Saturday, March 12, 2011

A new stadium greets the Kiwis and Canadians

There was a display of resurgence in the Kiwi camp after the empathetic win against an in form Pakistan team. Ross Taylor rediscovered his Midas touch to score an unbeaten 131 which comprised of 7 sixes. It was raining sixes for the Kiwis, which proved to be “DisastRoss” for the Pakistanis. Now the mood in the Kiwi dressing room would be upbeat when they take on the minnows Canada on Sunday. It’s a day match at the newly renovated Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

Daniel Vettori is set to miss the game due to a knee injury he suffered against Pakistan and he will like to get fit for the crucial game against Sri   Lanka. In the meanwhile the stand-in captain, Ross Taylor, seems to have accepted the responsibility with enthusiasm. Amongst the Associate teams Canada is probably one of the weakest but stranger things have happened in this tournament with the recent upset of Bangladesh beating England in a nail biting encounter.

The pitch conditions at Wankhede are a mystery as there hasn’t been any match played there for a long time due to the renovation. So both teams would be uncertain of what to expect. Although this one should be a walkover for the Black Caps, they would like most of their batsmen to use the match to regain form and consistency. This could be a preparatory match ahead of the Lanka encounter for them. The Castrol Predictor also firmly forecasts a comfortable win for New Zealand, with a 90% chance of victory.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Will the Indian curry be spicy or the African meat difficult to swallow?

The Men in Blue take on the Proteas in a day-night match at Nagpur. It is one of the most eagerly anticipated contests, as both teams were touted as favourites at the the start of the tournament. Recent history manifested a nail biting contest between two top sides in South Africa and the same is expected at the VCA stadium.

The pitch is expected to be a belter and the batsman should relish a run feast. The Indian bowling, which has faced criticism, will face the music as the Proteas have a good batting line-up. There are a few questions to ponder over in both camps. The Proteas need to take a call on whether they play Tahir who has been a revelation for them but is injured and has been advised 10 days rest. He is still available to play the India tie and can take rest post this match. For India it’s the team selection where Dhoni has been questioned time and again on the omission of Ashwin and persistence with an ineffective Chawla.

Nevertheless, expect an intriguing battle when Tendulkar & Sehwag take guard against Steyn and Morkel at the other end. The demon named Yusuf Pathan would haunt Graeme Smith as he annihilated his attack in their home conditions. All in all the teams seem well matched and the tie can go either way. Hence, the Castrol Predictor forecasts a difficult to call match with 52-48 odds slightly in favour of India.