CSK Vs DD : The Key Areas that will decide the match

We have seen all the teams in action now and while some teams such as Mohali and Bangalore have already got the combination right, others like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Delhi are still searching for their winning combination. Two of these teams will collide today at Abu Dhabi. While Chennai have lost their first match to Punjab even after posting a mammoth 205, Delhi have lost one and won one in the tournament so far. Here we look at some key areas in which this match could be decided.

1)The bowling line-ups: Both the line-ups are not the strongest the IPL has to offer and it might well come down to which team‘s bowlers can peg the opposing team’s batsmen back.  Chennai’s bowlers could not defend 205 in their first match and this could just be playing on their minds a bit. They might want to try out Samuel Badree who has a miserly economy rate of 5.08 is T20’s. Delhi too have had problems with their bowling as the spinners have struggled and the pace bowlers haven’t been able to contain. Chennai have a slight edge here due to the presence of all-rounders such as Bravo, Raina, Smith and Jadeja.

2)The opening pair: Super kings have an explosive opening pair in Brendon Mccullum and Dwayne Smith, who have the tendency to hurt the opposition badly in the first few overs. The DareDevils on the other hand have struggled with their opening combination, as Mayank Agarwal and Murali Vijay have struggled to get going. This could be a crucial factor in deciding the match and Delhi will hope the openers can lay some sort of platform for the likes of Duminy and Kartik to follow.

3)Duminy’s batting: If Delhi has competed in both the matches it has come down to one man alone. Duminy has played classy innings in both of Delhi’s matches and has single handedly kept them in the contest with some sublime shots. His dismantling of Morne Morkel was a treat to watch and Chennai will need to pick up his wicket quickly to tilt the balance in their favour.

4)Captaincy: This could be an important factor as the iceman of India,Dhoni,knows what it takes to win while Kartik is relatively inexperienced at the job. If the match is close the captaincy could be a critical component and will give Chennai a slight advantage.

Delhi are still waiting on the fitness of their regular captain Kevin Pietersen, whose return could add the much needed fear factor to the batting. Chennai on the other hand have no fitness worries.