Can Gayle blast Bangalore into semis? (Preview)

Age-old saying that the game is not over till the last ball is bowled is still relevant in the time of switch hits and dilscoops, Bangalore and its fans would surely testify. After being in the dumps for most part of the Champions League, a Chris Gayle special was enough to revive their fortunes so much so that only a decent win in their last match would see them sail into the semis. Two successive losses against Mumbai and Kolkata had almost put them out of the frame but they have found a new lease of life.

The Vijay Mallaya-owned franchise take on South Australia in last of the group matches to complete the last four line-up. The fact that the confidence boosting win came just two days ago and the IPL team will be playing in front of a passionate home crowd should make them favorites but the Redbacks are a determined unit. The Big Bash champions too face elimination, thus the match is a virtual quarter-final.

Poor performance by bowlers in the first two matches cost Bangalore crucial points but with a huge score on the board, Daniel Vettori and his men came good against Somerset restricting the County side to just 155 where they scored 206. Dilshan and Gayle once again will be key men at the top, especially the marauding Jamaican who can win a match lone handedly. Skipper Vettori will be critical to the team’s chances given his experience to curb the run flow during the middle overs. So will be Australian Dirk Nannes who has the ability to take wickets at crucial junctures.

Similarly, the Redbacks also have a power packed batting line-up with likes of Michael Klinger, Callum Ferguson and Daniel Christian among their ranks. In the bowling department, Shaun Tait could make a comeback after being axed in the last match. Nathan Lyon who had an impressive Test series for Australia on similar tracks in Sri Lanka will be looking to make an impact in the must-win tie.

Since, these two teams play after Somerset and Warriors match, they will have the advantage of exactly knowing the target in case the qualification depends on the run rate. It seems mathematics will dictate the way teams play this match, so batting last may be the preferred option on a good surface where chasing has not been a big issue. Also, the rain has to stay away for all these possibilities to come into play.

Bangalore Squad: Daniel Vettori (c), Chris Gayle, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Virat Kohli, Mayank Agarwal, Mohammad Kaif, Saurabh Tiwary, Sreenath Aravind, J Syed Mohammad, Arun Karthik (wk), Asad Pathan, Abhimanyu Mithun, Dirk Nannes, Raju Bhatkal.

South Australia Squad: Aaron O'Brien, Adil Rashid, Callum Ferguson, Cameron Borgas, Chadd Sayers, Daniel Christian, Daniel Harris, Gary Putland, James Smith, Kane Richardson, Michael Klinger (c), Nathan Lyon, Shaun Tait, Tim Ludeman (wk), Tom Cooper