Stage set for intriguing battle between Delhi and Hyderabad
CHENNAI: Rishabh Pant’s brute power will be put to test against Rashid Khan’s bagful of tricks in an IPL encounter where Delhi Capitals (DC) will start as favourite against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) courtesy of its strength in bowling.
The much-criticised Chepauk track will host its 10th and final IPL game of the season, in which both Pant and his opposite number David Warner would pray for a decent surface for their flamboyant batters. With only a couple of first innings totals in excess of 170 across nine games here, the slow and gripping pitch at the MA Chidambaram Stadium tests the skills of the batsmen in a different manner.
While Shikhar Dhawan is in good form and Prithvi Shaw in not-sogreat touch after the first game, the willow-wielders, who depend on sheer timing compared to power, may struggle.
In fact, Hyderabad, after playing all its four games in Chennai, has only now started to crack the code of a slow track, evident during the team’s comfortable victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) after a hattrick of defeats.
As Kane Williamson is back in the mix, SRH seems to have got a better balance in a set-up which is acutely short of quality India internationals. With Thangarasu Natarajan’s death bowling unavailable for the rest of the season and Manish Pandey only able to manage a mediocre strike-rate, the bulk of the responsibility is on overseas recruits Warner, Jonny Bairstow, Williamson and Rashid.
The wily Afghan has been consistent and his duel with Pant could be one of the most eagerly-awaited
match-ups. So, Rashid would hope to deliver in tandem with the combination of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed. One area of concern for Delhi will be Ravichandran Ashwin’s form as he has only a single wicket to show for his efforts.
The Chepauk track could just give him some breathing space after mostly flat decks in Mumbai. Pant would also like to check out if Chris Woakes is a better option with his all-round skills in place of Kagiso Rabada, who has been off-colour so far. Meanwhile, the DC captain would be delighted with leggie Amit Mishra’s form.