19.4.2008
 Kolkata,
April 19: A cracker of a match is expected as two
of the strongest teams in the Indian Premier League Kolkata
Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers cross swords at the decked-up
Eden Gardens here tomorrow.
With
their tails up after a thumping 140-run victory over Bangalore
Royal Challengers in last night's tournament lung-opener,
the Sourav Ganguly-led Kolkata outfit would seek their second
consecutive win, while the Hyderabad-based side, led by
stylist VVS Laxman, will look to kick-start their campaign
on the right note before an expected packed house.
Eden
Gardens, the home of cricket in this part of the world,
has been spruced up with fresh coats of paint in the galleries
and the Club House for the BCCI-backed multi-million dollar
extravaganza.
Both
teams have a galaxy of international stars capable of winning
a match single-handedly on their day. Hence, predicting
the outcome could be a risky venture.
However,
what would be a matter of concern to the two team managements
is the absence of several high-priced foreign acquisitions.
Apart
from missing banned Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar and
two other Pakistanis pacer Umar Gul and left-hand batsman
Salman Butt the Knight Riders would also have to do without
hard-hitting West Indian captain Chris Gayle, who has been
ruled out for a fortnight with a groin strain.
Gul
and Butt are slated to join the side after the ODI series
against Bangladesh.
Similarly,
Deccan Chargers would be forced to take the field without
dashing Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi, also doing duty
for his national side.
South
African batsman Herschelle Gibbs has also not come for the
Hyderabad team. The hosts, spurred on by their all-round
show against Rahul Dravid's side in Bangalore, seem to be
high on confidence.
The
out-of-the-world knock of 158 from New Zealand wicketkeeper
batsman Brendon McCullum has not only made him the highest
individual scorer in a Twenty20 match, but has also turned
him overnight into a hero for the city side, and a darling
of the crowds.
While
Ganguly would be hoping for yet another scorcher from the
27-year old from Dunedin, the disciplined bowling of his
team must also have added to the satisfaction of the Prince
of Kolkata.
The
fiery pace of Ishant Sharma, the performance of debutante
Ashok Dinda and veteran Ajit Agarkar, and the effort of
Ganguly himself has made the Knight Riders bowling look
high on quality in their first match.
The
home fans would also hope for significant contributions
from Aussie captain Ricky Ponting and Ganguly, both of whom
failed to deliver with the bat last night.
Deccan
Chargers' star-studded line-up includes retired Aussie wicketkeeper
batsman Adam Gilchrist, the aggressive Andrew Symonds, New
Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris, Sri Lankan batsman Chamara
Silva and his two compatriots pacers Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan
Zoysa.
Among
the Indian recruits, the team includes swashbuckling youngster
Rohit Sharma and pacer R P Singh, while the stylish Laxman
would be expected to provide the much-needed solidity in
the middle.
Courtesy - SNNI
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