Kumble Men Plot Hayden Downfall For Semi-final

Johannesburg: There can be few sights more intimidating in cricket than Matthew Hayden walking in to face the new ball. If the left-hander is on a song, there might as well be a blast.

That thought alone will keep Royal Challengers on their toes when the second semi-final of the IPL begins at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Saturday. Hayden, wearing his Orange Cap and carrying the willow that looks like a toy in a truck-puller’s hand, will keep playing on the opposition’s mind.

Royal Challengers called for an emergency meeting on Friday that had all players in a huddle in a small conference room at hotel Sandton Sun for close to an hour. Whatever their personal work, the players had been asked to keep it aside until the all-important meeting was over. Captain Anil Kumble, coach Ray Jennings, Rahul Dravid and Jacques Kallis walked in first, followed by the rest who were still celebrating Manish Pandey’s ton on Thursday.

There was an important issue to be discussed and it remained no secret once the meeting ended. All the players walked out of the conference room except for Praveen Kumar, B Akhil, Roelof van der Merwve, Kumble and Kallis. They had an extended half an hour discussion amongst themselves.

Kumble knows that stopping Hayden alone will be the key to Royal Challengers making their way to the final.

Match facts
Saturday May 23, 2009 (day/night)
Start time 04.30pm, 14.30GMT, 08:00pm IST

Stats and trivia

• Chennai have clearly been the stronger batting team, scoring 27.43 runs per wicket at 8.17 per over, the highest run-rate for any team. Bangalore average 21.44 at 7.34 per over. With the ball too Chennai have done better, taking 87 wickets at 21.32 and an economy rate of 7.52, to Bangalore's 77 at 26.32 and 7.55 per over.
• Chennai have preferred batting first, winning six out of nine games when they've done so. When chasing, they've won two out of four. For Bangalore the stats are more even: three out of six when batting first, and five out of eight when chasing.
• Chennai have had ten 50-plus scores in the tournament, with Hayden getting half of them. Bangalore have managed eight, including Pandey's hundred in their previous game.
• Not only is Hayden the highest scorer of the tournament, he has also relished the Bangalore bowling: in two innings he has scored 125 in 73 balls - average 62.50, run rate 10.27 per over.
• On the other hand, Kallis, Bangalore's top run-getter, has scored just 24 in two innings against Chennai.