Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be banking on their bowlers when they face Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Ferozeshah Kotla here Tuesday.
Royal Challengers coach Ray Jennings feels the standard of bowling in the IPL hasn’t been up to scratch and dismissed suggestions that domestic curators had started producing green tops to level the playing field.
“First of all you don’t find grassy wickets in India. I think there isn’t enough grass in India,” he said.
“At the end of the day it is a battle between bat and ball. But the standard of bowling hasn’t been that good.”
Both Jennings and skipper Daniel Vettori also backed the misfiring Zaheer Khan to deliver.
“It’s important that Zaheer and I start well because we are the key bowlers. The table is tight and if we win this game we can move up to top four.”
Jennings added: “Zaheer’s form is a concern but he is unpredictable. He is a match-winner.”
RCB started with an impressive win over Kochi Tuskers Kerala, lost three matches on the trot, managed a point from the rain-forced washout against Rajasthan Royals before riding on Chris Gayle’s century to get past Kolkata Knight Riders.
Last year, RCB and Daredevils tied at 14 points but the Bangalore team, based on superior net run-rate, was placed fourth, one above Delhi, after four teams finished with seven wins each.
With Gayle marking his arrival with a bang, RCB will be keen to make a statement through three successive home games ? against Pune, Punjab and Kochi ? and improve its prospects of making the semifinals.
The Daredevils attack will have to be at its best to restrict a ready-to-explode RCB. Since the core of RCB is formed by ex-Daredevils stars, Sehwag will surely have a plan or two for them.
On the other hand, Vettori will surely expect Gayle, Dilshan, de Villiers, Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Saurabh Tiwary to make the most of the opportunity to come good on a better of a pitch.