At home, MI look to bounce back

Back home but troubled with injuries and fatigue, Mumbai Indians gear up to take on Deccan Chargers at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

It is a clash between a side that is very well balanced on paper but struggling on the field, against a team that has looked clueless so far in the tournament except for their first and only win in the previous game.

So, if there is an opportunity for Harbhajan Singh and his men to work on their fast depleting confidence levels then it is right here, right now, taking on the Chargers who have been struggling the most this IPL.

The Mumbai Indians, of course, aren’t in the best of shape right now. The loss against Delhi, a crucial one at that, has dented their confidence and they’re now placed seventh in the points table, with Deccan finishing last.

A victory, and a good one at that, is what Mumbai Indians will be looking for and the opportunity to pounce upon a side, that has nothing big to show so far, is welcome.

It hasn’t been an easy ride for Deccan Chargers this season and Mumbai Indians, despite the overall combination of the team, has struggled. The fickle format that twenty20 has shown that no matter how many stars you can afford to have in a team of eleven, the on-field dynamics can be very different.

If momentum has to be considered, Chargers arrive riding on their first victory in IPL this season, a comprehensive one that came against the Pune Warriors on Thursday. Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, are back home after a defeat to Delhi Daredevils in a match that was lost to an assault by Virender Sehwag.

There is little doubt that Mumbai have the resources, with Sachin Tendulkar opening the batting and Lasith Malinga spearheading the bowling. However, after a promising start they’ve lost their way, and now have as many losses as their wins.

Malinga is the second highest wicket taker this season despite playing just five matches, but the lack of support he’s found at the other end has had a detrimental effect on the team. Despite having to fly back home to nurse an injury, and return, the Sri Lankan pacer has been crucial to Mumbai’s chances so far.

Sunday night provides the Chargers with a great opportunity to avenge their loss to Mumbai in Visakhapatnam, where Rohit Sharma hit a last-ball six to pull off a thriller. It was a game the Chargers should have won.