THE ELIMINATOR: Heart says MI, Mind says CSK

Had it been any other team apart from Mumbai Indians, would have lost all their hopes of making it to the playoffs after losing first 5 matches of IPL7. Such was their temperament in the Indian part of the Indian Premier league. They took one game at a time and made the impossible look possible before a miraculous game happened, mathematically as well.  The team just revels in their home ground like no other team. Its like, they know how the pitch is going to turn and by how much degrees whenever they come out to play there.  They relegated Rajasthan Royals in the last match of the league stage to set up a clash against the omnipresent Chennai Super Kings in the Eliminator of the Playoffs.

With the first Qualifier having been postponed to the same day, it makes this match all the more exciting as both teams will get to know who will they face upon after finishing this game. CSK and MI have had some great rivalry in the past. Remembering the day when Tendulkar smashed CSK bowlers all over as well as the day when Tendulkar was hustled by Bollinger last year. But remember, this year there is no Tendulkar. This year in their previous two encounters it has all been about Malinga and Dhoni. Malinga tried his best to win his team the previous two encounters between them by taking wickets but it was all too late as by then only a few Dhoni hits were required by his team. I still cant recall the game in which Dhoni has been dismissed.

The match is scheduled at 8 pm at Brabourne stadium where not a single match has been played yet in this year`s IPL. So, one cannot say what kind of pitch it is going to be. Although Indian tracks are usually batting friendly tracks. But will it be a Wankhede type of wicket or the completely opposite of it. Mumbai are expected to be favorites not just because it`s their home ground but because of the way they have lifted their game and as I said before, the TEMPERAMENT they have shown. A winner differentiates himself from a Loser by the kind mental toughness they exhibit. MI is like the Rafael Nadal taking on the master Roger Federer in CSK.

According to me, CSK have been missing the services of their best All-rounder Dwayne Bravo. He was someone who Dhoni could use anytime and anywhere be it batting, bowling or even fielding. He was Dhoni`s strike bowler. This year he has not yet found one. His bowlers have disappointed him. He has lost confidence in his fast bowlers which is clearly suggested by the no of overs they have bowled since their ninth match.

From Mumbai, Shreyas Gopal has really impressed me. He doesn`t appear to be a new comer. He looks extremely confident. Well, such has been the characterics of the Leg spinners in IPL7. Mumbai needs to figure out who should bowl in the final overs. I have seen Pollard always getting the 20th over in which he bowls all types of balls except the most important one, The YORKER. They are clearly missing Lasith Malinga.

The mind says its going to be Chennai Super Kings but my heart says Mumbai Indians. Keep in mind that I am a Dhoni fan. Let us hope for the best and may the best team win.

—Ddevanshu Wadhawan