IPL-Chennai vs. Rajasthan match preview

Indian Premier League
43rd match
Chennai
Report
MATCH PREVIEW
Battle of spin-heavy
attacks
The Preview by today-in-cricket
May 03, 2011
Match facts
Wednesday, May 4
Chennai
Start time 1600 (1430
GMT)
The invincibles at home
face off in back-to-
back games over the
next five days. Chennai
go in as favourites for
the first leg, but will not
take things for
granted. The Chepauk
pitch has behaved a lot
like the strip at the
Sawai Man Singh - dry,
slow and with lots of
help for spin. The
afternoon start will
recreate the heat of
Jaipur as well, and
Shane Warne's men
might feel at home
playing here. It will be up
to the gladiatorial
stands at Chepauk, and
the vociferous fans
filling them, to remind
Rajasthan that this is
an away game.
Both sides are on the
ascendancy, and will be
keen to extend their
three-game winning
streaks. The game
could be decided by the
respective spin
attacks. Both teams
have used three-
spinner arsenals to
great effect in this
tournament. Johan
Botha has been flexible,
opening the attack at
times and coming in
late at others - much
like R Ashwin has done
for Chennai. Shane
Warne has rolled the
years back in the
middle overs, while
Ashok Menaria has
surprised everyone
including himself with
his guile. Chennai will
look for the same kind
of impact from Shadab
Jakati and - if he plays -
Suraj Randiv. Both have
been inconsistent so
far this year.
Form guide (most
recent first)
Chennai: WWWLL (fourth
in points table)
Rajasthan: WWWLL
(third in points table)
Team talk
Chennai will review
Randiv's role in the side.
MS Dhoni likes to have
three specialist
spinners in the XI for
home games, but
Randiv has only
managed five wickets
in six games, and has
gone at 7.69 runs per
over. Jakati's figures
are worse, but he has
improved dramatically
in the last three games.
Will Faf du Plessis be in
line for an IPL debut? Or
will Nuwan Kulasekara
get another game?
Stuart Binny has bowled
only three overs and
faced 24 balls in five
games. Warne may
consider benching him
in favour of either a
specialist bowler or a
batsman.
Predict the playing XIs
for this match. Play
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