RCB always a cakewalk for DC

It has been a traditional contest between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Deccan Chargers since the inauguration of the Indian Premier League in 2008 when both the teams first competed for the last spot on the charts table with the same two teams making it to the finals of the same a year later when the competition was held in South Africa. This was followed by the teams facing back each other in the third edition once again in India when the Royal Challengers lost both the games to the Deccan Chargers in the league stages but bounced back in the crucial stage to make it to the champions league.

Putting the past behind us, in the current edition of the same, once again the Deccan Chargers have defeated the Royal challengers rather royally when the margin of defeat would raise a question whether it was a T20 game or the one day international that they were witnessing. A margin of 33 runs can happen only in one day international when one of the teams have the advantage of the toss they would have won before the match would have started. But, that can hardly be the case in T20 games when the pitch would hardly be different from what it was a couple of hours ago.

A target of 172 runs for the Royal Challengers Bangalore would and should have been an achievable one if it is the T20 game that is going on on the field. The run rate that is required in such a case is just less than 9 runs an over but still achievable with players like Tilakaratne Dilshan and Virat Kohli in the team. However, if the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain-Daniel Vettori shows some extraordinary brains and sends in Zaheer Khan at number three to bat, than things may turn out to be different that what would have been expected.

There were just three hits out of the ground from the RCB team and all of it belonged to the top scorer-Virat Kohli who shone with the bat with a handy 71 off 51 deliveries. That constituted half of their overall total of 142 that included 8 extras. One has to wonder why were there the likes of A B deVilliars and Dilshan when their contribution never crossed the double digit mark. If Zaheer Khan could bowl first and return successful with three scalps, the same Zaheer Khan spoiled the RCB party by coming in at number 3. Instead, Vettori could have bought himself on keeping in mind his all round abilities. But, who can tell Vettori?

South Africa has to learn fro India experience

Well as I have written in most of my earlier posts related to India's recent tour of South Africa which South Africa win with a lot of ups and downs, South Africa have only managed to take home the series and emerge as official winners of the bilateral series. But, as most of them have out it, it was India who took home more benefits from the tour compared to South Africa if not the series. A series that South Africa should have won 5-0 was won by a 3-2 margin. Had this been a 3 match bilateral series, India would have won 2-1.

There should have been no reason for South Africa to have lost both the second as well as the third one dayer with the expectations being so low. Chasing down a mere total of 191 on the board should have been no big task and, with 8 wickets in hand that too obtained at crucial moments of the match, defending 220 in the 3^rd One dayer was also not acceptable at any cost. Things are worse for the feat happened to be achieved by South Africa at home. So, one can imagine what might happen when South Africa tour for the world cup with India being one of the hosts.

This has been realized earlier by Dale Steyn prior to other members of the South African team. South Africa, as said above will be heading towards the sub continent shortly for the mega event and unluckily, they are grouped with none other than India, the team which tested its guts on home soil. But, once again, luck stays in favor of South Africa this time with Nagpur being set to host the India - South Africa match, the venue where South Africa claimed an innings win in the first test in early 2010. And adding to that, though South Africa have been unlucky in world cups, they are not as unlucky in the pool stages.

South Africa have managed 5/5 in the group stage of the 1996 world cup, 4/5 in the 1999 world cup. However, though RSA won just 1/2 in 2007, Australia was a better team than RSA. So was the case in 2003 where New Zealand and West Indies both beat RSA before they tied with Sri Lanka. And, in case South Africa lose to India, they have matches against England and West Indies, against which winning can be considered to be easy for South Africa. But, Dale Steyn has to be careful about his team's performance with Smith having decided to quit as captain after the world cup.