I have had plenty of hits since I have been here. It has been a great experience to comeback after a year off. Our game plan was to be ahead of the run rate, put a little bit of pressure on them. Our plan worked really well tonight. The guys did a great job to keep them to 153. We started the tournament with a lot of energy and enthusiasm and hopefully finish out the same way. 20-20 we know the reality of it, we are in a better position than we were last year. It is a two way horse and hopefully we can win.

Sehwag: It was not our day. The way Gilly batted today, there was no clue. The bowlers tried everything, yorkers, good length, full toss, short pitch but everything went for four and a six. I thought 153 was defendable, but the way Gilly batted we could not do anything. I tried everything, including myself, but today is Gilly's day, you cant stop him. Thank the BCCI for organising the IPL and hopefully the Indian players will do well.

There is not an iota of doubt as to who the Man of the Match is. Gilchrist it is.