Mathew Hayden & his Mongoose

The Mongoose in title is a bat not a beast. The new Mongoose bat is supposed to give the batsman an unfair advantage. BBC calls the Mongoose bat the first major redesign since 1771. The good news for CSK fans is that they have chosen Hayden as their brand ambassador. If the bat is anything as the website touts, Haydos is bound to better his performances in the last season.

Mongoose Bat & Haydos - Perfect Combination

As per the company, the bat would revolutionize batting in T20.  Scientists have given assurance that the bat would have

• 20% more power than a conventional bat
• 5% more bat speed

In the promotional event today, Haydos has also confirmed that hew will be using this bat. I predict his strategy would be to start batting with the traditional bat and start using Mongoose bat after the first break. One thing is certain - We can expect much more DLF Maxmiums from Hayden this season. 

Bailey Joins Hussey & Oram in Missing List

Talented George Bailey has been called to join Australia Squad for the series against New Zealand. This sudden decision by Australian Selectors has ensured that CSK would miss at least 3 of its 10 foreign players for the first match. 

1. Oram's injury might lead him to miss the entire tournament

2. Hussey would be joining the squad after the Australia-New Zealand Series (i.e.) only after March 30

3. Bailey has been included in ODI Squad for the series against NZ until March 13 and is widely tipped to be part of the test squad too. So we might miss him until March 30.

With 3 players missing, choosing 4 foreign players would be a cakewalk for Fleming & Dhoni. I am sure Dhoni would pick 

1. Mathew Hayden

2. Albie Morkel

3. Justin Kemp

4. Murali

for the final XI. Your thoughts?

Will Dhoni & Co. disprove Cricinfo's Prediction?

While Fleming and Dhoni have reiterated their hope that Chennai Super Kings would win the IPL this year, Cricinfo disagrees. As per the pre-tournament analysis of the team, Cricinfo predicts that Chennai Super Kings would find it tough to make the final four. 

Five Reasons why Cricinfo has got it Wrong?

1. Haydos

2. Haydos

3. Haydos

4. Dhoni, the Captain - Last year, Dhoni joined the team just a day ahead of the first match. This time, the captain is present with the team right from day one of practice. Clearly showing his intent to win the tournament

5. We are back in Lion's Den: I am sure the team will continue to find motivation from the houseful stands for the matches @ Lion's Den.  

What do you think? Has Cricinfo got its prediction right?

Continue the discussion @ Exclusive Social Network of Chennai Super Kings

Will Oram be fit for IPL 3?

Jacob Oram, the Kiwi all-rounder who underwhelmed last year in South Africa, has been taken off the field due to a hyperextension of the knee, according to this tweet by BFInnoBystander.

Frankly, Jacob Oram was the biggest disappointment of last year. The pitches in South Africa were very spicy, considering that domestic cricket had been played on those pitches just a couple of weeks before the IPL started.

However, Big Jake failed to take advantage of this and leaked plenty of runs and didn't take any wickets (5 wickets with an average of 26 and an economy rate of 8.5). He also didn't score much (avg of 14.66 at a strike rate of 94).

However, as we know, our skipper, MS Dhoni, has shown a tendency to stick with players regardless of how bad they are. Either that, or he felt an obligation to pick 4 foreign players, regardless of whether they were good enough. IMO, we could've gone with Ravichandran Ashwin rather than with Big Jake.

Right, enough of the rambling and to the whole motive of this post. Who should we get if Big Jake isn't fit for IPL3?

I was thinking, perhaps Mohammed Aamer. Yes, this may not appeal to all, considering that he was snubbed in the auction, along with his other Pakistani comrades. However, Aamer is a genuinely good fast bowler capable of bowling consistently within the 140s. As I mentioned in the comments of one of Robin's post, CSK lacks a good fast bowler other than Sudeep Tyagi (Bala should actually be classified as a medium pace bowler rather than medium-fast). Moreover, we can get him at a very good price.

Alternatively, rather than going for a quickie, we can beef up our spin stocks by picking the Bangla star all-rounder and skipper, Shakib Al Hasan. He's been a real revelation in the past year, picking a bucket-load of wickets and scoring quick runs. He's got passion, which can be very useful for CSK. Frankly, I'm extremely surprised that he hasn't been picked in the last 2 auctions, which is a real pity, considering how enormously talented he is.

We could also go for Mahmudullah, another Bangla all-rounder, who is showing glimpses of his talent as a batsman with a century against NZ in NZ. He's already proved enough of his bowling talent, having taken 8 wickets in his maiden test against West Indies last year.

So here are the players I could think of as replacements over the top of my head. Who else do you think we could get as a replacement for Big Jake?

News Snippets - March 2, 2010

1. Chennai Super Kings considered among favorites: Betting Choice considers Chennai Super Kings as the second strongest contenders for the title after Delhi Daredevils. No Surprise that the betting sites rank these semifinalists in both the seasons ahead of others. [Source: Betting Choice]
2. Hayden arrives on March 6: Strike Batsman of Chennai Super Kings - Mathew Hayden is expected to arrive on March 6. Again he shows his commitment by being the first foreign player to arrive on town [Source: DNA India]
3. Murali announces retirement plans: Got 'Shock of the day' when i read about Murali's retirement plans. He has hinted that he might retire from test cricket towards the end of the year and might play shorter form of the game until World Cup. Hope he does not retire from Chennai Super Kings that soon. [Source: Sydney Morning Herald]