Bangalore keen to break into top-four at home (Preview)

Ever since Chris Gayle came into the Bangalore, it has looked a different outfit altogether. They have won three matches on the trot and the victories have come against top-flight teams like Kolkata and Delhi. This however is a far cry from the early phase of the tournament when only one win came in five outings and their campaign was going nowhere.

The Vettori-led side have the winning momentum going into tomorrow’s match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and they wouldn’t mind repeating the dose. With the tournament past the half-way stage, race for the top four spots would definitely spice up with a Bangalore win. Currently, they are lurking just outside the “green-zone” and are stationed at number five on the points table. A win here and the home team will well and truly be on top and on course for a berth in the last stage.

It is ironical that injury to an important player turned it around for Bangalore. Gayle’s inclusion in place of injured Dirk Nannes has made the difference. The West Indian decimated the strong bowling of his former team, Kolkata before turning it on against Pune. Virat Kohli has also come to the party with some excellent knocks to his name.

The home team has some good bowlers in the form of captain Vettori and wily Zaheer Khan. After chopping and changing for a while, the management seems to have found the right set of players.

In contrast, Punjab’s campaign has followed the exactly opposite path. After a bright start, they have been hit by indifferent form of key players. The fact that they have played the least number of matches among all IPL teams hasn’t helped matters either.

The one problem for Punjab is that their batting has been below par in the last few contests. Their top order comprising the likes of destroyer Adam Gilchrist, rising star Paul Valthaty and consistent Shaun Marsh haven’t fired in unison. David Hussey and Co. in the lower order have been ordinary so far. So the Punjab batsmen need to get their act together to give their weak bowling attack some cover. Although, the visitors’ bowling has a few recognizable names like Praveen Kumar and Ryan Harris but Piyush Chawla has been off-colour.

The home team would want a top spot on the IPL points chart and only a win here can do it for them. Likewise, Punjab would be eyeing a win that can push them higher from their current position of second last on the same list.

BANGALORE

Players who can make impact…

Daniel Vettori …The number one bowler in the ODI rankings can outwit even the best in the business. His accuracy and variety make him a difficult proposition for most batters especially when the charge is on. The Bangalore spinning pitch also suits his style of bowling.

Virat Kohli….The only player from the past IPL retained by Bangalore has lived up to the expectations of the franchise owners putting in some solid performances. His boundary hitting abilities are well known but this year he has cleared the ropes with ease. Piyush chawla may get some punishment from his Indian team mate.

SQUAD

AB de Villiers,Abhimanyu Mithun,Abrar Kazi,Arun Karthik,Asad Pathan,BN Barath,Charl Langeveldt,Cheteshwar Pujara, Daniel Vettori (c),Dirk Nannes,Johan van der Wath, Jonathan Vandiar,Luke Pomersbach,Mayank Agarwal,Mohammad Kaif,Muralidharen Gautam,Nuwan Pradeep,Raju Bhatkal,Rilee Rossouw,Ryan Ninan,Saurabh Tiwary, Sreenath Aravind, Tillakaratne Dilshan,Virat Kohli, Zaheer Khan.

PUNJAB

Players who can make impact…

Paul Valthaty ….IPL-4 has catapulted an unknown man into limelight, the reason being his stunning century against Chennai. His form will be vital for his team’s progress in the tournament.

Shaun Marsh….Consistency has been the hallmark of his batting. His presence in the middle has a calming influence on the whole dressing room. But, he has lacked support at vital moments in many matches. Maybe he has to do it all alone against Bangalore.

SQUAD

Abhishek Nayar, Adam Gilchrist (c)(wk), Amit Yadav, Bhargav Bhatt, Bipul Sharma, David Hussey, David Miller, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Love Ablish, Mandeep Singh, Nathan Rimmington, Nitin Saini, Paras Dogra, Paul Valthaty, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Ryan Harris, Shalabh Srivastava, Shaun Marsh, Siddharth Chitnis, Sunny Singh, Vikramjeet Malik, Ryan McLaren.