IPL 2019 | It’s all about pacers in Hyderabad, says Anil Kumble

IPL 2019 | It’s all about pacers in Hyderabad, says Anil Kumble

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Anil Kumble has stated that pacers will call the shots in the 12th IPL final in Hyderabad thanks to the wicket’s propensity towards the pace bowlers. However, Brendon McCullum disagreed with the same and stated that CSK spinners are too good to handle any surface and holds CSK as favourites.

Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will lock horns with each other in what could be considered as the game for bragging rights and also there will be enough incentive for the two teams to go head-to-head tonight. While the ground in Hyderabad will host Mumbai thanks to the longer boundary the stadium offers, Chennai will bank on their success they secured last year. Pacers will call the shots at the venue, as it has been proven historically, and Anil Kumble believes that it will give Mumbai an advantage this season.

“It’s all about pacers in Hyderabad and we know that the average runs per wicket for pacers is 45.2 for spinners and 27.5 for pacers in Hyderabad. CSK depends very heavily on their spinners,” Kumble said on Star Sports special show Select Dugout.

“Moving on to talk about what have Mumbai Indian pacers done in the mid overs versus what has Chennai Super Kings pacers done in the middle overs, MI have taken 16 wickets versus 2 wickets that CSK have taken. The lion share of these wickets has been taken by Hardik Pandya, who has seven wickets in the middle overs this season. With the bat too Hardik has a great strike rate in the middle overs where he has scored successfully against spinners too,” the former Mumbai Indians mentor added.

However, Brendon McCullum came from a different school of thought and stated that Imran Tahir’s form was the crucial parameter why he thinks Chennai Super Kings - the team he had represented in the past - would be running ahead in the game. As a matter of fact, Tahir has been a force to be reckoned with in the IPL this year, picking up 22 wickets, most of them being top-order batsmen.

“I need an opportunity to talk about CSK and how they set the game up and control the game through the middle overs. CSK average 65 during the middle overs for the loss of just two wickets and they go about that through the methodical run gathering as they just knock the ball around,” the former Kiwi cricketer said.

“While bowling, the likes of Jadeja and Tahir have worked as a yin and a yang type mentality, where Jadeja is very quick through his overs which allows Tahir to be more attacking, something that is evident with the 22 wickets Tahir has taken through the middle so far, this season,” McCullum added.

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