If a team can afford to let Dale Steyn and Dwayne Smith warm the bench, you know it has an embarrassment of riches. Amazingly enough, that’s the kind of cruise ship Gujarat Lions finds itself in.
With three wins in as many games, all engineered by a newfound ‘chase master’ in Aaron Finch, the IPL debutant is on a roll.
And, with local hero Ravindra Jadeja back in the mix after his nuptials, the roar can only get louder when Suresh Raina & Co. takes on Sunrisers Hyderabad here on Thursday.
Situated in the middle of nowhere, the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium has metamorphosed into a valley of colours.
Replete with a canopy cover reminiscent of the Adelaide Oval and a media centre inspired by the spaceship at Lord’s, the airy venue is well known for the batting beauties it dishes out season after season.
And, given that dew wasn’t a factor here last week, it would only be prudent to expect a run feast.
The Finch factorFinch has, quite clearly, cracked the code as far as pacing his innings in the IPL is concerned. That he has pocketed three back-to-back Man-of-the-Match awards is testimony to this fact. The other night, even cramps could not stop him from powering the Lions to victory over Mumbai Indians.
With scores of 74, 50 and 67 n.o., he is a man in some form and hurry. How he negotiates what buddy and rival skipper David Warner throws at him on Thursday will go a long way in determining the outcome of the contest.
Warner, no less a bludgeoner, sure has a trick or two up his sleeve so as to upset Finch’s rhythm. How he utilises the swing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the yorkers of Mustafizur Rahman and the leg-spin of Karn Sharma to negate the threat posed by Finch remains to be seen.
Seeking consistencyAfter being thumped by Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders in the space of four days, Sunrisers Hyderabad fought back gallantly to put it past Mumbai Indians.
A disciplined performance from its bowlers, mainly Barinder Sran, helped restrict Mumbai to 142 for six. The chase was masterminded by Warner, who eased his way to an unbeaten 90.
But, in order to upset the applecart of Gujarat Lions, Sunrisers Hyderabad will have to be consistently good.
Thursday’s match could turn out to be an eyesore of sorts for the viewer. Both teams have more than a generous offering of orange in their jerseys. In other words, your good evening may become a gaudy evening.
