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Both teams are high on adrenalin

Nandakumar Marar

Tendulkar, Jayasuriya will inspire Akhtar to go full throttle

Photo: Vivek Bendre

STRIKE FORCE: Much will depend on how Shoaib Akhtar and Ashish Nehra provide the breakthrough when their teams meet on Friday. —

MUMBAI: Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians face off at the Wankhede stadium on Friday. Both teams are high on adrenalin in the wake of recent victories in the DLF Indian Premier League.

Kolkata has quite a few exciting players under a mature captain in Saurav Ganguly, notably Shoaib Akhtar, Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Ashok Dinda.

The opportunity to make Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar hop at the crease or fend away snorters will inspire Akhtar to go full throttle.

The experienced Mumbai openers may be troubled by raw pace, but to expect them to be rattled by Akhtar is asking for too much.

Jayasuriya factor

Jayasuriya has figured in two 40-plus stands for the first wicket, partnering the gutsy Yogesh Takawale in two of the last three games, followed by a dominant role in Tendulkar’s company against Chennai Super Kings. No ball is beyond his belting range once the Lankan left-hander gets his eye in.

Tendulkar will need time to get into the flow. Robin Uthappa, Shaun Pollock, Abhishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo are all capable of match-winning knocks.

Mumbai’s strokeplayers flourished against lethal attacks featuring Glenn McGrath, Mohd. Asif (Delhi Daredevils), Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals) and are unlikely to get intimidated by the sight of Akhtar steaming in.

Ishant Sharma is more dangerous in the Kolkata side with his darting deliveries, cramping strokeplayers and forcing them to take risks out of frustration.

Left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla will be watched with keen interest. He is a familiar face in Mumbai cricket and was singled out for special nets on Tendulkar’s initiative during the first inter-zonal T20 event in Ahmedabad.

Mumbai’s bowling is in capable hands. Pollock is clearly emerging as the leader of a young pack and proving the value of control and guile over blistering pace.

Bowling options

Bravo’s varied line of attack and Ashish Nehra’s movement off the pitch shackled strokeplayers.

Dhaval Kulkarni’s bounce and Thornely’s accuracy convert these two lesser-known bowlers into handy options.

Kolkata has combative players, hard-hitting David Hussey, left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, wicketkeeper Wriddiman Saha, all-rounder Shukla and skipper Ganguly, for whom handling the unpredictable Shoaib Akhtar is a major challenge in man management.

Tendulkar, in the rival dugout, has no such worries after leading Mumbai to victory on his IPL debut.

Both captains are on a common mission, silencing critics questioning their very presence in T20.

The teams (from):

Kolkata Knight Riders: Saurav Ganguly (capt.), Aakash Chopra, Salman Butt, David Hussey, Wriddiman Saha, Ajit Agarkar, Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Iqbal Abdulla, Murali Kartik, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda, L.R. Shukla, M. Hafeez. Coach: John Buchanan.

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar (capt.), Sanath Jayasuriya, Robin Uthappa, Dominic Thornely, Abhishek Nayar, Shaun Pollock, Dwayne Bravo, Dhaval Kulkarni, Rohan Raje, Yogesh Takawale, Ashish Nehra, Saurabh Tiwary, Ajinkya Rahane, Mussavir Khote.

Coach: Lalchand Rajput.

Match starts at 8.00 p.m.

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