Recovery time for struggling Deccan
ESPNcricinfo previews the game between Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Hyderabad
Match facts
Thursday, April 14Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)
Big picture
A revamped Deccan Chargers have had a tough time in this early phase of the tournament with two defeats in two games. They were beaten comfortably by Rajasthan Royals and fell short by nine runs chasing 163 against Kolkata Knight Riders. On each occasion their batting has let them down - while batting first in their opening game, they managed a modest 137 while pressure got to them in a tight chase against Kolkata. Their opponents, Royal Challengers Bangalore, began the competition on a promising note but are reeling from a humbling defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians.Team talk
The end of the Australia-Bangladesh series means Cameron White will return to the Deccan Chargers squad but it is unlikely he will be part of the XI tomorrow. Amit Mishra and Pragyan Ojha bowled well in the previous game, but it'll be interesting to see if they leave one out to accommodate someone like Harmeet Singh, who has a wonderfully deceptive slower ball, to bring some variation into their bowling.In the spotlight
Shikhar Dhawan is an attractive strokemaker and Deccan bank on him to control proceedings from one end. But too often he can be flashy or concede his wicket playing a rash shot. He got a start in Deccan's opening game, making 24 off 15, before throwing it away by holing out in the deep. He had an impressive opening IPL for Delhi in 2008, providing solidity at the top and Deccan would expect no less from him this time.Prime numbers
- Pragyan Ojha is one of only two bowlers - the other being RP Singh - to pick up 50 wickets in the IPL. He's played 46 games, averaging 22.62 though has been expensive, conceding 7.19 an over.
- Kumar Sangakkara effected 11 dismissals as wicketkeeper in the IPL last year, in 13 matches, third after Adam Gilchrist and Dinesh Karthik.
The chatter
"We need to bat smarter, make less mistakes."Kumar Sangakkara sums it up
Daniel Vettori wants his side to to get on a roll
Siddhartha Talya is a sub editor at ESPNcricinfo