A DAY FOR SOUTHPAWS

The ides of March came and went... it wasn't as much of a graveyard day for bowlers as I had earlier predicted. It might have been had DD batted first and Sehwag continued for little longer. But the bottomline is that RR team was completely outplayed. And had it not been for Yusuf Pathan at Mumbai, one could have said that they have been outplayed in their second consecutive match.

TEAM PERFORMANCE REVIEWS:

DD: Professionally done by DD. Their bowlers did not allow RR to get away at any time... and then their batsmen, led by Viru, chased down the modest target without any fuss whatsoever. The team looks intimidating, but will they have enough left in their tanks by the time they reach the semis (which I know they will)?

RR: Yusuf did not click today... and RR ended up looking like a club side taking on arguably the strongest side in the IPL. This side looks too dependent on one man and if he doesn't perform, they do not seem to have a backup plan. Shane Warne's bowling looks tired, Munaf is bowling lollies, Tait is confused whether than batsman is right-handed or left-handed, and barring a couple of performances by Jhunjhunwala and Dogra, no lesser known player has performed so far. I know the tournament has just started, but this team does not inspire any confidence in me.

MATCHES TODAY:

RCB v KXIP: Both teams will be looking to open their points tally today at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. If told to do so at gunpoint, I'd place my money on RCB, but it could be a close call. I want to see two southpaws click today - one on either side. Yuvraj Singh and Eoin Morgan. Both are beautiful to watch when on song. It would be interesting to see if Morgan is ready to employ the reverse sweep again.

KKR v CSK: The 8th-placed outfit last year, Kolkata Knight Riders, have taken off quickly this year. CSK has looked ordinary (especially their bowling). So it is the perfect opportunity for KKR to get another win and get themselves comfortably placed on the points table. Two senior southpaws hold the key here - Dada and Haydos. It would be interesting to see if Shane Bond is picked or rested. If picked, then will Charl Langveldt play or be dropped? The only positive for CSK might be the fact that Ashwin and Murali might enjoy the Eden Gardens strip slightly more than the one they had at home. And yes, will we see the Mongoose in action this time... what say?