Stuart Clark backs Watson,Warner to deliver for NSW

In both their group matches so far,NSW openers Warner and Watson have thrown away their wicket after getting starts,following which the Australian side has struggled in the middle overs.

“The game is what it is. You have got to get one more run than (the opposition) and the wicket isn’t conducive to batting all the time. So from a batting point of view,we’d have liked to seem them get a few more runs and some of the guys (who) got in to go on and made a big score of 70 or 80 or something like that.

“But you could also say that they are probably due a big score and win us a couple of games,” Clark said at a press conference here.

He said,”Someone like David Warner or Shane Watson,both made more than 30 in either game but threw their wicket away. If one of them goes on and (makes a big score) then we’ll probably win the game. I think it’s a question of them taking control of the game and taking the game away from them.”

Yesterday’s performance proved that his call to arms had not gone in vain,with Kieron Pollard and little known Sahul Kanwar setting the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore alight with their strokeplay.

NSW’s pace bowlers may be spared a similar treatment tomorrow on the newly relaid Chennai pitch,which is a lot slower than it used to be and the ball does not come on as readily to the bat.

However,the pitch has aided spin. Simon Katich’s spinners — Steve O’Keefe and Steven Smith — have impressed in their outings here,with O’Keefe in particular succeeding in restricting Trinidad & Tobago to just 15 runs in the Super Over to help NSW register victory.

Besides spinners,Katich will also hope that to his fast bowling department,which includes upcoming pacers Pat Cummins,Mitchell Starc and veteran Stuark Clark,check the threat of Pollard and Co.

As far as batting is concerned,NSW’s focus will be on getting their middle order to fire as they have failed in two matches in a row to build on good starts by their openers,Shane Watson and David Warner.

Katich,Ben Rohrer,Daniel Smith and Steven Smith have contributed just over a 100 runs to the total in NSW’s two matches so far,while Watson and Warner have provided starts in excess of 40 runs in each match. All-rounder Moises Henriques has been only other player,besides the openers to have contributed substantially with the bat.

Mumbai Indians: Harbhajan Singh (c),Abu Nechim,Aiden Blizzard,Yuzvendra Chahal,Dilhara Fernando,James Franklin,Davy Jacobs,Sarul Kanwar,Lasith Malinga,Kieron Pollard,Ambati Rayudu,Rajagopal Sathish,T Suman,Andrew Symonds.

New South Wales: Simon Katich (C),Stuart Clark,Pat Cummins,Nathan Hauritz,Josh Hazlewood,Moises Henriques,Phillip Hughes,Nic Maddinson,Steve O’Keefe,Ben Rohrer,Daniel Smith,Steven Smith,Mitchell Starc,David Warner and Shane Watson.