Week 7 - Match 4 - Rajasthan Royals vs Kochi Tuskers

Welcome to the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, home of the Rajasthan Royals

Pitch Conditions: A spinners paradise which will offer huge turn even to the part time spinners. Should be a low scoring affair unless any of the big hitters get lucky by chancing their arm

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Please post tactics below...

, another spinning track!

I'm a bit nervous about my next stint on a seaming track.

Provisional XI for Kochi:

Phillip Hughes O, U25/Brendan Taylor O, U25
V.V.S Laxman
Mahela Jaywardene O/Brendon McCullum O
Parthiv Patel
Gnaneswara Rao
Steve Smith O, U25
Balachandra Akhil
Daniel Vettori O
Ramesh Powar
Piyush Chawla U25
R.P.Singh U25

Should suit both the sides.

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:Should suit both the sides.

True actually. Sanga and Dravid are class for RR, and never write off Warne.

I just think that I've inherited a team that's a lot better suited to spinning tracks than seaming ones,

Refined Provisional XI for Kochi:

Phillip Hughes O, U25/Brendan Taylor O, U25
V.V.S Laxman
Mahela Jaywardene O
Parthiv Patel/Ganaeswara Rao
Brendon McCullum O
Steve Smith O, U25
Balachandra Akhil
Daniel Vettori O
Piyush Chawla U25
Ramesh Powar
R.P.Singh U25

Leaning towards Taylor this match, he's in phenomenal batting form in real life (300+ runs in the 3 ODIs vs NZ), bowls very handy offies and probably a better player of spin than Hughes. Given the pitch I think having Mahela in as well as VVS adds some presence too - one more class sub-continent batsman, even if it means having to swap Jayasuriya for Powar to keep the Indian player #s up.

battle of the spinners, gonna be very intresting game.

Provisional XI

Watson
Dravid
Sangakkara (w)
Karthik
Uthappa
Razzaq
Manhas
Menaria
Botha
Warne
Ishant

good balance there GG

GG mate you could with another spinner instead of Razzaq.

i thought that at first but he has, warne, botha, menaria, 3 could be enough to be honest.

On this wicket you need another.Kochi have so many,

well each to their own i suppose.

cricketfan90 wrote:well each to their own i suppose.

I'm tempted to put Narine in for Razzaq. He has a phenomenal T20/list A record.

Warnie would love this pitch.

Watson
Dravid
Sangakkara (w)
Karthik
Uthappa
Razzaq
Manhas
Menaria
Botha
Warne (c)
Ishant

Toss - Bat first. Want to put runs on the board as my spinners are excellent at defending totals. However , if I have to bat second i have great chasers in Razzaq and Watson.

Selection - Yadav is out due to the nature of the pitch with an extra batsman included in Mithun Manhas. Menaria's spin should be effective on this wicket.

Batting - My top 6 have all played international cricket and 5 of them are from the subcontinent, so will be used to wickets to these. Watson will also be used to this sort of pitch as he has plenty of experience in subcontinental conditions. The team has capable batsmen down to Warne at 10 as I have included four all rounders for this game. Watson will look to attack against erratic opening bowler RP Singh, who's bowling does not suit this type of wicket. Once the spinners come on Watson will still look to attack but Dravid will anchor the innings. Sangakkara will also look to anchor, while Karthik and Uthappa will attack. Razzaq's position in the order will change depending on wickets lost. He'll look to come in around the 14th over, so he can face sufficient balls to cause mayhem.

Bowling - Ishant and Watson will open the bowling.. Notoriously economical off spinner Johan Botha will come on after 4 overs. Razzaq, who's cutters will be extremely useful on this surface will bowl the 7th over after the PP is over. I have plenty of medium and slow bowling options. If Ishant goes well in his first spell he'll get an extra over at the death at the expense of Razzaq.

Watson 1,3,18,20 (4 overs)
Ishant 2,4,6 (3 overs)
Botha 5,11,13,17 (4 overs)
Razzaq 7,9,19 (3 overs)
Warne 8,10,14,16 (4 overs)
Menaria 12,15 (2 overs)

Kochi:

Brendon McCullum O
V.V.S Laxman
Mahela Jaywardene O
Brendon Taylor O,u25
Ganaeswara Rao
Steve Smith O, U25
Balachandra Akhil
Daniel Vettori O
Piyush Chawla U25
Ramesh Powar
R.P.Singh U25

Toss: Bat first. Though the pitch is going to turn all game, so runs on the board is balanced against knowing the required rate in what could be a lower scoring game and it probably doesn't matter too much either way.

Batting:
With Hughes rested in favour of the in-form Taylor (300 runs in 3 ODI innings vs NZ on slow pitches this week) McCullum moves up to open to attack in the powerplay against RR's seamers. Laxman and Jayawardene are better than most on turning decks along with Taylor so they are tasked with keeping the innings ticking over against the spinners. And come end of innings there's plenty of acceleration from Rao, Smith and Akhil. Vettori back-stops at #8, while Chawla and Powar are both useful in the lower order if required.

Bowling:
RP Singh opens up the attack, and will be bowling a lot of cutters and slower balls. Powar leads off the spin attack from the other end. Vettori, Chawla and Smith take up the spin attack through the middle, with Taylor and Rao available as backups if anyone's not performing. Singh and Akhil come in at the death taking pace off the ball with plenty of cutters.
RP Singh 1,3,20
Powar 2,4,6,13
Vettori 5,8,10,18
Chawla 7,9,15,17
Smith 12,14,16
Akhil 11,19

good side kiwi, tough game to call.