Desperate Punjab bank on Bangalore’s poor away run

Poor travellers

Punjab will draw some inspiration from Bangalore’s tag as poor travellers this season. The side had lost all four of its away games until they had travelled to Pune,the bottom-placed side. Their current away record now stands at four losses from five games. There are signs of a turnaround for Punjab on other fronts too.

The arrival of Shaun Marsh gives the batting the solidity it has lacked so far this season. Around the halfway stage,the struggling Adam Gilchrist eventually stepped down,and Marsh,his replacement,has made an impact straightaway. Coming in for Punjab’s last couple of games,the left hander has made 83 runs,including a half-century. David Miller (251 runs at a s/r of more than 150) too has been in form and is currently the side’s top scorer. David Hussey,the skipper in Gilchrist’s absence,has still not hit on the right batting order and Miller has so far made a great case for something of a promotion. Of the non-internationals,it is just Mandeep Singh who has come up with the goods. Where Hussey fits in the likes of Gurkeerat Singh and Manan Vohra could also prove decisive for Punjab.

Most successful teams in this edition have been served by one or more effective spinners,but that has not been the case with Punjab. Piyush Chawla has picked up just five wickets in ten matches and Bhargav Bhatt,who was tried for a couple of games,might get a look in instead. Punjab have gone for a four-pronged pace attack in most home games,but with the lack of a penetrative spin option has held them back.

For Bangalore,apart from the usual suspects there has been a quiet but effective contributor down the order in the form of Saurabh Tiwary. Early on,Bangalore was prone to collapse once the big guns departed,but since the left hander’s inclusion,the batting has worn a more steady look. Despite his strike rate (104.8) Tiwary has held one end up and the let the hitters do their job.