IPL Betting: Why I'm supporting...the Mumbai Indians

General / Andrew Hughes / 17 April 2009 / 1 Comments

Just having Sachin Tendulkar on the pitch lifts everyone's spirits but if he and Sanath Jayasuriya can recreate last year's opening partnership and keep Harbhajan Singh out of trouble, they could go close this year, says Andrew Hughes.

Mumbai Indians had the worst possible start to IPL 2008. Four straight defeats and a lingering injury to captain Sachin Tendulkar was followed by a typically brainless Harbhajanism as he and Sreesanth indulged in the girliest tiff you are likely to witness outside of an episode of Will and Grace. Deprived of their talismanic skipper and one of the best Twenty20 spinners in the world, they struggled to get going. In the end, they finished fifth, missing out on the semis by just one point.

That they performed so badly in Tendulkar's absence is not a great surprise. He is the rock upon which the team is built. Unlike his old chums Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly, he has taken to captaincy in the IPL with the ease appropriate to a living legend. His mere presence on the field would be enough to inspire confidence in even the most nervous cricketer and his easy-going demeanour makes him an inclusive as well as an awe-inspiring figurehead. His partnership with Shaun Pollock, now the Team Mentor, is as strong a leadership team as you will see in anwhere in the IPL; a perfect blend of batting and bowling expertise.

Pollock's most significant contribution will be to show the Mumbai bowlers how to get the most out of the South African pitches. The consensus of opinion is that the wickets in this part of the world will offer more pace, bounce and seam movement than the stodgy tracks on which IPL 2008 was played. And Mumbai are better placed than most teams to exploit the favourable bowling conditions. Zaheer Khan was an excellent signing and will be an ongoing threat with swing and guileful variations of pace. Lasith Malinga will steam in and unleash some toe-crushing yorkers; Dilhara Fernando brings pace and aggression and Kyle Mills is a reliable back-up seamer.

The spin bowling department isn't bad either. Harbhajan may have a knack for getting into trouble but he just happens to be one of the best Twenty20 spinners around. He doesn't give the ball much air in the limited overs game, but is a tenacious competitor, bowling a tight stump to stump line and begrudging the surrender of even a single run. He will be backed up by the left arm spin of Sanath Jayasuriya, a past master at tying batsmen down in the limited overs game.

And their bowling options don't end there. Mumbai have three of the best Twenty20 all-rounders in the game in Dwayne Bravo, Graham Napier and Ryan McClaren. Bravo's availability for the whole tournament is an unexpected bonus and his busy batting, nagging medium pace and energetic fielding will energise the whole team. Napier is well known to English cricket fans, being the holder of the world record for the highest Twenty20 score: a stupendous 152 against Sussex last summer which included 16 sixes. He is also a lively seam bowler, as is the South African McClaren who, but for his Kolpack status, would surely have represented his country by now.

But no IPL team can succeed without a potent batting line up and this is where Mumbai really excel. Tendulkar and Jayasuriya make up an awe-inspiring opening partnership which averaged 57 in 6 overs at IPL 2008, with the immensely powerful Jayasuriya hitting more sixes than any other batsman. Then there's the big name signing, J P Duminy, who has impressed so many with his stylish stroke play and calmness under pressure. They have also added the talented Bangladeshi captain Mohammad Ashraful and Shikhar Dhawan, who did so well for Delhi last year.

Mumbai have the honour of playing in the opening game against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. In their determination not to repeat the dreadful start of 2008, Tendulkar, Pollock and fielding coach Jonty Rhodes have been putting the Mumbai players through an intensive preparation and they are not the kind of people to leave anything to chance. The squad is happy, settled, strong in every department and unlike the other franchises, will be unaffected by international call-ups. Away from the stifling expectations of their home city, I expect the Mumbai Indians to take IPL 2009 by storm.

The Mumbai Indians are currently available at [6.2].

Comments (1)

1. Tejas | 14 May 2009

   Its a nice info. Mumbai Indians have best opening pair. If they blast they can win match in any condition.. both jayasurya and sachin are prolific run scorer and they can win the match single handedly... they have lasith malinga who is doing well. they are also having harbhajan who can turn the ball and match too..