Bhajji could get the better of Gayle

Gayle helps RCB thrash CSK to finish on top of league table

It was an exciting win in the end for the Mumbai Indians, after it had looked for most part that they were going to cruise through to an anti-climatic, almost one-sided victory. Credit must be given to the way that Kolkata fought in the game through their spinners and Jacques Kallis, but a score of 140 odd on a track where 170 had been chased down only a day before, was never going to be enough.

The Knight Riders fought well with both, the bat and the ball. Losing four wickets for next to nothing, they did a good job in getting to where they did in the end, through Ryan ten Doeschate. Then, after they had nipped the stunning innings of Aiden Blizzard, they came back strongly to push the game into the final over of the match.

CSK clear favourites to retain IPL

However, by then, they had run out of ammunition - Brett Lee and Jacques Kallis had bowled out and Balaji may not have been in the right state to bowl another last over against the opposition which had taken 23 off him in the last game.

Despite finishing fourth in the tournament, the Kolkata Knight Riders would have taken out a lot more positives out than negatives. They have had three really disappointing seasons and to get to the second stage for the first time will come as a mighty relief. They have a team to build on and gun for greater glories in the next season.

Mumbai Indians had their own issues with the bowling which could get accentuated against a tougher opposition. Their fourth and the fifth bowler have been conceding far too many runs for comfort. Yesterday, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pollard and Franklin conceded 73 in their eight overs even as the remaining 12 went for only 74. If the Mumbai Indians need to harbour serious thoughts of getting to the final let alone winning the IPL, they will need to resolve that issue and quickly.

Because next up against them are the Royal Challengers Bangalore, a side which has looked rather dangerous with the bat. The discussion will obviously centre around how to get the better of Chris Gayle, but as one saw in the previous match, Bangalore were well-served by the batting of Virat Kohli as well.

It may be a good idea to try one over from Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan each against Gayle before trying to rotate the bowling around. Harbhajan got the better of Gambhir yesterday and he will back himself to get the better of another left-handed opener - something that Johan Botha had successfully done against Gayle in the World Cup.

IPL 2011

The game will be played at Chepauk, on a track which will be markedly different from the one that Mumbai is used to playing at Wankhede. They will need to adjust to the much slower pitch for this game, something that they had not been able to do at Jaipur.

If Tendulkar can get someone to go after the bowling from the word go at the other end - like Aiden Blizzard did against the Knight Riders - the side will benefit greatly. What the Mumbai Indians will need is for someone to keep up the momentum till the very end, unlike against Kolkata where the loss of a wicket or two had pushed them back greatly.

Professional Management Group