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Bangladesh vs. India, Only Test: What Sort Of A Match Have We Got In Front Of Us?

Ravi Shastri's presence in the dressing room will have a positive impact on the Indian players

Team India are all set to take on Bangladesh in the solitary Test Match, which kicks off in a couple of days' time and will be played at the Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium in Fatullah.

The tour of Bangladesh is India's first assignment after their disappointing semifinal loss to Australia in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Though this series may not render major implications for Virat Kohli and company, it presents them with an opportunity to grow as a Test side and assess their best combination in this format of the game.

In addition, with no disrespect to the hosts, Kohli has a great chance to register his first victory as the official Test captain of Indian cricket team.

The hosts, though, are a dangerous side in their own right and, unlike their illustrious opponents, have no pressure of winning, which in turn gives them the license to go out and express themselves.

Their squad for this solitary Test match is filled with exuberant and talented youngsters, who will look at playing India as an opportunity to announce themselves on the world stage.

For most cricket fans, Bangladesh playing India may not cause much intrigue, but the contest, considering the visitors' palpable weaknesses in the Test match arena, will definitely be closer than what people think.

India

The Indian selection committee led by Sandip Patil, has named a very strong side that does not have many changes from the one which toured Australia at the fag end of last year: Harbhajan Singh has replaced Suresh Raina, while Mohammed Shami is out injured and the spinning duo of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel have been left out.

Harbhajan Singh is expected to play alongside Ravichandran Ashwin, in Fatullah

Also, from the original 15-man squad named for the only Test against Bangladesh, Lokesh Rahul looks set to miss out due to dengue.

The Indian batsmen did well during the tour of Australia, notching up over 300 runs on 5 of the 8 occasions they got to bat in the 4-match Test series.

Virat Kohli led from the front, scoring 692 runs to go along with 4 centuries from 8 innings. He was ably supported by Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane, who scored 482 and 399 runs, respectively, providing that indispensable solidity at the top and in the middle-order.

Rahul was the only other batsman to score a century for India, who, in hindsight, may have made a better first of it had their bowlers showed more potency and not let Steven Smith, who bailed his side out of trouble on many an occasion during the series, score as many runs - 769 overall - as he did.

Going into the Test against Bangladesh, the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Shikhar Dhawan will look to start scoring runs for the national side again, after enduring two barren series (if you include the tour of England, as well) from their respective point of views.

Rohit Sharma's place in the playing XI remains uncertain, I believe, unless Kohli opts to play just four specialist bowlers, like previous Indian Test captains have done, or axes Pujara.

It will be rather intriguing to see what sort of playing XI the visitors go into the Test with, especially with a new skipper taking over the mantle from MS Dhoni, who captained India in 60 Tests, and proclaiming that he is going to be aggressive and bring a winning mentality to the Indian Test setup.

Kohli has a major task on his hands to turn India into a good Test side

I would like to see the Delhi dasher start playing 5 bowlers from this Test onwards, emphasizing on picking 20 wickets to win Test matches.

In that case, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav would be my three fast bowlers, with Harbhajan and Ravichandran Ashwin as the two spinners to lead the way in sub-continent conditions.

You expect the Indian batsmen to score heavily, though the Bangladesh bowling attack cannot be underestimated and is capable of posing problems. The contest between India's batting and Bangladesh's bowling will be one to watch out for.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh played well against Pakistan, and will look to repeat it against India

The hosts have not made any changes to their Test squad from the one that put up a brave fight against Pakistan last month, losing the 2-match series 1-0 as a result of two poor batting displays in the second Test.

Shahadat Hossain, who twisted his right knee during the 2nd Test against Pakistan, has not made it to the squad for the solitary Test match against India, while Mahmudullah Riyad is also set to miss the entire series including the 3 one-dayers due to a fracture on his left index finger.

It appears that Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh's Test captain, could also be out for the solitary Test with a finger sprain, which could dent the hosts's batting lineup even further.

Most Bangladeshi batsmen scored runs against Pakistan and will look to carry that form into the Test match against India.

The middle-order, though, will have to be shouldered by Shakib Al Hasan, with Mahmudullah out and Mushfiqur uncertain to lead the side. If the wicket-keeper batsman does miss out, Tamim Iqbal will be the one to captain the team and Litton Das will keep wickets.

Imrul Kayes, the opening partner for Tamim, is a typical Test batsman, who will be key to his side keeping the Indian bowlers at bay. He is capable of blunting the new ball and holding one end up, which can in turn help the more explosive batsmen in the side play their natural game.

If you exclude Tamim, Kayes and Shakib from the hosts' batting lineup, the other batsmen - Soumya Sarkar and Shuvagata Hom - are novices at the Test level, having only played 8 matches between them, and that could have a major impact on the result of this game.

It is, therefore, important that Mushfiqur gets fit and leads the side, which will be of much boost to their batting lineup in particular.

Bangladesh will depend heavily on Shakib to score runs and take wickets

Bangladesh's bowling attack is inexplicably inexperienced, and much will depend on Rubel Hossain's pace bowling with the new ball and Shakib's left-arm spin bowling whenever he comes on to bowl.

Mohammad Shahid made his Test debut against Pakistan, and gave a decent account of himself with both the bat and ball.

Taijul Islam, another left-arm spinner, was one of the star performers with the ball for Bangladesh when they played Pakistan, picking up 10 wickets in the 2-match Test series.

If Bangladesh are to make a match out of this, their batsmen have to stand up and score runs. Importantly, not capitulate. Their bowling attack, albeit not an impressive one, can match India's; especially with the host of spinning options they have at their disposal.

Final Thought

Team India, unlike their efficiency in the shorter formats of the game, are not a good Test side by any means. Kohli taking over is a new chapter in the Indian cricketing history, and it remains to be seen if the change in leadership affects the team positively.

Bangladesh, therefore, have to be brave while they bat and somehow post over 300, if they get to bat first, as bowling is the visitors' weak link and still has question marks over its ability to pick 20 wickets in a Test match.

What Formation Should Manchester City Line-up In Next Season?

Manuel Pellegrini will have his task cut out next season

Manchester City made a strong finish to their trophy-less 2014/15 season, winning their final six games in the Barclays Premier League and comfortably finishing in 2nd place, ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United, who looked likely to finish above them at one stage during the campaign.

Manuel Pellegrini deployed his side in the 4-2-3-1 system for the final seven league fixtures, including the 2-4 derby defeat at Old Trafford, and the results were there to be seen.

It wasn't a major innovation from 'the Engineer', who, during his reign at the Etihad Stadium, has been continually castigated for his inclination to playing the 4-4-2 formation, one which saw the 2013/14 English champions score a whopping 156 goals across all competitions.

Pellegrini's decision was also forced, in many ways, due to Edin Dzeko's poor form and disillusioned exterior; Wilfried Bony, the new recruit from Swansea City, suffered ankle and knee injuries during the latter stages of the campaign, making the manager's decision all the more straightforward.

Looking ahead to next season, what sort of a system can Pellegrini deploy his side in? The Chilean is a firm believer in his methods, though some would argue that his dogmatism is uncalled for, with City vying for domestic and continental honors.

When the Etihad outfit brought in the likes of Eliaquim Mangala, Fernando Reges, Frank Lampard and Bacary Sagna, who were the outfield players to sign for the then defending champions, last summer, their system didn't need tweaking.

The addition of the aforementioned quartet to the City squad meant that their midfield and rearguard were not only strengthened, but could also be rotated - which is exactly what Pellegrini did for a majority of their campaign.

This summer, the club seems motivated to sign a world class player, with Paul Pogba and Kevin de Bruyne topping the coveted list of players.

The question, therefore, is whether the new additions will force Pellegrini to tinker with his playing system? And, if so, what formation could the Sky Blues line-up in next season, in the UEFA Champions League and domestic competitions?

Read on...

