The Chennai Superstars are playing really well, even without their superstar bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, and winning every match. In fact, they are the only team to have won four out of four. In every match a player has come good and led the team to a very competitive total. Very good work, till now. I bet they are the favorites to be the first semi-finalist. The Chennai Superstars will have do perform very bad from hereon to not make it to the semi-finals. So far so good. But I doubt if this team is favorite for the Indian Premier League title. First, the law of averages will come into play. Second, Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey, the two Australians stars in their wins so far, will be leaving the team in a few days to fulfill their national commitments. The bowling line-up is not very convincing and any good batsman from the opposition can murder this bowling attack.
Anyhow, Chennai Superstars deserve praise for their effort last evening. 178 was a competitive score on a placid pitch, but not by any means un-chaseable. Dhoni was the difference between the two sides. When he came to bat, the side was looking at 150-160, and his 65 off 30 balls really tilt the balance towards the Chennai Superstars. The Royal Challengers Bangalore, with a thin batting line-up, were always going to struggle to chase 179. I was quite surprised with the start they got. Wasim Jaffer, dropped twice on 7 and 18, scored 50 off 33 balls to ensure the side had wickets in hand without a daunting asking run rate in the later stages. Ross Taylor (a New Zealander), not many would have heard of him before the Indian Premier League, bludgeoned the bowling thru his immense powers. All his sixes sent ball into the second tier. His half-century laid a good platform the middle order which just threw the match away.
In the end, I think it was the Chennai Superstars who kept their cool and took important wickets to win the match by just 13 runs. Royal Challengers Bangalore in my opinion lost a match that they could have won. The team is not too great and such opportunities will not come their way too often. I have no clue why Misbah did not play yesterday; with his presence the Royal Challengers could have won the match.
Harbhajan slapped with an 11-match ban
Poor Bhajji! You know he slapped his younger brother because he misbehaved, and external forces, that should not be interfering in family matters, slapped an 11-match ban on him, which also translates into a loss of Rs 3 Crores for the turbanator. Well, that is Bhajji’s version! So convincing, na!
For me, it is the worst a cricketer can do after fixing a match. Harbhajan, irrespective of what Sreesanth said to him on earth, should NOT have slapped him. My take is very clear. Ban him for a year, if not for life, or make him do community service.