Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore – IPL 5 – Toss Report
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper, Daniel Vettori, has won the toss and will bat first against Chennai Super Kings, with the match about to kick off at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, April 12, 2012.
After enduring a slow start to their respective campaigns, the two finalists from last season’s IPL will have a tough task of playing under the scorching heat at Chennai – with temperatures expected to touch 40.
The home side especially, is in need of a win after losing two out of their three games so far, with Mahendra Singh Dhoni under increasing pressure after having a disappointing time with the bat. Dhoni claimed that his side remains eager to perform as a unit, and win. They have retained the same lineup, which lost to Delhi Daredevils by a considerable margin – their biggest loss of the IPL.
His counterpart was also keen to get back to winning ways, following a defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders. The left-armer is hoping that his batters make full use of the early liveliness of the pitch, and put up a respectable total on the board.
There is only one change to the lineup, which sees Raju Bhatkal replacing the injured Harshal Patel, who twisted his ankle in the previous game. This means Tillakaratne Dilshan is still benched.
The pitch at Chepauk offered added bounce in the opening game and the same is expected. However, Vettori reckons that the strip will slow down as the game progresses, making life tough for the Chennai batters.
The match will see Muttiah Muralitharan coming up against his former side. The Lankan spin wizard played for Chennai in the first three editions before moving to Kochi. Following their termination, he was transferred to Bangalore, and will be eyeing to put in a good outing.
Chennai Super Kings Playing XI:
MS Dhoni, Murali Vijay, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Albie Morkel, S Badrinath, R Ashwin, Doug Bollinger, Shadab Jakati
Royal Challengers Bangalore Playing XI: Daniel Vettori, Chris Gayle, Cheteshwar Pujara, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Saurabh Tiwary, Mayank Agarwal, Raju Bhatkal, Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Muttiah Muralitharan
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