A lot has been said about the way City have lined-up over the last two seasons, with particular emphasis placed on getting outnumbered in midfield whenever Pellegrini's side has played in the 4-4-2 formation.

However, not many have been aware of the notion that it is the players who make the system work, and not the other way around.

Let us take the 4-2-3-1, or 4-4-1-1, formation for instance: usually, David Silva plays as the No.10 and Sergio Aguero, the club's No.1 striker, plays up top. Now, when City are out of possession, Silva remains high up the pitch along with Aguero, and their team drops into two banks of four.

Average positions of City players in a 4-4-2, when out of possession

Therefore, 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 is hardly any different from a 4-4-2 formation, especially without possession of the ball.

When in possession, it is fundamental that City work as a team and do everything possible to find the back of the net, leaving the two central defenders along with Fernandinho, the No.4 or midfield pivot, to do the bulk of the defensive work when a turnover in possession occurs.

Talking of next season, Pellegrini might have to play a different formation if either Pogba or de Bruyne joins up with the existent City squad.

The Cityzens already have three midfielders - Toure, Fernandinho and Fernando - at their disposal, and only two of them can play in the 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 systems.

De Bruyne, though, is versatile and could be deployed in at least 2 or 3 positions, making it possible for City to continue lining up in the aforementioned systems, with the Belgian and Silva presumably forming a good partnership in the attacking-third with Aguero.

City lining up in the 4-3-3 system is not out of the question, if Txiki Begiristain and co. bring in the players who are reported to be interesting them.

De Bruyne will give Pellegrini many tactical options to choose from

Such a formation will make profound changes to City's engine room, which could then have one of the two Brazilian midfielders playing as a solitary pivot behind Toure and, possibly, one amongst de Bruyne and Silva partnering the Ivorian in that advanced midfield position.

Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri, you would think, will flank Aguero in the final-third.

The 4-3-3 formation will give City a lot more potency when attacking, while also giving them better defensive solidity than what they enjoy in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2.

The notion, however, remains the same: each player has to play his role well, in order to make the system work.

Final Thought

It remains to be seen what City do with Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic, and whether the duo is shown the door when the Transfer Window opens in July.

However, regardless of what happens to the aforementioned duo, or even one among them, don't be surprised if Pellegrini sticks with the 4-4-2 system in the Premier League and cup competitions.

In Europe, City could lineup in the 4-3-3 formation, that is if they bring in more central midfielders.

City, simply put, defended flimsily last season

Finally, City's defensive struggles last season were not due to the formation they played in, but because of the defenders' - Vincent Kompany and Mangala, in particular - poor form throughout the campaign, which led to their side conceding some really cheap goals against considerably lesser opposition.

Can Virat Kohli Lead Team India To Overseas Success?

Virat Kohli will hope to overcome India's troubles in overseas conditions

Virat Kohli is just 9 days away from assuming duties as Team India's permanent Test captain when India visits Bangladesh for the 1-off Test match that is to be played at the Khan Shaheb Osmani Ali Stadium in Fatullah.

MS Dhoni, it has to be said, led Team India wonderfully in the Test match arena while he was the skipper not so long ago.

But, he wasn't able to deliver overseas Test wins for the national side that lost an appalling 15 - won 1 and drew 5 - of the 21 Tests played between the tour of England in 2011 and the recent Tour of Australia, which concluded just before the 2015 Cricket World Cup kicked off.

In Kohli, India has an aggressive skipper who is probably the best batsman in the side, too, and the nation will be hoping for overseas success under his captaincy.

The task, however, is going to be greater than climbing the Mount Everest, probably, and Kohli, who has already captained India in a couple of Tests, will be well aware of that.

India put up stubborn resistance in the Tests captained by Kohli, against Australia, though they failed to overcome the mistakes that have led to their downfall in overseas conditions since the beginning of this decade.

The tour of Bangladesh, and playing in a 1-off Test match, will definitely not be the ideal platform to assess India's capability of winning Tests away from the sub-continent, but there will be implications to come out from the way Kohli leads the side and the sort of combination he goes in with.

In this article, we will be asking, and then answering, three questions that Kohli needs to address, at the very least, if he is to lead India to glory in overseas Tests.

Read on...

Indian squad for the solitary Test in Bangladesh: Kohli (C), Wriddhiman Saha (WK), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Aaron, Karn Sharma and Harbhajan Singh.

Does Kohli go in with a 5-man bowling attack?

Sourav Ganguly, while he captained India, began the trend of playing just four bowlers and loading the side with 6 batsmen and a proper wicket-keeper, even in the Test match arena; such a combination did pay dividends during the first half of the last decade, when India scripted memorable wins in Headingley and Adelaide Oval and proved a tough nut to crack for England and Australia.

Rahul Dravid, when he took over from Ganguly, followed the same blueprint and tasted decent enough success, winning against South Africa in Johannesburg and then leading India to a 1-0 Test series win against England in England, their first in the country since 1986, in 2007.

Dhoni wasn't any different in his approach, either. During India's tour of England last year, however, India's former Test skipper did play 3 fast bowlers and two out-and-out all-rounders - Ravindra Jadeja and Stuart Binny - and engineered India's first overseas Test win of the decade, at Lord's.

Coming to Kohli and looking to the future, I strongly believe that the 26-year old captain has to play 5 genuine bowlers in overseas Test matches at least.

At home and in the sub-continent, you probably won't have to play a third seamer and instead, go in with 2 pacers and 2 spinners.

Virat has to play 5 bowlers to taste overseas success

When you tour countries like South Africa, New Zealand and, needless to say, Australia and England, it is imperative that you go hunting for 20 wickets and therefore, reinforce your bowling attack.

That aspect of Kohli's captaincy is going to be intriguing to witness, as he is an aggressive skipper and 'wants' to win cricket matches.

He shouldn't be the skipper who is inclined to strengthen the batting lineup and play to his side's strength. A change in trend is required, and I hope Kohli thinks that way, too.

In U Yadav, B Kumar, I Sharma and Mohammed Shami, India has a good pace bowling attack that needs to be utilized to its fullest potential.

I have slotted U Yadav ahead of the other three, because I believe he is going to be the spearhead to this attack; he is versatile (can bowl with the new, as well as the old ball), genuinely quick and a wicket-taker, too.

Let us not forget Aaron, who bowled well in patches during India's last two overseas tours of England and Australia; consistency in the line and length of attack, is something he needs to get better at, but it is paramount that Kohli and the Indian think tank believe in what Aaron can do.

Time has come for India and Kohli, most importantly, to bank on their fast bowlers to deliver success for the nation in overseas conditions.

Can Kohli unearth a genuine all-rounder at the Test level?

While the 5-bowler strategy is not unthinkable anymore, the search for a genuine all-rounder in the Indian Test setup seems set to continue.

Dhoni's search for a genuine all-rounder hasn't stopped, given that he is still the Indian ODI skipper, but the 33-year old has been unsuccessful in his venture thus far.

In Jadeja and Stuart Binny, he sought to nurture a genuine all-rounder, but the Saurashtra left-arm spinner has been a major disappointment and Binny hasn't had too many opportunities to prove himself.

It will once again be interesting to see what Kohli makes of this scenario, and whether he, like Dhoni, is keen on unearthing an all-rounder who will significantly bolster the Indian Test side.

The Ranji circuit doesn't have too many all-rounders to speak of, at this point in time, making the task of unearthing one that much harder.

Kohli, though, has a couple of options: he can keep his faith in Binny, at least when India travel outside the sub-continent, and utilize his handy batting, as well bowling skills; secondly, Bhuvneshwar, in whatever we have seen of him during his 12-match Test career so far, can be molded into a good bowling all-rounder.

Bhuvneshwar could be nurtured into a bowling all-rounder

Bhuvneshwar has a few shortcomings in his bowling repertoire, but his batting skills do make him a possibility to become an all-rounder for India in the next couple of years, if mentored and used astutely.

