CSK relying on Hussey to get back on track

Chennai Super Kings would be in a happier frame of mind following the arrival of Aussies Mike Hussey and bowling spearhead Doug Bollinger, both of whom will be available for selection for today's game

Chennai Super Kings would be in a happier frame of mind following the arrival of Aussies Mike Hussey and bowling spearhead Doug Bollinger, both of whom will be available for selection for today's game. Hussey joined the team after touring Bangladesh with the Australian team while Bollinger has returned after recovering from an ankle injury that kept him out of the recent World Cup.


Michael Hussey

Smarting under defeats in their previous outing, champions Chennai Super Kings and the Royal Challengers Bangalore will be looking to get their Indian Premier League campaigns back on track when they face off here today.

The Super Kings, after a close win against the Kolkata Knight Riders in their opening fixture, crashed to a stunning six-wicket loss to Kings XI Punjab at Mohali despite posting a total of 188. On the other hand, RCB, who began well by defeating newcomers Kochi Tuskers, lost their next two games to Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers.

A new-look RCB who retained only Virat Kohli while releasing the rest for auction, have been found wanting in their bowling, despite the presence of Zaheer Khan and Daniel Vettori, both of whom appear a tad jaded following their stints in the recent World Cup.

As such, RCB would be looking up to their batting trio of Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers and Kohli to provide momentum whether setting a target or chasing it. As for the Super Kings, their bowling, that is distinctly spin-centric, was thoroughly exposed at Mohali where unheralded Paul Valthaty clobbered them for a 63-ball 120 not out.

Batting, the key
Yet again, the Super Kings would be dependent on their strong batting line-up where openers Murali Vijay and Anirudha Srikkanth, followed by Suresh Raina, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Subramaniam Badrinath, are all proven match-winners. Add to that the support from the stands and the Super Kings seem to have an ideal platform to get back to their winning ways.

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