Depleted Mumbai face Chennai test
The pressures on the visiting Mumbai Indians - they are yet to notch up a win, will be without Sachin Tendulkar and face a home side that has recorded the tournament's highest score so far
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Match facts
Wednesday, April 23, 2008Start time: 2000 (local) 1430 (GMT)
The Big Picture
The first IPL match in Chennai assumes huge proportions for the visiting Mumbai Indians, the most expensive franchise - they are yet to notch up a win, are again likely to be without their captain and icon Sachin Tendulkar and face a home side that has recorded the tournament's highest score so far. As if that wasn't pressure enough, Mumbai's captain for the day, Harbhajan Singh, will face off against old foe Matthew Hayden, who called him a "little obnoxious weed" two months ago. Chennai's pressures are minor in comparison but they will want to replicate their performance against Kings XI Punjab in front of arguably the most knowledgeable fans in India - and their icon, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, will be looking to get some runs under his belt.Watch out for ...
... a high-scoring spectacle, as the pitch in Chennai is known to favour batting, and both teams possess the requisite strike force for that to happen. Though they will be without Tendulkar, Mumbai have Sanath Jayasuriya and Luke Ronchi to give the innings a lift-off. Robin Uthappa may not have pleased the purists during his 48 at home, but his innovative strokeplay can hurt opponents. With this form of the game placing a premium on all-round abilities, Shaun Pollock may be the difference between the sides: in Mumbai's first game, he scored 28 off 12 balls, before conceding only 17 in his four overs.Team news
Mumbai's main bugbear will be Tendulkar's absence, but now they have another addition to sick bay - Dominic Thornely, who required 15 stitches after being struck on his face by a Zaheer Khan bouncer. This means that Dwayne Bravo will get a game, and his electric presence in the field can serve to inspire the team. Meanwhile, Pinal Shah is likely to sit out and his place may go to Saurabh Tiwary, the promising batsman from Jharkhand.Stats and trivia
Quotes
"He [Dhoni] is a very confident man. He led well in Mohali and has an aura about him."Matthew Hayden is all praise for his captain
Shaun Pollock expects a tight encounter
Ashok Ganguly is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo