If there was a pitch in this entire series that would assist the bowlers, it has to be the Mohali wicket. After the carnage, this might be a chance to fight back for the pace bowlers. Faulkner, Mckay and Johnson would be licking their lips as they can now bowl fast at the batsmen, whereas Bhuvi, Ishant and Vinay would be feeling lucky since 1 or 2 more bad performances could see them out of the playing 11 even before they notice it.

Does India have the strongest bowling line up in the world? The answer is yes. But the mind boggling fact is that in a country of over 2 billion people, India have not produced 1 world class pace bowler after the likes of Srinath and Zaheer. This match will once again be a contest between the Indian batsmen and the Aussie bowlers, and the ones who come out on top will lead their team to victory. Mohali does get a lot of dew, and if Bailey decides to bat 1st it might put his team in a spot, but well it’s his and his team management’s decision.

Team News
Team India might as well stick with the same XI, with the only possible change could be bringing in Unadkat for one of the pacers who have been ineffective till now. Their batting power is so good that they can chase down any target with a few overs to spare. On top of that, the main batsman of the team Yuvraj did not even get a bat, which further adds to the team’s batting strength. Now that Dhawan and Rohit are in form, the Aussies might find it tough to win even one of the remaining 5 games.

The Aussie batting looks good, but is nowhere equal to the power the Indians possess. However, their bowling is their biggest strength and if Johnson and Faulkner can pitch it in the right areas and trouble the batsmen, they might be in with a slim chance. Virat and Yuvraj’s wicket would be the key and if the Aussies can knock over those 2 cheaply, the match would definitely be an even contest. If bailey decides to bat 1st, as that has been the trend till now, nothing less than 350 would be a good total considering that all Indian batsmen have been in good form lately.


Probable Teams
India: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Dhoni (c)(wk), Ravi Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Vinay Kumar Jaydev Unadkat

X-Factor: Ravindra ‘Sir’ Jadeja, the once assumed to be the joke of cricket had silenced some of his critics in the champions’ trophy, where he bowled superbly. However, he is once again starting to be one of those who performs for a certain time and then is a complete waste. He needs to put his hand up and perform once again, particularly after his disastrous performances in the Champions League T20, and the 2 ODI’s. He might not be needed much with the bat, but he has to do his job with the ball. With the pressure rising from the Nayar’s and the Pathan’s, ‘Sir’ Jadeja would soon be contesting for his place in the XI if he does not dish out a good performance soon. 

Australia: Aaron Finch, Philip Hughes, Shane Watson, Adam Voges, George Bailey(c), Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin (wk), James Faulkner, Clint Mckay, Mitchell Johnson, Xavier Doherty

X-Factor: Shame Watson is a very diverse cricketer mainly because he has so much to offer with the bat and the ball. His bowling in the last match was awful, but he made up a little with the bat. He is the most experienced cricketer in this line up and he has to be the one who goes on to score a big one, if Australia are to win. He might not be opening the bowling, but he does bowl towards the death and that is when the Indian batsmen are most dangerous. If he can contain them and pick up wickets, he deserves a pat on his back. 

Expected Result: India Win

Finalllyyyyy, a match involving 2 IPL teams after one between MI and RR just took place a while back. This is match is definitely going to be a crowd puller given that the Indian crowd mostly shows up just to see their stars play. It’s the battle of the D’s, the cool Dhoni vs the flamboyant Dhawan.

Both teams are coming off great wins, and would want to continue that winning momentum with them. The Sunrisers are coming off a win on the back of Thisara Perera’s brilliant hitting, whereas the Super Kings won their last game on the back of a brilliant all-round batting performance. This is definitely a mouthwatering contest, and it is to be seen as to who will come on top. Super Kings would have the home advantage given that the match is being played in Dhoni’s backyard, Ranchi and there will be no surprises as to whom does the crowd want to see as the winners.

Team News
Could there be a more balanced team than the Chennai Super Kings? This team is as strong as any top class national team with there being so many big names in their lineup. The ever consistent Hussey, an awesome t20 player Raina and 2 brilliant allrounders in the shorter version Jadeja and Bravo are just a few out of the main 11. The best part about CSK is that if today is not Raina’s day, then Hussey or Vijay step in, and if it is not Dhoni’s day then Jadeja or Badrinath step in and get the job done for the team. The play as a unit, and it is going to take a hell lot to beat them on a flat track.

The Sunrisers always seem to be short on batsmen, particularly since their Indian batsmen have not stepped in as yet. Vihari and Reddy both have not played a good knock yet and that may worry the captain just a little bit. That being said, they have 2 brilliant all-rounders who perform consistently. In Perera, Steyn and Dhawan they have 3 of the best match winners a team could ever demand. Should they play as a team, they certainly can win this game.


Probable Teams
Super Kings: Murali Vijay, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, Subramaniam Badrinath, Mahendra Dhoni (c)(wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Chris Morris, Mohit Sharma, Ravi Ashwin, Jason Holder

X-Factor: Murali Vijay would be a bit nervous as he got out for a duck in the previous game, and with his rival openers Sehwag getting match practice for India A, he would want to put in a good performance to book his place on the flight to South Africa. Here is his chance to face off against Dale Steyn on a Ranchi pitch rather than a pitch in Cape Town, and he can get his confidence high if he plays Steyn well. He is also the quicker of the 2 openers in terms of strike rates, given that Hussey’s role is to act as an anchor throughout the innings.

Sunrisers: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Parthiv patel (wk), Hanuma Vihari, JP Duminy, Darren Sammy, Thisara Perera, Karan Sharma, Ashish Reddy, Amit Mishra, Ishant Sharma, Dale Steyn

X-Factor: Amit Mishra has never been the 1st choice bowler for India even though he performs regularly and consistently. This sheer ignorance is intolerable but well, he has taken it in a positive way and is constantly putting in brilliant performances for the Sunrisers. Tomorrow is a big game against a strong batting line up and if he can perform against the national team captain, he might be in with an outside chance of making the trip to South Africa later in November. The CSK team has a couple of left handers in their line up, and it would be interesting to see Mishra bowl against them if given a chance.

Expected Result: Super Kings Win