Deccan Chargers v Trinidad and Tobago:
Time and Venue: 20:00 local -14:30 GMT, Hyderabad
Wednesday’s game in the T20 Champions League sees Deccan Chargers host Trinidad and Tobago in Hyderabad and Adam Gilchrist’s team must win to stay alive in the tournament.
If they are to qualify from the first group stage, reigning IPL Champions Deccan Chargers need to emulate Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Daredevils by bouncing back from an opening game defeat.
Deccan Chargers entered into Champions League as the most fancied team, but flatered at their first step. They lost in the hands of Sussex Sharks and now end up in a perform-or-perish situation. They got to win this match to stand any chance of sealing berth to the next round.
On the other hand, the Island nation team Trinidad and Tobago came to the League with no big names other than Bravo brothers and Ramden. Dwayne Bravo is a great all rounder nonetheless an erratic performer too. On his day, he strikes with bat and ball.
If Deccan wins, the group will be decided on net run rate so the margin of victory will be decisive. Trinidad is more comfortably placed with a healthy net run-rate of 2.20, well above the others in the Group A. Even if they lose to Deccan, they still stand a chance of making the next round; they just have to ensure they don’t lose by a margin big enough to bring their current net run-rate below Somerset’s -1.00.
Somerset, in a helpless situation, can only hope T and T knock Deccan out, or knock themselves out by losing heavily.
Trinidad’s performance against Somerset suggests they are capable of being competitive though it could be set up for a Gilchrist or Symonds to play a match winning innings.
Deccan has a side packed with batsmen, but failed to build on an explosive start provided by VVS Laxman and Adam Gilchrist in their tournament opener. The main problem, though, lay with their bowling. Having reduced Somerset to 99 for 7 in a chase of 154, they failed to shut them out. But with their experience, they hold a slight edge against T and T, who caused a huge surprise against Somerset with their clinical bowling display led by Dwayne Bravo.
T and T’s spin attack is a unique one, comprising a legspinner (Samuel Badree), an offspinner (Sherwin Ganga) and a chinaman bowler (Dave Mohammed). The trios were economical against Somerset, taking four wickets between them and conceding less than five runs an over. The Deccan batsmen, particularly their middle order, will be up against a varied attack.
Author: Mona Gupta, New Delhi
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