Tendulkar the key in IPL final
Sachin Tendulkar has led his Mumbai Indians all the way to the IPL final this season, but the burning question now is whether the Little Master will be fit to lead them in the deciding match against the Chennai Super Kings?
Mumbai’s win against the Royal Challengers Bangalore came at a cost, that being Tendulkar’s injury to a finger on his right hand, sustained while attempting a catch as his side set about defending their 184-run total. We’ll only be able to tally exactly what that cost is when the last ball of the season has been bowled.
At last count, despite receiving five stitches to repair the split webbing between his fingers, Tendulkar was hopeful of recovering in time for the final, and Mumbai will be grateful that having played their semi-final on Wednesday, their skipper has an extra day to recover than if they’d been scheduled to play in Thursday’s semi.
The positives are that although Tendulkar failed with the bat in Mumbai’s semi-final, his teammates shrugged off a perceived over-reliance on their captain to post a strong total, and that when Sachin was forced from the field with the injury early in Bangalore’s run chase, vice-captain Zaheer Khan was able to take over the reins and steer Mumbai to victory.
So, is it a case of with or without Tendulkar, Mumbai will convert their dominance in the group matches into overall victory in this year’s IPL?
Not if Chennai have anything to say about it. Spearheaded by Doug Bollinger, their bowlers were Scrooge-like against the Deccan Chargers in the semi-finals, and if skipper MS Dhoni can orchestrate a similar performance in the field in the final then CSK are halfway to becoming the third team to win the competition.
The concerns for Chennai lie in the batting, with opener Matthew Hayden the biggest under-performer in recent matches. The burly Australian was dropped twice on his way to a total of eight in CSK’s semi-final against the Deccan Chargers and in his three previous innings was dismissed for zero, one and five.
Hayden hasn’t missed a match for Chennai this season, and no-one will be blind to the fact that he’s one of the most damaging batsmen in the IPL when he’s in form, but on recent performances the 38-year-old’s place in the final may not be guaranteed.
Chennai’s other opener, Murali Vijay, is also searching for some form after being dismissed in the teens during the team’s three most recent matches, while Suresh Raina won’t want to give away his wicket as cheaply in the final as he did against Deccan in the semis.
The positives are Dhoni and Subramaniam Badrinath’s batting performances in the middle-order during the semi-final, but they won’t want to come together in the middle at 3-29 in the final. Chennai will need to lift their batting if they are to seriously challenge.
Mumbai have cultivated Indian batting talent throughout their order, while the West Indies’ Kieron Pollard bolsters both their batting and bowling attacks. The doubt though, lies in whether they can manufacture another strong batting performance without a contribution from Tendulkar, should the skipper miss the final.
If he plays, it’s tough to imagine a scenario that doesn’t involve Mumbai getting their hands on the trophy at the end of the match. However, if the skipper is ruled out, Chennai’s chances of toppling the top side suddenly improve.
The inclusion of one man’s name on the team sheet might never have been so important in the IPL’s short history, and may just decide the outcome of this year’s competition.
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