The expectations are high, but it's unfair to expect Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting to move mountains; others like Rohit Sharma have to step up.
Eight matches into the IPL and we’ve already seen a Super Over. The opening week also saw veterans make their mark in a format tailor-made for young guns. Rahul Dravid’s match-winning performance the other day proved yet again that age is, well, just a number.
Mumbai Indians have two such legends. While one will celebrate his 40th birthday on April 24, the other is about 20 months away from getting there. To see Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting walk out and open the innings is a delight in itself. Now try and imagine the duo in full flow. The veterans looked promising in the opening match against Royal Challengers Bangalore before some sharp fielding, both in front and behind the stumps, did them in.
In the second match Tendulkar unusually expressed his displeasure after the umpire upheld Dirk Nannes’s appeal for leg-before. Ponting, too, perished early, to a wild shot.
So what are the odds of the twosome coming good when Mumbai play their first home match on Tuesday?
Dinesh Karthik said on the match eve that there was no doubt that the two will open on Tuesday. “They are two players of the highest quality. Definitely they would be opening, there is no doubt about that.”
They say life begins at 40. Not if you are a cricketer. Take, for instance, what Sir Geoff Hurst wrote in ‘1966 And All That’. “I was approaching 40 and out of work for the first time in my life. It was a new, uncomfortable experience. I had applied for about 15 jobs following my sacking at Chelsea but didn’t get a single interview,” revealed the man who scored a hat-trick in England’s triumph over Germany in the 1966 World Cup final. One of the greatest exponents of the beautiful game went on to become a successful businessman, working in the insurance industry.
Money isn’t a problem if your last name is Tendulkar or Ponting. While the maestro continues to win hearts (even tiny tots adore him), Ponting seems to be busier than ever. Given that they are two of cricket’s most decorated batsmen, the expectations are always high.
Tuesday will be no different. Delhi Daredevils have had their share of problems, the biggest being the unavailability of Virender Sehwag. And maybe that’s one of the reasons they’ve lost both games. They also let a 40-year-old flourish at the Kotla on Saturday. Rahul Dravid batted with renewed vigour to fashion an unlikely win for Rajasthan Royals.
But Delhi received a boost on the match eve when Sehwag batted in the nets without any difficulty.
A member of the think-tank said that Sehwag will make his first appearance in this IPL on Tuesday. However, another member of the visiting team said that a call will be made before the match after assessing how he felt.
Delhi have hope, though. A pace battery comprising the likes of Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav can do some serious damage. For the record, the visitors had demolished Mumbai at the Wankhede last year. Having said that, Mumbai won’t be entirely dependent on Tendulkar and Ponting. A born-again Karthik and a run-hungry Kieron Pollard are huge assets. Does Rohit Sharma need another reminder that he is paid $2 million? It’s time he eased the burden on his mates.
@GKspts
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