Struggling Chennai desperate for revival

Big picture
Chennai Super Kings have lost four matches in a row, but what would have been most disappointing in their most recent defeat - to Rajasthan Royals - will be the manner in which they were outplayed. In each of their three previous reverses, Chennai were in with a chance for a good chunk, but they hardly ever looked like controlling the match against Rajasthan after the opening burst from Michael Lumb and Naman Ojha.

The bowling remains a massive source of concern, with players like L Balaji and R Ashwin, who impressed early this season, proving expensive in the past few matches. The batting is less of a worry, but Chennai will toy with the idea of sending the big-hitting Albie Morkel slightly higher up the order - many of his chances this season have been with the match already gone.

Their opponents, Royal Challengers Bangalore, have lesser concerns, after a superb start to the campaign has lifted them to second spot and a healthy net run-rate. They are coming off a week's break, during which Kevin Pietersen and Cameron White have joined the squad. They have already defeated Chennai once this season, and will aim for a repeat to distance themselves from the mid-table pack (four other teams have either the same points or two less than Bangalore).


Form guide (most recent first)
Chennai Super Kings LLLLW
Royal Challengers LWWWW

Team talk
Only two bowlers look certain picks for Chennai: Muttiah Muralitharan and left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati. Seamer Thilan Thushara also had a good match against Rajasthan and could get another game. A slew of injuries has reduced the options for a team whose policy was to sign on free-stroking allrounders, which means Morkel could be persisted with. MS Dhoni will have a hard time choosing the Indian quick bowler from one of Balaji, Joginder Sharma, Manpreet Gony and Sudeep Tyagi.

Bangalore have been a settled side, making no changes since the second game. The arrival of Pietersen, though, means Eoin Morgan is going to make way. One argument against that move will be that if Morgan is left out, Bangalore are likely to be a team with 11 right-hand batsmen.

Previously.

Bangalore 4 Chennai 2

The latest encounter between the two teams was last week at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Chennai's bowlers did well for most of the innings until Robin Uthappa's fireworks powered Bangalore to a winning total.

In the spotlight

Kevin Pietersen was Vijay Mallya's big-ticket signing in 2009 to galvanise Bangalore from a 'Test' team into a dynamic Twenty20 outfit. Bangalore were uninspiring under Pietersen in the early part of the IPL last season, and their transformation into a capable IPL side came only after his departure for England duties. The coming weeks present him a chance to show Indian crowds his Twenty20 skills.

Dale Steyn v Matthew Hayden: When the two teams met last week, Hayden had the confidence to walk down the track to take on Steyn, who was regularly crossing the 150kmh mark. Wednesday will be another chance to watch the imposing batsman take on the top-class fast bowler

Prime numbers

* Matthew Hayden is only 24 runs short of becoming the third batsman (after Adam Gilchrist and Suresh Raina) to make 1000 runs in the IPL

* Anil Kumble's winning percentage of 68.75 as captain is the highest among all players who have led in at least 10 matches

The chatter

"True, the momentum has had a negative impact on us, but Twenty20 is very fickle. The momentum can quickly change. It all boils down to individual players challenging themselves to lift their game."

Matthew Hayden

"As a captain, it is a tough job for me with KP (Pietersen) and White having joined us. We need to take a different approach from here on and also have to decide how to fit in these two players."

Anil Kumble