Published: Apr 11, 2012, 07:11 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 11, 2012, 07:11 PM (IST)
Video of Ajinkya Rahane addressing the media before the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Mumbai on Wednesday.
Hosts Mumbai Indians need to address their batting concerns as they take on Rajasthan Royals, who are at the top spot in IPL 2012 points table, in their Twenty20 cricket match at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
Mumbai have struggled in chasing small totals in their last two matches and had Rohit Sharma not played a heroic 50-ball 73, they could have lost Monday night's match against Deccan Chargers.
It is Royals' first away game in IPL-5 and they had won both their home matches on the strength of their batting.
Against Mumbai, their bowling attack will definitely be tested.
Royals have a good middle-order in the form of Rajasthan Ranji Trophy batsman and former India under-19 player, Ashok Meneria, and the experienced Australian Brad Hodge.
Both Meneria and Hodge played important innings of 40 and 44 respectively, after the early fall of the two openers, and along with wicket-keeper batsman Shreevats Goswami provided the team with a defendable total of 164 against the strong KKR batting line-up.
Left-arm slow Chavan, off spinner Johan Botha, Cooper, bowling alongside medium pacers Amit Singh and Sidharth Triverdi, then applied the brakes on the rival batsman to help the Royals earn a creditable win.
It showed they have the bowling strength to stop top batsmen from running away though the Mumbai attack seems to hold an edge.
With both teams level on points (4), though Royals have a much better net run rate, a victory for either side would take them to the top of the nine-team league table.
