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Rain threat looms large at Bangalore

K.C. Vijaya Kumar

Super Kings and Royal Challengers have had contrasting fortunes so far

— Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

LIMBERING UP: S. Vidyut, Stephen Fleming and Joginder Sharma work up a sweat at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Bangalore: On Monday night, an old rivalry might get a new twist at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

However, it remains to be seen as to whether the DLF Indian Premier League clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings will have the competitive zeal and the resultant frayed tempers that have often characterised the domestic matches between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The visiting team’s director of cricket operations V.B. Chandrasekhar believes that the needle will be missing.

“The team compositions are different. Our team has players from all over. May be for the Bangalore team, the local content is more but I never thought about this match in those terms,” Chandrasekhar said.

Monday’s match pits the M.S. Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings, a team on the ascendancy and with the full quota of six points from three matches, against the home side that has struggled to strike the right notes like its much vaunted top-order led by the skipper Rahul Dravid.

Royal Challengers has slumped twice at home with just an away win over Mumbai Indians offering some consolation.

Besides Dravid, the other key players like Jacques Kallis, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Mark Boucher too have had a mixed bag. Ross Taylor though has added the much-needed belligerence, clearing the fence with ease.

The bowling though has got a welcome shot in the arm with Anil Kumble’s speedy recovery from a groin injury.

Dale Steyn is also expected to be part of the home side’s plans for Monday and he along with Zaheer Khan and Kumble, form a potent mix.

The pitch is expected to help the fast bowlers who are willing to bend their backs and the batsmen who are willing to stay long.

Dravid though remains unwavering in his belief in his team that is perched low with two points from three matches. “There is ability in this team. In the Twenty20 format, form and reputations don’t matter, it is how you perform on a particular day that determines the result,” Dravid said and he and his men now have the onerous task of recovering quickly from Saturday night’s seven-wicket defeat against the Rajasthan Royals.

Dhoni’s men have been a merry band of batting marauders, guided by the imposing figure of Mathew Hayden who has always loved the Indian summer.

Hayden, along with Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, M.S. Dhoni and S. Badrinath, have so far formed the team’s batting muscle.

The team has also got a welcome all-round addition in Albie Morkel and, with Makhaya Ntini joining Muttiah Muralitharan and Jacob Oram, the attack has got bite.

The crowds, meanwhile, will expect a cracker though low slung clouds forced the host association to quickly draw in the covers on the centre square.

Hopefully the rains will stay away.

The teams (from): Royal Challengers Bangalore: Rahul Dravid (captain), Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Wasim Jaffer, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ross Taylor, Cameron White, Misbah Ul Haq, Anil Kumble, Dale Steyn, Virat Kohli, S. Goswami, Abdur Razzak, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Sunil Joshi, B. Akhil, Devraj Patil and N.C. Aiyappa.

Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel, Mike Hussey, Suresh Raina, Jacob Oram, S. Badrinath, Joginder Sharma, Muttiah Muralitharan, Makhaya Ntini, Albie Morkel, Manpreet Goni, P. Amarnath, Stephen Fleming, S. Vidyut, Napoleon Einstein, K.B. Arun Karthick, Abhinav Mukund.

Match starts at 8 p.m.

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