What it will do is give Kohli the option of playing Aaron, instead of a proper batsman, when India travel overseas.

Overcome the overwhelming propensity to capitulate as a batting unit

Kohli has little control over this aspect, but if he is to lead India to glory in overseas conditions, the Delhi batsman has to address it.

India were in a sumptuous position against Australia in the 1st Test at Adelaide last December, when they needed 159 runs with 8 wickets in hand ahead of the last session of the match.

The ball was turning, reverse-swinging and Nathan Lyon was having an amazing match with the ball. 37 overs needed to be bowled and India, in pursuit of 364, got themselves to a position they would have wanted to be.

Come the last session and the duo of Vijay and Kohli successfully negotiated the first 8 overs, driving India to 242-2 and needing 122 more runs to win from the remaining 29 overs.

India were in the driver's seat, and the Australian bowlers looked seldom threatening to deliver 8 wicket-taking deliveries.

However, the never-in-doubt batting capitulation ensued thereafter; with India folding up for 315 and going onto lose the Test by 48 runs.

You could applaud India and Kohli, especially, for the positive attitude they exuded on the final day, but the eventuality wasn't unusual for anyone who has been following Indian cricket vividly.

The Indian batting lineup has to stop capitulating in overseas conditions

Such vulnerability has to be stemmed in order for India to taste success. Kohli though, being a pure batsman, could have a better say in the batting side of things than what Dhoni did while batting in that No.6 or No.7 positions.

Summary

It is going to be an exciting period, starting with the Test in Bangladesh, in the Indian cricket with Kohli as the captain of the Test team.

He will be bringing aggression, vigor and ruthlessness mentality to the Indian Test side. But in order for him to deliver success in overseas conditions, he and his team has to answer the three questions above in the best way possible.

Over to you, Kohli.

Do Manchester City Need Samir Nasri Next Season?

Manchester City finished off their trophy-less 2014/15 season with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Southampton at the Etihad Stadium last Sunday.

Aguero winning the Golden Boot was 'the' highlight of City's season

Sergio Aguero won the Premier League Golden Boot, his first since moving from Atletico Madrid in 2011, for scoring 26 goals in a Barclays Premier League campaign that saw Man. City finish in second place.

Joe Hart bagged the Golden Glove award, his 3rd in the last four seasons, for keeping more cleansheets (14) than any other goalkeeper in the English top-flight.

Those two individual awards, albeit not significant in the grand scheme of things, are a reminder of the kind of players City have at their disposal and that there have been a few positives to come out of a season which simply didn't go to plan for the Sky Blues.

City crashed out of both the Capital One and FA Cup competitions at a very early stage, losing to Newcastle United and Middlesbrough, respectively, at their Etihad fortress. They couldn't breach the 'Barcelona barrier' either, losing 1-3 on aggregate in the UEFA Champions League R-16 for the second season in succession.

Throughout the season that has just finished, there were talks of the City squad requiring a major surgery, replacing the older legs - Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko, Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy, to name a few - with young, energetic and world class players of the calibre of Paul Pogba, Kevin de Bruyne, Roberto Firmino, Layvin Kurzawa and of late, Raheem Sterling.

Samir Nasri, albeit not in the age categories of the Toures, Kolarovs and Dzekos and who only signed a 5-year contract at the beginning of last season, is another City player alleged to be on his way out of the Etihad.

It was also reported that he had an altercation with Manuel Pellegrini, who dropped him from City's starting XI after a string of poor performances during the late February-early March period, with Nasri making only four substitute appearances thereafter.

In this article, let us get an idea of what the Frenchman did in an injury-hit season, and whether he could get the axe from City's squad for next season.

Read on...

The Frenchman has traveled with the City squad for their tour of North America

Nasri only made 32 appearances across all competitions for the Cityzens in the 14/15 season, suffering injuries - a couple of groin and one calf - on three different occasions, that affected him from replicating the wonderful form he showed in Pellegrini's first season in-charge of the club.

Calling it a bad season for Nasri, however, doesn't make sense if you go by the stats that clearly demonstrate the Frenchman's contribution to City whenever he played.

As an attacking-midfielder or inside forward, the 27-year old, in the season that has just finished, completed 90% of his attempted passes, which was the most by any City attacker, in 24 Premier League appearances.

Not only did he pass for passing sake, but he also created an average of close to 2.2 chances (52 overall) per game, which was bettered only by David Silva (2.9) and Jesus Navas (2.3) - with the duo playing 8 and 11 more games, respectively, than the former Arsenal player.

More impressively, Nasri completed 27 of his 31 attempted take-ons, proving his efficiency in keeping possession and going past defenders.

He also chipped in with a couple of goals and had a shot accuracy of 63%, which, again, was bettered only by Jose Angel Pozo, who made just three league appearances.

In the Champions League, Nasri wasn't as effective as he was in the league, despite making 6 appearances in the competition. He completed 89% of his passes, but mustered a mere 1.2 chances per game, while also completing just 3 take-ons over six appearances.

Nasri was ultra-impressive in Stadio Olimpico, delivering Champions League success for City

His highlight of the season, however, came in this competition, where he scored a goal and assisted the other for Pablo Zabaleta, in City's 2-0 win over AS Roma last December.

Looking beyond Nasri's stats, City need to determine the reason for holding onto their No.8. In Silva, City have a better player than Nasri and in the same mould as the Frenchman; the Spaniard is also adept at creating goal scoring chances (93, in the league alone), completing take-ons (74% success rate, in the league alone) and scoring (12, in the league alone) goals, too.

Therefore, Nasri, without a smidgen of doubt, doesn't bring something different to Pellegrini's side that also has Navas and James Milner, who play as wingers and defensively contribute a lot more than what the Frenchman usually does.

Nasri found Neymar's pace too hot to handle in the second leg of the Barca-City tie

He is also devoid of pace and, at the Champions League level, he will struggle because of that, as we saw what Neymar did to him when City played the Catalans at the Camp Nou.

If the 2013/14 English champions do secure the services of de Bruyne, Firmino and Sterling, or even one amongst the trio, they ought to make a decision on Nasri's role in the squad.

Because unless Pellegrini decides to adopt the 4-3-3 system, which could see the Marseille-born midfielder play in one of the two advanced midfield positions, it is not going to be possible for him to feature regularly in the starting XI.

He, for me, won't be satisfied with a bit-part role and that could cause serious problems with offloading him, as he is currently on a huge £120,000 per week salary at the Etihad.

Final Thought

The former Arsenal player has possession-retaining ability

Nasri is a very good player, who can make things happen for City when they are playing against parked buses: he can drive into the box, play neat one-twos and thereby, add potency to City's attacks.

However, his work-rate is definitely on the lower side and also lacks pace, which is a significant downside for a player who can play only as a winger at City.

As we all know, it is going to be an intriguing summer at City, and what they do with Nasri will further add to the excitement.

Can The Mumbai Indians Dominate The IPL In The Seasons To Come?

Mumbai Indians clinched their second IPL title in style last Sunday

Mumbai Indians (MI) won their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title last Sunday, when they easily defeated six-time finalists Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 41 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, a venue where they won their 1st IPL title and against the same opposition, too, a couple of years ago.

It was such an imperious performance from Rohit Sharma's men, who were not even given a smidgen of chance of qualifying for the playoffs after they lost their first four games and looked like a disjointed unit altogether.

The turnaround began with a 18-run victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where their batsmen collectively came good for the first time in the tournament and the bowlers did enough to stop the Royal Challengers from scoring 210 in response.

The victory in Bangalore was followed by a massive loss to the Delhi Daredevils (DD) at the Feroz Shah Kotla, and Mumbai were languishing at the bottom of the table with a mere two points from six games.

However, a run of five straight victories against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi and Chennai, in that order, saw MI get closer to the playoff positions and put themselves in serious contention to make it to the last four for the sixth consecutive season.

The thrilling last over victory against Chennai, which was sealed by an exhilarating batting partnership between Hardik Pandya and the ever-reliable Ambati Rayudu, was followed by a defeat to RCB at the Wankhede Stadium; it pushed Mumbai into a tight corner, as they needed to win their remaining two games against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers, in order to qualify.

Royal Challengers were unfortunate with the weather playing spoilsport in their last game against Delhi, with a washout there restricting them to just seven wins from 14 league games and meant that they could only get to 16 points.

Therefore, MI, going into their last league game, were in a position where a win over Sunrisers, would see them move into second place behind CSK, on the basis of winning a game more than RCB, whose better net run-rate than Mumbai was overlooked.

A comfortable 9-wicket victory against David Warner's side helped the Indians progress into the playoffs, with the Qualifier 1 being held at the Wankhede Stadium, their fortress.

Dhoni's devils were the opposition, again, and Mumbai, batting first, piled up a massive 187/6 on the board, with Lendl Simmons, Kieron Pollard and Parthiv Patel scoring heavily and helping their team post such a huge total.

Chennai's batsmen kept their team in it until the first half of their innings. But a two-wicket over from Harbhajan Singh, dismissing Suresh Raina and Dhoni in the 11th of CSK's innings, brought the game under Mumbai's control and they went onto register a comfortable 25-run victory that saw them progress to their 3rd IPL final.

In the finals, they were once again pitted against Chennai, who defeated the Royal Challengers by 3 wickets in the second qualifier, and MI started the game as favorites for the title.

Dhoni, maybe, committed a howler in winning the toss and asking Mumbai to bat first, an opportunity they took full advantage of by posting 202/5 from their 20 overs.

The visitors' batting lineup didn't have a good season, and it showed on the night of the finals, when they failed to pace their innings well and Mumbai bowlers, led by Lasith Malinga, proved a hot cup of coffee to handle for the Chennai stroke-makers.

Mumbai, with a comprehensive 41-run win in the finals, became the third IPL side to have won two titles, along with Chennai and the Knight Riders. With the clinching of the trophy, Mumbai completed their turnaround, which, it has to be said, happened away from the spotlight.

The subsequent question, after winning the 2nd title in three years, is whether Rohit and company can dominate the league in the seasons to follow.

Read on...

Throughout the 8th edition of the IPL, everyone involved with the Nita Ambani-owned franchise kept reiterating the belief within the squad.

Ricky Ponting was a winner in his playing days, and his presence would have been valuable for Mumbai

Ricky Ponting was appointed the head-coach prior to the season, and though he didn't have any coaching pedigree prior to taking up the role with MI, he was a winner right throughout his playing career.

I think the Tasmanian's personality would have been key to instilling the winning mentality within the squad, which didn't have many decorated T20 players other than Malinga and Pollard.

Going forward, belief is something Mumbai need to have in abundance, if they are to dominate the league. But, with the 'Punter' supervising proceedings for the Indians, you can be rest assured that he will keep the players motivated and have them striving for consistency in the seasons to follow.

Talking of consistency, though, in a relatively long season, you are bound to have ups and downs and, if you want to be competing for the title, you need to have the quality to bounce back from defeats.

Mumbai, with 9 victories from their final 10 games, showed that they can go on a run of victories and have what it takes to recover from a string of defeats, too.

However, on that note, they need to be better prepared for next season and not make another horrendous start to their campaign, like they have done over the last couple of seasons.

Having won the title in the 2015 season and done so with a settled lineup for most of the second half, I feel that Mumbai probably can start off smoothly in 2016, when they will be defending their title.

Also, Pollard's form with the bat was one of the marquee reasons for his side going all the way and getting the job done on the finals day. He has lacked a bit of consistency while playing for MI since joining the franchise in 2010 but, in the two IPL winning seasons, the hard-hitting West Indian has made serious contributions with the bat.

Pollard has been a vital cog in the MI ranks in both their title-winning seasons

Pollard made 420 runs in the 2013 season, and garnered 419 runs in 2015, proving his significance to the side while batting in that No.4, No.5 and No.6 positions. Holding onto him is going to be important, as he forms the core of the Mumbai lineup.

Simmons has had two mind-boggling seasons back-to-back for the Indians, scoring 934 runs in 21 innings and repeatedly showing that he can play the long innings, which has what made him standout from the other batsmen in the side.

In addition to the Pollard-Simmons duo, the likes of Rayudu, Pandya, Rohit and Parthiv, played a crucial role in their side putting up totals on the board and also chasing them down on a couple of occasions. Rayudu, in particular, was consistent throughout the 2015 season, playing match-winning knocks against Delhi and Rajasthan at the Wankhede, and Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Such a batting lineup looks good on paper, and all of them showed good form in the season that has just been completed. A lot will depend on their batsmen if Mumbai are to dominate the IPL in the coming seasons, because batting has always been their strongest suit.

Now, the bowling department did comeback strongly in 2015 after being taken to the cleaners by Brendon McCullum at home; by Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla and also by the likes of KKR and Kings XI, who found it pretty easy to score over 170 runs against the MI bowling attack during the first half of the recently concluded IPL season.

The main reason, however, for such poor bowling performances was Malinga's wretched form at the beginning of the campaign. Someone like Steven Smith showed utter disdain in his treatment of the Sri Lankan quickie, who went for massive runs and couldn't buy more than one wicket, at least for the first four games of the season.

Malinga has delivered the goods season after season for MI, however, it cannot be a good thing to rely heavily on him. Injury to Corey Anderson, in particular, was a blessing in disguise for the 2015 IPL champions, who then brought in Mitchell McClenaghan and started tasting success from that point onwards. The New Zealand seamer bowled well since coming in, but the form of Malinga picked up, too, as the season progressed.

While the Malinga-McClenaghan bowling combination does bode well for the future, Mumbai need to look for an Indian bowler who can at least be half as good as the aforementioned overseas duo.

Vinay Kumar was an unimpressive buy, for me, and he was the weak link in his side's bowling attack that even had someone like Jagadeesha Suchith, the 21-year old Karnataka left-arm orthodox spinner, thriving on his first taste of the IPL and picking up 10 wickets from 13 games, and really did bowl well for the Indians.

Harbhajan Singh picked up 18 wickets from 15 games and proved his worth once again. His performances for Mumbai earned him a call-up to the national side that has been picked for the one-off Test match against Bangladesh next month.

MI found success with that playing XI, which was not a world-beating one by any means.

Rohit showed wonderful leadership qualities, and was pivotal to MI winning the title

Let us not overlook the leadership qualities of Rohit, who showed a good head on his shoulders and tactically was very adept at the way he concealed the chinks in his side's bowling attack. Therefore, a big portion of the success has to be attributed to Rohit, as well, for the way he led the side.

However, MI need better Indian players than the ones - Jasprit Bumrah, Pawan Suyal, Unmukt Chand, Aditya Tare, Shreyas Gopal, Pragyan Ojha, Akshay Wakhare, Siddesh Lad, Abhimanyu Mithun, Nitish Rana - who were part of their title-winning 2015 season.

They need to strengthen the side massively if they are to continue winning titles and, even better, dominate the league.

Final Thought

Mumbai winning the title in the season that has just finished is one of 'the' success stories of the IPL history.

No other IPL outfit boasts of the kind of backroom staff MI have in place

They have by far the most immaculate backroom staff - Jonty Rhodes, Robin Singh, Shane Bond and Sachin Tendulkar, in addition to the head-coach - compared to the other franchises, and we cannot underestimate the impact they would have had in the Indians turning around their form.

MI played as a unit and it was their team performances during the second half of the season, that won them the title. As aforementioned, however, they need to bring in better Indian players to complement the good overseas personnel at their disposal.

They have the necessary tools to dominate the IPL scene, and that has to be the next target for the franchise.

IPL 2015 Final: Five Things We Learned From Mumbai Indians Winning Their Second Title

It was for the third time Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings were involved in an IPL final

Mumbai Indians (MI), by way of a massive 41-run victory over the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), lifted their second Indian Premier League (IPL) title that has got them equal with Chennai and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), as the teams to have won 2 titles apiece.

It was an imperious display from the home side that never let CSK off the hook, and it was, from a neutral's point-of-view, disappointing to witness such an one-sided final to bring the curtains down on what has by far been the most competitive season.

MS Dhoni won the toss and strangely, chose to bowl first on what has been a good batting wicket at the Eden Gardens this season. The Chennai skipper probably went by the record of the 6 completed games this season, at this venue, which has seen the teams chasing win 4 times. But it was a decision that, you could say, played it into MI's hands, as the hosts have been happy to bat first and put a total on the board.

Francois du Plessis inflicted a brilliant run out of Parthiv Patel in the very first over, to kick start Chennai's bowling innings on a resounding note. However, Rohit Sharma walked in at No.3 and played a simply magical innings.

The Mumbai batsman, along with the ever consistent Lendl Simmons, played audaciously and the Chennai bowlers didn't have an answer to the fluency that this partnership exuded.

This partnership, which put together a whopping 119 from a mere 67 balls, put their side in firm control of the proceedings very early on in the game, but by no means would have wanted to get out in subsequent overs (the 12th and 13th), and open the flood gates for the Super Kings.

Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard, though, made sure that there wasn't a further procession of wickets, soon after the quick fall of Simmons-Rohit duo. They took their time to settle down before going for the big strokes, as they sought to reach that magical 200-run mark.

Mumbai reached 202/5 at the end of their 20 overs, with 4 of their batsmen making substantial contributions to the team's cause and tearing the visitors' bowling attack apart. 203 was always going to be a massive total to chase, but a good start was imperative if CSK had to set the cat amongst the pigeons.

Lasith Malinga and Mitchell McClenaghan, as they have done on so many occasions this season, bowled well with the new ball, restricting Dwayne Smith and Michael Hussey to just a handful of scoring shots in the mandatory powerplay.

It meant that Dhoni's side needed more than 12 runs-per-over after the powerplay was over, which was going to be arduous given that Chennai's middle-order has failed miserably this season and none of their batsmen has been in any sort of form whatsoever.

Mumbai's bowlers were clinical in the way they went about their trade, using the scoreboard pressure to their advantage and halting the CSK batsmen from ball No.1.

Smith top-scored for the visitors with a 48-ball 59, which was an unusual innings from him and not one that gave Chennai the kind of start they were looking for in pursuit of 203. CSK, as a result, left themselves with too much to do in the last quarter of the game, and started losing wickets in a heap towards the end.

The Indians went onto win the game by a massive 41 runs, thereby clinching their second IPL title and issuing a warning to the other franchises. What did we make of that one-sided IPL 2015 final?

Read on...

Mumbai showed the quality of champions

Mumbai got themselves out of trouble on a couple of occasions, which proved crucial to their victory

Chennai couldn't have asked for a better start than the one they got when Parthiv ran himself out in trying to pinch a single against du Plessis at mid-on.

Mumbai have thrived on the good starts rendered by their openers throughout this season, and an early wicket surely wasn't the way to start, as far as they were concerned.

However, having said that, Rohit walked in at No.3 and took the attack to the opposition, playing freely and taking Chennai by surprise.

The visitors probably didn't see it coming, as Simmons was Rohit's batting partner and expected to play the big shots, with the skipper anchoring the innings.

It was quite a significant phase - from the 2nd over till the completion of the powerplay - in the game, which was won by Mumbai and that then gave them the edge over their opponents on the night.

There was another crucial phase during the MI innings, when Rohit and Simmons got out in a matter of couple of balls and Chennai had a chance to get back into the game.

Rayudu and Pollard, though, were sensible in the way they approached it, not relinquishing the advantage they had got as a result of the 119-run stand between Simmons and Rohit.

During their batting innings, Mumbai played the better cricket than Chennai, who couldn't come up with the answers to the questions the Indians put forward to them.

A good batting performance helped the visitors pile on 202 on the night of the finals, but it was important for them to kill the game off by bowling well at the beginning of CSK's innings; by restricting Chennai to a paltry 31/1 from the mandatory powerplay, Mumbai got a stranglehold of the game and didn't look back thereafter.

Therefore, they showed the quality of the champions and were deserving of their 2nd IPL title.

Chennai are a declining force in the IPL

Suresh Raina had a poor season, and contributed to his side's failure

On a night when MI issued a statement of intent to the rest of the IPL outfits, Chennai, by way of losing their third straight final, increasingly look like a side that is on the decline.

They have by far been the most consistent side throughout the history of the IPL, but this season has been a poor one by their standards and their weaknesses were exploited by Mumbai yesterday.

Chennai lost the moments in the game they were expected to come out on top, and their poor performance contributed to such a one-side final.

Mumbai played a sumptuous brand of cricket, but the visitors never came up with one stern response and that is the primary reason why I think they are fast becoming a declining force in the IPL.

The nature of the T20 cricket is such that it can make you look too good one day, and the exact opposite on another. But Chennai were appalling as a unit, led by Dhoni, who needs to raise his game first and foremost.

The decision to field first was another one of those tactical errors he has made this season, and then his failure to conjure up a turnaround after Mumbai looked in complete control of the game, was not good to see, at all.

If the Super Kings need to return to their impeccable best as a unit, Dhoni has simply got to improve on his batting, which has been one of the negative aspects of his, as well as the South Indian franchise's, season.

His captaincy and the way he manipulated his bowling options, was predictable and left a lot to be desired.

I thought that he could have utilized Dwayne Bravo better than he did throughout this season. The all-rounder finished the season with 26 wickets, and was tough to get away for most batsmen in the IPL. Therefore, it was a no brainer to maybe use him for an over or two in the first half of the batting innings, thereby stop the opponents from dictating the tempo and easily grab at least one wicket, which can mean so much in the context of a T20 game.

While their skipper typified CSK's season, the likes of Suresh Raina, Smith and du Plessis disappointed with the bat, too, and it was probably 'the' reason for Chennai failing to be competitive during the second half of the season.

MI played their best cricket on the night of the finals

The Indians, as we all have seen, made an obnoxious start to their IPL 2015 campaign, losing the first four games and inviting serious derision for the way they kept failing as a unit during the first few weeks of the 8th edition of the Pepsi IPL.

They turned their form around before the completion of the first half of the league phase, and hit their best form mid-way through the second half of the tournament.

However, it wasn't as though they dominated their games and registered comfortable victories; they had to work hard to get two points in the league phase and even in the Qualifier 1, Mumbai had to drop sweat and blood to overcome CSK.

Mumbai were clinical, close to flawless on the night of the finals

On the night of the finals, though, MI's performance was very close to flawless, and that was the reason for Chennai struggling to find enough openings and get themselves back into the game.

Mumbai were brilliant with the bat; the bowling attack fed off the good work done by the batsmen, and the ground fielding, and catching, was better than most nights during this IPL.

It was a comprehensive MI performance that couldn't have arrived at a more appropriate stage of the tournament.

Rohit leading from the front was invigorating to see

In the build up to the Qualifier 1 against CSK, Rohit spoke quite a lot about playing fearless cricket and it, therefore, was rather good to see the captain taking the mantle upon himself and living up to his own words.

When he came into bat in the finals, his side was in a spot of bother, and it could have been easy for him to think of smothering the Chennai bowling attack, playing the anchor role and focusing too much on not losing anymore wickets in the powerplay.

But there was genuine intent from Rohit, who struck boundaries from the first delivery he faced, shifting the pressure back on to the Chennai bowlers.

Rohit, during his vigil in the middle, scored runs across all areas of the ground and finished with 50 (26), an innings that was punctuated with six 4s and a couple of crisply struck 6s. I thought Rohit's innings was one of the major turning points in the game.

Rohit's captaincy has been rather impressive this season

When Mumbai came onto bowl, Rohit once again was astute in the way he utilized his bowlers, clearly understanding the situation of the game and executing his tactics perfectly.

Like in the Qualifier 1, he had to make a decision of not bowling Jagadeesha Suchith while the visitors had a left-hander batting in the middle, and he manipulated his other bowling options very well. Suchith, in fact, never bowled in the game, which saw Hardik Pandya complete his four overs for the first time in the title-winning season.

The stylish right-hander was probably not as consistent as he would have liked to be with the bat, but overall, Rohit had a wonderful IPL 2015 season as a skipper and secondly, batsman.

In hindsight, it wasn't an unexpected result, except for the margin of it

Chennai did well to win against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Qualifier 2 and qualify for the 6th IPL final in their history.

However, despite that 3-wicket victory, Dhoni's devils had won just 4 of their 9 games prior to last night's finals, while Mumbai, on the other hand, had won 8 of their 9 games and were clearly the favorites to pip CSK for the title.

Mumbai outshone Chennai in all three departments of the game and, as aforementioned, the visitors didn't have an answer to the dominance shown by the hosts.

It wasn't a surprising script, because MI were the more in-form of the two finalists

CSK were afforded very few chances or opportunities, if at all there were any, and the Indians were well-organized and had a method to their approach, an aspect that Chennai lacked.

Maybe in a final of a T20 competition, you didn't expect such a massive margin of victory for Mumbai, considering that Chennai are a good side and thrive on occasions such as last night's.

However, they simply weren't at it, and simply put: the more in-form of the two sides clinched it.

Final Thought

Chennai, with their loss yesterday, have now won only two of the six IPL finals they have contested, and it was a shame that they didn't even manage to run a resurgent MI side close.

Mumbai Indians have surprised many cricket followers around the world

From Mumbai's perspective, it was yet another team performance that had every member of the playing XI contributing in one way or another, to help their side win the title back from KKR's grasp. With their 10th victory in their last 11 games, MI completed the turnaround by winning the prestigious crown.

IPL 2015 Final - Preview: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings

Mumbai-Chennai has always been a interesting match-up in the IPL

Mumbai Indians (MI) will square off against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) for the fourth time this season, although the stakes will be higher than the ever before when the sides meet at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata tomorrow, to decide who wins the 8th edition of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Indians were the first team to qualify for the finals this season, after they beat the Super Kings by 25 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in the Qualifier 1 this past Tuesday.

Chennai, after losing to Mumbai, moved to Ranchi, their skipper's hometown, and awaited the winner of the eliminator that was played between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Wednesday.

Virat Kohli's side won the eliminator emphatically, putting themselves in a virtual semifinal against MS Dhoni's devils, on Friday. The hosts - Chennai - played better on the night and went onto win the game by 3 wickets, setting up a date with Mumbai in the final on Sunday.

Both these sides have been involved in a couple of IPL finals before, with Chennai winning in 2010 and Mumbai beating Dhoni's side in 2013, when the final was played at the exact same venue where the sides will meet tomorrow night.

Will the script be different this time around? Can Mumbai beat Chennai for the third time in a row this season? Which team will feel confident ahead of the final showdown?

Answers to follow...

Mumbai

Rohit's captaincy and tactical acumen has been out of the top draw

Anybody who has followed this IPL season will need no reminding of Mumbai's renaissance, winning 88% of their last 9 games and thereby getting themselves into the third final in their history.

At the beginning of the season they failed as a team, with their batsmen failing to put up the runs on the board, the bowlers proving their ineptitude to pick wickets and on the field, they failed to hang onto the chances they were afforded.

Their first win of the campaign came against Bangalore, where their batsman put up a gargantuan total (209/7) on the board, with their openers providing a solid foundation for them and the likes of Unmukt Chand and Rohit playing ideal T20 innings' to provide their side that final push to such a massive total.

RCB did well for a major part of their chase, but Mumbai bowlers did enough to win the spoils for their team.

They had a few positives to come out of that game, in which Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons started forming a very good partnership at the top of the order and their bowling attack provided them with some sort of solidity compared to their previous outings.

Mumbai, however, could not replicate such form when they faced Delhi Daredevils (DD) at the Feroz Shah Kotla and suffered a massive defeat, their 4th in the first five games.

Things really started clicking into gear for Mumbai when Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) visited Wankhede and put up a really poor display with the bat; losing the game by 20 runs and helping the Indians kick start a 5-game winning run.

During that run, which saw them defeat the likes of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Rajasthan, Delhi, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Chennai, Patel and Simmons got their team off to many a good start; Hardik Pandya impressed massively with the bat while coming in at No.5 and No.6 positions; Ambati Rayudu punched above his weight and played a couple of match-winning innings, and Kieron Pollard did his bit with the bat, too.

Malinga's bowling form has improved with each passing game

The bowling remained a bit of a worry still, but Lasith Malinga has got into his bowling groove as the season has progressed, and in Mitchell McClenaghan, he has found a solid new ball bowling partner, who, without a smidgen of doubt, has been the talismanic figure in Mumbai's season.

The MI team management has also been rewarded for their persistence with Jagadeesha Suchith, who continues to impress with his calmness and willingness to bowl during the mandatory powerplay overs. Harbhajan Singh, the lead spinner in the side, has been a tad inconsistent this season, though he played a starring role with the ball in Mumbai beating Chennai to the finals and will look to repeat such a performance tomorrow.

The impressive aspect about Mumbai's season has been the way they have kept getting stronger as the season has progressed; they have been the more consistent of the two finalists during the second half of this IPL season, and though they have had to work hard for their victories, Rohit and company will be confident ahead of tomorrow's showdown.

Going into tomorrow's game, they have had an extra three days than their opponents to prepare and acclimatize to the conditions in Kolkata and that will be of slight advantage to them.

Also, Mumbai don't have any particular weakness in their probable playing XI, while Chennai have at least a couple of chinks in their armor: the middle order has failed to perform consistently and it remains to be seen if their bowling attack can pick wickets against an in-form Mumbai batting lineup, even though they have two of their bowlers - Ashish Nehra and Dwayne Bravo - in the top three leading wicket-takers of the tournament so far.

Batting remains Mumbai's strongest suit, and the batsmen will have to play their parts well if their side is to trounce Chennai once more and this time, go onto lift the crown.

Chennai

The South Indian franchise started off its campaign with a narrow victory at home against Delhi, following it up with 5 more wins against the likes of Sunrisers, Kings XI, Knight Riders, Mumbai and Royal Challengers in the first half of the league phase, with their solitary defeat coming against Rajasthan at the Motera, Ahmedabad.

Their season has waned off, though, since exhibiting such imperious form, the kind that was bettered only by Rajasthan, winning a mere 4 from their next 9 fixtures, including the defeat to the Indians in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2015.

Dhoni has massively underachieved with the bat, not helping Chennai middle order's cause

The reason for such a massive dip in form, as aforementioned, has been down to their middle order's ineptitude to score runs throughout this season; it was the opening duo of Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith, who got their team off to quick, as well as solid, starts, giving Chennai the upper hand very early on in their games.

McCullum, who had 436 runs to his name from 14 innings when he left Chennai to join up with the national squad, was in imperious form with the bat and Dhoni's side fed off the New Zealand skipper's swashbuckling innings' at the top of the order.

However, on occasions when their openers, either one or both of them, fell cheaply, Chennai struggled and that is how Rajasthan inflicted CSK's first defeat of the season.

There were, however, a couple of games - against Delhi in their very first fixture of the campaign and Kolkata later on, both at the MA Chidambaram Stadium - in which their bowlers stepped up to the plate and bailed them out of trouble.

Going into the finals against Mumbai, it will be interesting to see if the Chennai batsmen improve their game and deliver the goods when it matters the most.

Their bowling attack is suited to the conditions in Kolkata, where the slower bowlers of Chennai can hold their own, giving them a sense of optimism ahead of tomorrow's showdown.

In Pawan Negi, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina, Dhoni has 4 spinning options that will not make it easy for Mumbai to score quick runs, especially with the hosts carrying many a stroke-maker - Simmons, Patel, Pollard, Rohit and Pandya - in their batting lineup; this will be one of the major subplots to tomorrow's game.

Bravo has been a vital cog in Chennai's bowling attack

Chennai, however, do need wickets with the new ball, which, if they manage, will put Mumbai seriously on the back foot.

Simmons and Patel are in sublime touch at the top of the order, but dismissing them early will bring in Rohit and Rayudu to the middle, the kind of scenario that will suit the away side and help them control the game better than they managed in the first qualifier.

Chennai may not be in the best of form, going into the final of the 8th edition of the IPL. But a good start, either with the bat or ball, will make them feel comfortable and neutralize whatever advantage the hosts have over them prior to that first ball.

Final Thought

Let us also not forget the significance the toss carries, purely because of the nature of the playing surface that is generally on the slower side, assists the spinners and the bowlers who like to vary the pace of their deliveries.

It will be interesting to see what the captain who wins the toss does. While batting first is generally the way to go when you play at the Eden Gardens, there has been an obtrusive change to that pattern this season: the chasing side has won 4 of the 6 games played at the venue, with KKR successfully chasing scores over 160 to win the game on three occasions and the Royal Challengers brilliantly chasing down 179 against the home side in another game during the early stages of this season.

MI vs CSK in the finals of IPL 2015, should be an intriguing match-up that will have the hosts start as favorites ahead of the game. Chennai won't be too far behind, but they need a good start to bridge the slight gap between them and Mumbai.

Should Manuel Pellegrini Go For Youth In Manchester City's Lineup For The Final Game Of The Season?

Manuel Pellegrini remains intent on signing off the season with a win

Manchester City will finish their 2014/15 Barclays Premier League campaign, which has seen them relinquish their title to Chelsea, with a home game against Southampton on Sunday.

The Sky Blues have secured second place ahead of Arsenal and Manchester United in the league standings, by winning their last five league fixtures on the trot.

They were ran close in a couple of games by Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City - both away from home - but a determined Manuel Pellegrini's side made sure that they worked hard out of possession and were clinical in attack, to secure three points on both those occasions.

City, otherwise, registered comfortable victories over West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers (QPR) at the Etihad Stadium, where they also overcame an assertive Aston Villa side that was close to holding the hosts for a point, at least.

It has been an important turnaround for the Cityzens, who, at one stage in April, looked likely to not even qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.

Having secured the runner-up spot, as well as automatic qualification for the group stages of the Champions League next season, should Pellegrini experiment, and inject a few youth players in his starting lineup for Sunday's clash against Ronald Koeman's Saints?

Read on...

City's season was virtually over after they suffered defeats to Barcelona in the Champions League and Liverpool in the Premier League, in back-to-back games during the late February and early March period.

The atmosphere inside the Etihad, consequently, hasn't been at its raucous best for a good three months now and the City faithful are already looking for a fresh start next season.

The City supporters, however, have taken great delight in their club finishing above Manchester United for the second consecutive season, with Louis van Gaal's men losing 75% of their games (4) since inflicting a 2-4 derby defeat on City in April.

City fans witnessed their side pummel Southampton by 3-0 in the reverse fixture

The Etihad outfit has also played a coruscating brand of football, which has been missing for much of this season, lately, going onto score 16 goals during their current 5-game winning run, compared to just 9 in the previous 6 league fixtures.

One of the factors Pellegrini needs to consider if he is keen on experimenting with his starting lineup is that City will be playing at home against Southampton, a game for which the tickets have been sold out, and it, therefore, almost becomes an obligation to give the club's fanatics a good send off.

The Chilean, in his final pre-match press conference of the season yesterday, said that "Second is finished but the season isn't. We must try to win for our fans, to play well and give a good farewell to the season", indicating his single-mindedness in wanting to finish the season on a winning note.

PELLEGRINI: Second is finished but the season isn’t. We must try to win for our fans, to play well and to give a good farewell to the season

— Manchester City FC (@MCFC) May 22, 2015

That statement of his makes sense too, because City, unlike Jose Mourinho's side, haven't had a great season, and it can only be a good thing to finish the season with as many points to your name as possible.

The Chilean also has to be cautious in the way he bloods in youth to his squad, which has been one of his virtues as a City manager, because ideally, he doesn't want the youngsters to feature in a game and lose confidence on themselves because of a poor performance or something.

In addition, the starlets seem a little light-weight compared to the likes of a Jordan Ibe or Ruben Loftus-Cheek, players who have graced the Premier League this season for Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively.

The caliber of the opposition also needs to be taken into account, and from that point of view, City will need to play their full-strength side in order to overcome Sunday's visitors.

On the flip side of the coin, however, there can be no better stage for Pellegrini than Sunday, when he could inject a couple of youth players to his side's starting lineup, and thereby squash any lingering doubts over his supposed lack of faith in City's academy and EDS players.

Players like Kelechi Iheanacho and Jose Angel Pozo, who has already appeared for City in three league fixtures this season, could be given a chance to feature this Sunday, when there is absolutely nothing to lose or gain, at least from the home side's perspective.

It will be an important step, as Pellegrini often puts it during his interviews, in the Chilean's reign as City manager, who will need to have a few youth options up his sleeve ahead of the next season, when he will once again be under pressure to deliver silverware.

But going by his thoughts in the presser yesterday, Pellegrini sounds to be in no mood whatsoever to take a gamble, and put himself under pressure if something goes wrong.

Final Thought

It is important for City and Pellegrini to secure three points on Sunday, and ensure that they finish the season on a very good note.

Therefore, it would be good for City and their supporters if the former Malaga manager sticks with the lineup that has delivered results over the last month, and makes sure of the victory first.

This talk of experimentation can wait, at least until three points against Southampton are assured.

IPL 2015, Qualifier 2: A Match-up Between Royal Challengers Bangalore's Temperament Against Chennai Super Kings's Current Form

The 8th edition of the Pepsi Indian Premier League (IPL) has been an amazing tournament so far, and the final two games - a virtual semi-final and final - involving three heavyweight teams, should live up to the billing, as well.

Can Dhoni find his mojo tonight, playing in Ranchi?

The JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi will host the second qualifier, a South Indian derby involving the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), to decide which team goes on to face the Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, in the final of IPL 2015.

MS Dhoni's men have only won 40% of their last five games, and their performance in the first qualifier clearly demonstrated their immediate form prior to such a pivotal clash.

Virat Kohli's side, on the other hand, has lost just 1 of their last five games, and their performances have been very much up to the mark too.

Tonight's clash is all about which of these teams can bring their A-game to the table, and deliver their best cricket when it matters the most.

Chennai won both their games against Bangalore in the league phase of this edition of the IPL, but they were in pretty good form at the time and therefore, managed to overwhelm the Vijay Mallya-owned franchise.

Will the current form for either of these sides determine their passage into Sunday's finals? Or will Dhoni find his mojo tonight, playing in his hometown and defeat Team India's new Test captain Kohli once again? Answers to follow...

The player battles in this intriguing tussle between CSK and RCB could have a profound impact on the end result of the game.

Man-to-man there is not much to choose between these two star-studded lineups, with the Challengers, in particular, wanting to do well and overcome their ineptitude to win their first IPL title.

Talking of Chennai first, Brendon McCullum's significance to his side's form in the early phase of this IPL cannot be stressed enough: he was ultra-aggressive at the top of the order, and Dhoni's devils invariably got the upper hand very early on in their games, managing to do enough thereafter, to remain ahead of the opposition.

Dwayne Smith has struggled after a few good innings' early on, and Michael Hussey, with his conventional and calculated approach to cricket, will not bother most opponents.

du Plessis will hold the key to CSK's chances of winning this game

The Super Kings' middle order has flattered to deceive this season, and it simply got to come good tonight, in order for their side to have a chance of beating the red hot RCB.

The good news, however, for them is that the Challengers' bowling attack can be made to look ordinary, with Mitchell Starc being the only bowler who can pose danger to the batsmen regardless of the nature of the playing surface.

Chennai, for me, need to get their batting order sorted and what I mean by it is that Dhoni has been the villain for his side, failing to score quick runs and stick to a position in the batting lineup.

The Indian ODI skipper has walked into bat at various positions during the 15 games so far, upsetting the rhythm of the batsman in the middle and approach of the ones, Faf du Plessis, for instance, to follow him.

Even without McCullum, CSK have got the batsmen to cash in on a relatively inexperienced RCB attack, and are capable of posting a big total on the board if they do get to bat first.

Their bowling has been steady throughout the tournament and Dhoni, in the aftermath of defeat to MI in the first qualifier, admitted that he was happy with how his bowlers fared, even though Mumbai got up to 187 after looking like they would only get to 170, at best.

Ravindra Jadeja and Mohit Sharma, though, remain the weak links in their side's bowling attack, but it will be greatly surprising if Dhoni changes two of his trusted personnel, at this stage of the season.

Moving onto RCB, they look a better batting side compared to their opponents tonight. In AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle and Kohli, Bangalore have three batsmen in the top 10 leading run-scorers of the tournament, and will hold the key to tonight's encounter.

RCB must be in good spirits ahead of tonight's game

Gayle can be a bit of hit-and-miss, though he can do significant damage to the opponent' chances of winning if he bats for 10 overs; Kohli, while opening the batting along with the Jamaican, has sought to play the anchor role; and de Villiers, without having to say anything, looks totally irrepressible at the moment.

But, again, the Royal Challengers' batting lineup is akin to Chennai's, in that they too have a brittle middle order which can capitulate against the bowling trio of Ashish Nehra, Dwayne Bravo and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Mandeep Singh played a magnificent innings against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) a couple of nights back, and will once again have to step up to the plate tonight. The all-rounder skills of David Wiese will hold the key to RCB posting a big total if they bat first, or have to chase to reach the finals.

RCB's bowling attack has done well, but will have to come good against Chennai

Royal Challengers' bowling attack has done well, picking 96 wickets in the 15 games they have played. Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel have delivered wickets and consistency, picking 21 and 16 wickets, respectively, so far, but face their biggest test tonight against CSK.

Sreenath Arvind, in the 4 games, has done well, but needs to stand up tonight; Chennai might try to score heavily against him.

Summary

As you can see, there is absolutely 'nothing' to choose between CSK and RCB, who promise yet another intriguing T20 cricket match in this year's Pepsi IPL.

And, as the headline suggests, it will be a tussle between the Royal Challengers' temperament against the Super Kings' current form.

What Can Manchester City Takeaway From Their Strong Finish To The Season?

Joe Hart has been one of few standout City players this season

Manchester City will definitely be finishing the 2014/15 Barclays Premier League season in 2nd place, with Arsenal failing to win against Sunderland yesterday and relinquishing the slim chance they had of finishing above Manuel Pellegrini's men.

City, with already 76 points to their name, face Southampton at the Etihad Stadium in the final competitive game of the season, and will no doubt be looking to make it half-a-dozen wins, to pull the curtains on what has been a 'disappointing' season for the club.

The Sky Blues have endured a horrible second half of the campaign that has seen them lose to the likes of Burnley and Crystal Palace - away from home - making life easier for Chelsea and Jose Mourinho, who have consequently won the title in a canter.

Pellegrini too, as a result of City's poor showings, has come under intense scrutiny regarding his position and we still await the board's decision on him before the next season kicks off.

City's last defeat came against Manchester United, who won 4-2 at Old Trafford after losing the previous four derbies on the trot, in April, when it seemed like Pellegrini's side would struggle to even finish in one of the four UEFA Champions League places.

Credit to the Etihad outfit, however, for turning things around in the way they have, stringing a quintet of league wins together and assuring themselves of direct qualification into the group stages of next season's Champions League.

The questions are: does City's strong finish to the season count for anything? What are the positives to come out of the current winning run? Answers to follow...

Fighting Spirit

City have shown tremendous fighting spirit during their current 5-game winning run

The hunger to win football matches has been one of the most impressive aspects of City's current 5-game winning run.

The 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane was invigorating to watch, simply because of the manner of the victory. Out of possession, City had to be dogged and defend for large periods in the game, which can't be easy for a side that thrives on possession football.

Sergio Aguero's winner came from a fantastic City counterattack, with Silva teeing up the Argentine who was utterly unflappable with his taking of the chance.

Against Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium, the game was more suited to City's style of play, and the 4-2 scoreline confirmed that the visitors had the better attacking resources of the two sides.

However, on both those occasions, City had to fight hard for the three points, and by doing so, were fully deserving of the results they managed in the end.

Although it has come pretty late on in the season, City have shown character and steel during their current 5-game winning run and that is definitely a positive to come out of their strong finish to this season.

Team Effort

Barring the victories over West Ham United and Aston Villa, teams that sabotaged themselves with a couple of unforced errors, City have played and won as a team.

Aleksandar Kolarov in particular, has been in a rich vein of form in his position at left-back, winning tackles, aerial duels, delivering incisively from corner-kicks and scoring a couple of beautiful free-kicks, too.

Along with the Serbian, the duo of Pablo Zabaleta and Fernandinho, who probably haven't had satisfying seasons by their own standards, have put in some very good displays at right-back and central midfield, respectively.

City have performed collectively during the last month

In an attacking sense, Aguero, Milner and Silva have been a delight to watch, and were the cornerstones to City's attractive victories over Queens Park Rangers (QPR) and Swansea.

Neither can we ill-afford to forget Joe Hart's heroics in City's victory last weekend, pulling off a couple of flabbergasting saves that gave his side a chance to go and clinch the three points.

Wilfried Bony came up with an assist and a goal in his last two substitute appearances for City, showing his pedigree as a genuine target man.

Many a City player hasn't been at his best for a majority of this season, and Aguero's goals have bailed his side out of trouble on a number of occasions. But ever since the derby defeat, City have performed and won as a team.

Takeaways for the Cityzens

Capitulation seemed inevitable after the defeat to the Red Devils, and Pellegrini was portrayed as a 'dead man walking' by many media outlets.

Capitulation seemed inevitable after the derby defeat

I think, from that point of view, City have conjured up a remarkable turnaround and made sure that they lived up to their recent history as either the winners of the Premier League or runners-up.

Hart, in the aftermath of the 6-0 victory over QPR, mentioned that a top four finish was the minimum for City these days. Also, finishing above Arsene Wenger's wizards and United - in particular - for the second consecutive season will delight City.

Avoiding capitulation, for me, says a lot about City as a club and their ambitions to remain the top dog in the English top flight, while also being aware that Mourinho and Chelsea will be their strong rivals in the years to come.

Other than that, City need to regroup and recruit in the best way possible this summer, to challenge for honors next season, when it will once again be a 'fresh' start and challenge.

Final Thought

Pellegrini has engineered a turnaround in City's fortunes during the last month, which tells a lot of him, as well, as a manager who can be trusted with delivering silverware for City in the 2015/16 campaign.

Manuel Pellegrini has a big summer ahead of him

The character shown by the City boss can also be looked at as one of the positives to come out of the Cityzens' strong finish to their 2014/15 campaign.