One-sided contests

Harsha Bhogle shares his thoughts on the IPL semi-finals and also thinks the Bangalore-Hyderabad third place playoff would have had much on offer.

Interesting how both semi finals turned out to be one-sided. Big games have a nasty habit of going that way; maybe it is nerves, maybe it is big match temperament that can stay hidden in “smaller” games. Look at the last two World Cup finals, both decided well before the last ball was bowled. Bit like a track race where the winner jogs over the finish line because he doesn’t need to look over his shoulder.

But one thing has emerged from the two semis and that is that at DY Patil, you want to win the toss and bat first. Players are saying the bounce is spongy and that means you need to get in before being able to play big shots (Pollard seems immune to that though!). I hope that trend changes because I am not a great fan of the toss being a big factor; it should just be a routine to start a game, certainly in the short format.

There has to be a reason beyond what we saw for RCB’s poor showing because they seemed like the side with the ammunition and the balance to go all the way. Maybe the lack of batting after number 7 was a worry and prevented them from going all out in the early overs. By contrast, CSK are struggling in key areas. But the dramatic finish at Dharmasala might just have given them the momentum, read belief, to go all the way. They still have more worries than comforts, most of those will vanish if Hayden gets going, but they too have the manpower to win it.

Irrespective of what happens in the play off for the Champions Trophy, the team that over-performed will have to be Deccan Chargers. They had pockets of pedigree, but too many holes to fill and to come to the semi-finals must leave them very satisfied.