The other side of the coin

The IPL isn’t just about million-dollar auctions. It also offers some rare cricketing contests, a chance to revisit intriguing old rivalries and a golden opportunity for junior cricketers. K Shriniwas Rao looks at the possibilities

NEVER SEEN BEFORE

Capt Ganguly vs Capt Dravid
MAYBE the two are best friends again, maybe not. But that’s not what will make this contest so exciting. Over a period of one year, after Dravid took over from Ganguly as India’s captain, a billion Cricket experts in the country endlessly compared the leadership styles of the two captains. Ganguly went by instinct. Dravid more or less went by the book. Their reputations as batsmen grew together, but as leaders they remained poles apart. Undoubtedly, when these two captains clash against each other in the Royal Challengers versus Knight Riders game (the tournament’s inaugural match), all eyes will be on who takes home the spoils.

Demystifying Murali
April 19 and May 10. Get a marker and circle these two dates on the IPL calendar. That’s when Chennai Super Kings play Team Mohali. So what? That’s when one can finally get some clues on tackling the world’s most successful bowler Muttiah Muralitharan. As Chennai Super Kings play Mohali, Murali will be bowling to his Sri Lankan team mates Mahela Jayawardene and Kumara Sangakkara. Muralitharan may have bowled to these batsmen on several occasions in the nets but to do it in a match will be different. Recently, Shane Warne said that “in the Twenty20 format, slow bowlers are the most dangerous weapons.” If one goes by Warne’s words, then Murali should be one of the most potent weapons waiting to be unleashed in the IPL. But will he be effective against Sangakkara and Jayawardene? Watch this space.

Venkatesh Prasad vs his Team India wards
IT is widely believed that Team India’s bowling coach Prasad swung it for the pacers during the highly successful series in England and Australia. But now comes the time when he will be plotting against his wards. RP Singh, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma will find it tough as they spot Prasad sitting in the rival camp. Chief coach of Bangalore Royal Challengers, Prasad will ensure that his batsmen — Rahul Dravid, Mark Boucher, Misbah-ul Haq and Shivnarine Chanderpaul — get a good idea on how to tackle these bowlers.

Warne & McGrath vs Australia’s best
THE two big reasons for Australia’s domination of world cricket were Warne and McGrath. It isn’t just that they took wickets, but their batsmen also didn’t have to face the most effective bowling partnership in the history of the game. With the IPL, there will be no escape for the Aussie batsmen. The likes of Ponting, Symonds, Hayden, Gilchrist and Hussey will be up against McGrath and Warne. McGrath and Warne might miss their former team mates on the field — Gilchrist behind the stumps, and not to mention the chirpy slip cordon.

... contd.

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