Its mystery spinner vs myth-buster in top-of-the-table clash

Key match-up: League leaders Delhi daredevils Take on second-placed Kolkata Knight Riders at Ferozeshah Kotla

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The evening before the 2008 Asia Cup final,the mood in the Indian camp was a sombre one. Ajantha Mendis,and his mystery ball,loomed large over the minds of the players. Although India hadnt faced Sri Lanka yet in the tournament,Mendis had created quite a reputation for himself.

At the final team meeting,Virender Sehwag is said to have raised his hand and taken tackling Mendiss finger flicking delivery upon himself. On cue during the final,he jumped out of his crease with a heave,only to be stumped off the second Mendis ball he ever faced. Mendis finished with 6/13,India collapsed and the mystery of the offie grew to gigantic proportions.

Later that year,Sehwag did crack the Mendis secret in the one-day series that followed the Asia Cup. Still,it was one tournament too late for the Indians. Four years on,on the eve of the match against the Kolkata Knight Riders,Sehwag will hope that he can get it right on his very first attempt as he and the rest of the Delhi Daredevils take on the newest mystery to hit the game of cricket,Sunil Narine.

Supple wrist

Like Mendis,Narine too is categorised as an off-spinner. The West Indian wasnt around when Delhi beat his KKR side at the Eden Gardens,but ever since,the Daredevils have kept track of Narines wonderful wrist one that has claimed 13 wickets in just eight games,at an astounding economy rate of just 5.22 runs per over. The Delhi think-tank will also know that out of the eight games Narine has played this season,the Knight Riders have won six.

Nobody in the cricketing world knows Sehwag better than his long time opening partner and Mondays rival captain Gautam Gambhir. So there is a good chance that Gambhir will be tempted to throw the brand new leather to Narine,for the winner of that battle will essentially decide the table-toppers. A good new-ball spell by Narine will also have another benefit that of keeping Sehwags newest opening partner quiet,the ever-flourishing David Warner.

Interesting subplots

While the Sehwag-Narine match-up is a big reason to tune into the night encounter,there are several other subplots to this battle that are just as interesting. Gambhir,after nullifying the Punes Sourav Ganguly homecoming,will also be coming back to his backyard to take on his former team. He,however,admits that the Ferozeshah Kotla will perhaps not respond the way the Eden Gardens did when Ganguly showed up on Saturday.

The game is also a face-off between two buddies in the form of their IPL lives. Sehwag has scored five fifties in a row a new T20 record while Gambhir is not far behind,with four on the trot. The match is also a battle between members of the Pathan family. While Irfan has been brilliant this season,Yusuf has been a shadow of the man who once scored a 37-ball IPL hundred a couple of seasons ago. From Yusufs form to Narines mystery to a half-century race between best friends,somethings got to give on Monday.

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