Can Chennai defy odds to stay alive? (Preview)

It seems MS Dhoni is no longer destiny’s favorite child, after a disastrous tour of England his fans had pinned hopes on a stellar show by Chennai in the Champions League. But, the nightmare for the India and Chennai captain just does not end. For the first time in 2011, Chennai under his leadership lost a game at home against Mumbai, that too when they seemed to have the match all covered. Chepauk has been a happy hunting ground for Chennai but one more loss to Trinidad and Tobago has almost robbed them of a semi-final slot.

But, they still have an outside chance of making amends. First, Cape Cobras have to narrowly lose to T&T and then Chennai need to win by a huge margin against New South Wales, so they have four points at a superior net run rate. The die hard Chennai supporters would be praying for a favorable result in the first match on Tuesday so that their team can turn it around in the second encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

If the defending champions are to have any chance of making it past the group stage, their key players need to fire in the all important game. Ms Dhoni is due for a special knock, in-form Michael Hussey and Dwayne Bravo have to come good. Same is true for their bowlers, Ashwin, Jakati, Bollinger and others have no other choice than give their best.

With the race to semi-final turning into a scramble, NSW are on favorable side of the run rate puzzle. The Big Bash runners-up somehow need a point against Chennai, an outright win will give them two but they wouldn’t mind a washout either. The fact that Chennai would be chasing a big win can ultimately play into Blues’ hands; the home side may go for too much on a sluggish surface and end up with too little.

The Australian side boasts of some real power hitters among their ranks- Shane Watson, David Warner and Moises Henriques to name a few. If one of them gets going, the Chennai boys have their work cut out. Phillip Hughes may as well finally get a chance to show his T20 prowess. Steve Smith and Ben Rohrer are capable batsman who can dig their team out of tough situations.

As things stand, Chennai would have defied odds if they manage to stay alive in the tournament while as NSW have most parameters in their favour.

Chennai Squad: S Badrinath, Doug Bollinger, R Ashwin, MS Dhoni (c)(Wk), Shadab Jakati, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, Albie Morkel, Wriddhiman Saha, Suraj Randiv, S Anirudha, Dwayne Bravo, Scott Styris, M Vijay, Nuwan Kulasekera.

New South Wales Squad: Stuart Clark, Patrick Cummins, Nathan Hauritz, Josh Hazelwood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes, Simon Katich, Nic Maddinson, Stephen O'Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Daniel Smith, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson.