With Chennai Super Kings enjoying unequivocal success with three and sometimes even four spinners in its games at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium — the venue for the second qualifier between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians — it was only understandable that much of the pre-match talk revolved around the track and the combinations that the teams would employ.
RCB skipper Daniel Vettori said that the reputation of the pitch would not force the team into wholesale changes. “We will go with the same team. With Chris (Gayle) and myself bowling eight overs, it will be hard to fit too many more in.
“The groundsman says that it will be a good flat wicket (for the match on Friday) and the one for the final will turn more. We will stick to the team that has done well over the last eight-10 games,” said Vettori.
Mumbai Indians coach Robin Singh was a little less forthcoming about his side's bowling combination, but agreed that the track for the second qualifier looked different to the ones previously used in the tournament.
“The surface looks totally different. Chennai has been playing most games on another track. We have to look at our opposition RCB, then the surface and then decide on our bowling options. We have to play our brand of cricket, we have our plans and the main thing is to execute them,” said Robin, when asked if either of Ray Price or Ali Murtaza would get a look in.
Robin and Vettori refused to read much into the manner in which the sides have made it to the final stages of the tournament — RCB lost a close contest to CSK in the first qualifier, while MI stuttered to a win over KKR in the elimination final.
Vettori said the defeat was a thing of the past and that the team “was in pretty good spirits”. “We realise the small things we did wrong in the last five overs and try to make small improvements,” said the Kiwi.
Neutral line
Robin stuck to his neutral line, saying each match represented a different contest. “We have done pretty well against RCB in the past. It's a fresh game so we have to start from scratch, focus and regroup,” said Robin.
Vettori also maintained that fatigue would not be a factor if the side was to make it to the final, saying: “If we have played the extra game (compared to CSK) it only means we have won (on Friday). Both the matches are here (Chennai) and its the travel and not the games themselves that is the hardest bit.”
