Daijiworld Media Network

Abu Dhabi, Apr 18 : There is a significant Aussie flavor to the Punjab concoction with Bailey, Johnson and Maxwell expected to fire on all cylinders. The spin deparment though is shorn of resources with Murali Kartik being the lone established tweaker. Well, Chennai's strength is that they are Chennai. Unsurprisingly, they have retained the core group whilst adding Dwayne Smith and Baz to the roster to plug the gaping hole left behind by the departure of Mike Hussey and Murali Vijay. As coach Stephen Fleming himself admitted, the Men in Yellow have been bogged down by the off-field distractions. Can Chennai rise above the controversies? Or will the revamped Punjab unit emerge on top?

Bailey: 'This week has gone in trying to know the guys. We have had younger guys who haven't had experience of playing. Twenty-20 is all about consistency. If we play our best cricket, we can match any side in the competition. That's fine (when asked about the result of the toss), it looks a pretty good wicket, doesn't it? Hopefully Mitchell Johnson can fire up for us today.'

MS Dhoni: 'It's a special one (referring to Chennai and Raina playing their 100th game in the competition), we have played quite consistently over the years. Suresh has played 100 games, as well as the side. It's a special occasion. We have not played cricket over here, since I made my debut I haven't played much here. For the spectators to come in when the conditions are so hot and humid deserve special applause. We are looking to bat first, first game for us, it may get slower as the game goes on. It's a good move to have grass on the wicket, not too much, but enough to make the ball come on to the bat. Faf, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith and Dwayne Bravo are our four foreigners. It is very difficult to remember all the names, that's what I can say.'

Teams:
Punjab (Playing XI): Virender Sehwag, Cheteshwar Pujara, David Miller, Glenn Maxwell, George Bailey(c), Wriddhiman Saha(w), Mitchell Johnson, Akshar Patel, Rishi Dhawan, Parvinder Awana, Lakshmipathy Balaji

Chennai (Playing XI): Faf du Plessis, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Smith, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma

For years, Chennai vs Punjab has been the Topdog vs the Underdog contest. But times do change. Armed with new reinforcements for the seventh season of the Indian T20 League, Punjab claim a much stronger outlook, so much so that this clash has been rendered as the battle of equals.

Chennai won the toss and elected to bat

Team Profiles:

Chennai:

Chennai have been in the news for all the wrong reasons in the recent past. Before the start of the season, there were chances of the most successful T20 League team being banned for malpractice. They have managed to overcome that for now and will be eager to get down to the cricket for that is what they would like to be known for.

One look at the records is enough to see that Chennai have easily been the most consistent team through the years. They are the only team to have reached the knockout stages in every edition of the tournament. They have reached the final in 5 of the 6 editions and have finished as champions twice. However, the new season will pose a lot of challenges with the auctions ensuring a shake-up of all squads. Chennai retained five players and they will form the core of the squad. They managed to buy back a few players from the previous seasons but there are plenty of new faces as well. Like it is for every other team, gelling and building a team will be one of their biggest challenges at the start.

Strengths: Traditionally, Chennai's strength has been the batting department. There does not seem a change in strategy this time around too. MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo and Dwayne Smith are all imposing names and each one is capable of winning a match single-handedly. They will be banking heavily on these men to see them through in most of the games. Baba Aparajith and Mithun Manhas are proven domestic performers and could provide the ideal foil for the International stars. Likewise Chennai possess considerable strength in the spin department. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Samuel Badree will pose a big challenge as the pitches get lower and slower.

Weaknesses: While the batting may be loaded with stars, the bowling department is conspicuous by the absence of any fast bowler of note. Ben Hilfenhaus is the lone name to have some International credentials but there is a certain rawness about the rest of the group. Mohit Sharma has been with Chennai for a couple of years now and he was a part of the India side as well but is not the kind to set a game on fire. Dhoni will be hard pressed to manage his fast bowling resources cleverly.

Opportunities: With much of the old guard gone, it provides an opportunity for the younger members of the squad to try and make a mark. Ishwar Pandey has done tremendously well in his last two domestic seasons but has lacked a big stage to showcase his skills. He was a part of the India squad for a few tours but did not get a game. Similarly, Baba Aparajith has become a name to reckon with in the domestic circuit. He has come through the ranks from the U-19 stages and has been marked out as a star due to his consistent performances. This season could well be the one to put show what he can do under the limelight. Samuel Badree too might get a chance to show why he's so highly rated in the International circuit.

Threats: Chennai will have to filter out all the off-field controversies and put the focus back on their cricket. The team will bear a new look right at the top in the absence of Michael Hussey and Murali Vijay and teams will be looking to capitalise on this and the fact that they do not have any threatening fast bowlers.

Punjab:

Right from the inception of the Indian T20 League, Punjab, have flown under the radar. Punjab are a team, who do not believe in solo prayers, they pray in unison. They prefer to perform in an ensemble and they have often punched above their weights, akin to New Zealand in the international circuit. With some marquee players added to the roster for the upcoming season, Punjab now claim a much stronger outlook.

Strengths: Punjab's batting carries a heady mix of solidity and firepower. Manan Vohra and David Miller were retained by the think tank ahead of the auction. A boxer may dominate the bout but needs that killer finishing punch to seal it. 'Killer Miller' lends that finishing punch. Glenn Maxwell, another clean hitter of the ball, will be a crucial cog in the Punjab machinery. Articulate and astute, George Bailey will take over as captain following the departure of Adam Gilchrist. Meanwhile, Thisara Perera's heists lower down the order are well documented. The local batting contingent of Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh and Gurkeerat Singh, offer solidarity, complementing the firepower of their more illustrious compatriots. Mitchell's Johnson's speedy recovery from a toe infection augurs well for the side, for he is the leader of the attack.

Weakness: Punjab may have a fine pace bowling attack comprising Mitch, Beuran Hendricks, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Parvinder Awana, Sandeep Sharma and Rishi Dhawan but their move of not picking a second specialist spinner to Murali Kartik might come back and bite them in the posterior as the tourney progresses. Oh wait, there is the Sehwag conundrum as well. Cast into the wilderness by the national selectors, Virender Sehwag is now just a pale imitation of his former self. While some key contributions can pave way for a re-entry to international cricket, a failure can effectively ring the death knell.

Opportunities: Punjab have stumbled in the past seasons, predominantly due to lack of resources. This time they have plenty of those with a bright opportunity to progress to the last four.

Threat: Fifth place with 14 points in 2009. Fifth place again with 14 points in 2011. 6th place with 16 points in 2012. 6th place again with 16 points in 2013. Punjab have not managed to escape from the strands of the mid-table congestion.

Teams:

Chennai (From): MS Dhoni(w/c), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Samuel Badree, Ben Hilfenhaus, Matt Henry, Baba Aparajith, Mithun Manhas, Ishwar Pandey, Pawan Negi, Vijay Shankar, Ronit More, John Hastings

Punjab (From): George Bailey(c), Wriddhiman Saha(w), Manan Vohra, David Miller, Virender Sehwag, Mitchell Johnson, Cheteshwar Pujara, Shaun Marsh, Thisara Perera, Glenn Maxwell, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Parvinder Awana, Gurkeerat Singh, Mandeep Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Anureet Singh, Sandeep Sharma, Akshar Patel, Beuran Hendricks, Karanveer Singh, Murali Kartik, Shivam Sharma, Shardul Thakur