With conditions favouring the HighvelD Lions, Mumbai Indians skipper Tendulkar will be hoping the south african batsman can help them balance things
With conditions favouring the Highveld Lions, Mumbai Indians skipper Tendulkar
The unheralded and inexperienced Highveld Lions will hold the upper hand when they meet the vastly experienced Mumbai Indians in the opening game of the Champions League Twenty20 at the Wanderers today.
JP Duminy's knowledge of conditions will be a key for Mumbai Indiansu00a0
in the CL T20 opener
With just three players having international experience--Neil McKenzie, Alviro Petersen and Vaughn van Jaarsveld-- in their side, under normal circumstances they would be the underdogs.
But the knowledge of local conditions, being at home at the "Bull Ring" and with an expected 30, 000 crowd backing them, they hold the aces.
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However Sachin Tendulkar, who led the Mumbai Indians during the 2010 IPL where they finished runners-up, is not perturbed.
"They may hold the advantage but that will not bother us. We've come here to compete and be successful in the tournament," he said.
"I've been here before but not in September where the conditions are different to say late December and early January. But that does not mean we will not be able to produce the type of cricket the Mumbai Indians are known to playu00a0-- positive and attacking."
Tendulkar, an outstanding exponent in all forms of the game, was the leading runs scorer in the 2010 IPL and had a fairly good international year. He will be one of the major factors if MI are to be a success here.
Perhaps there may be just too much pressure on him to produce the big runs once again and that could bring out the best of his repertoire over the next 17 days. He did so early this year as he blasted 618 runs after 15 visits to the crease at a strike rate of 132.61 with five half centuries.
And he does have men around him who can lift their game --JP Duminy,who did not have a very successful 2010 IPL, will need to come to the party and his knowledge of the conditions will also come in handy.
Kieron Pollard, who was a huge hit in the sub-continent is another who will want to settle down quickly to the bouncy and rather pacy Wanderers track.
Pollard was devastating in the lower order for the Mumbai Indians--he got 273 from 14 hits and finished with an amazing strike rate of 185.71. He's certainly the man every South Africa cricket enthusiast will want to see bloom over the two week period. ]
Among the others that the Mumbai Indians would rely on after successful IPL stints early this year are Saurabh Tiwary, Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo plus two wily players in Zaheer Khan and off-spinner, Harbhajan Singh.
Having a look at what the Mumbai Indians offer in terms of experience cannot be matched by the Highveld Lions.
But cricket's a funny game - especially the Twenty20 format - and though the home side have local knowledge, they could either be pulverised or come out all smiling if they back themselves on their home ground.
McKenzie, who had a successful English summer, is their key player and if he goes early it could be an early night for the Lions.
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