Maximum cities in big-ticket clash

The IPL bandwagon requires very few reasons to sell tickets.

The IPL bandwagon requires very few reasons to sell tickets. Even as ODIs and Tests are played out in front of empty stands pan India,the thrill machines of this league-based format are quite used to full houses. For Fridays game between the Mumbai Indians,the visitors,and the Delhi Daredevils,the hosts,there wont be an empty seat in the house. There could be several reasons for this houseful encounter,such as the Mumbai-Delhi rivalry or the home teams top-of-the-table position. But,the real reason is a simple one. Sachin Tendulkar vs Virender Sehwag.

Apart from these two Indian giants opening the innings on either side of this contest,there are many other similar traits shared by the two dressing rooms. At the half-way stage,both Mumbai and Delhi have done well enough to stay in the reckoning,led brilliantly by two top-order batsmen in Kevin Pietersen and Rohit Sharma. But not all similarities are positive,as there are a few concerns in the middle for both sides.

The Delhi middle-order has remained largely untested with no-one other than KP and Sehwag crossing the three-digit figure for runs this season. While Mahela Jayawardenes promotion to the opening role has assured him a chance to show off his wares,the same however cannot be said of Ross Taylor. The Kiwi,in four innings so far,has scored just 45 runs,all coming at the business end of a run chase.

Mumbai,meanwhile,have placed more faith on the domestic players this season,such as Rohit and Rayudu. Rohits gameplan has been clear,and there has been no ambiguity about his place at No.3. Hes leading run-getter in his team with 176 runs in seven games. Rayudu,on the other hand,hasnt been as dominant as he was in the previous season,but that too can be put down to the fact that like Taylor,he is now part of Mumbais finishing act.

Along with Tendulkar and Rohit,Rayudu will be the man to watch out for against one of the best bowling line-ups in this IPL. Delhis fast bowling line-up of Morne Morkel,Umesh Yadav and Irfan Pathan has performed better than any other pace troika in the other franchises,while their left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem was the chief architect in Mumbais destruction the last time these two sides met in Mumbai.

Last time around at the Wankhede,it was the bowlers who called the shots. But at the Kotla on Friday,the batsmen are sure to have their say. Hopefully,Taylor and Rayudu too.

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