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Australia’s hopes at the Wanderers – and potentially for their home summer – took a major blow in the first session of the match when Shane Watson left the field with an injury to his right hamstring. The loss of Watson followed Australia’s decision to send the fast bowler Ryan Harris home due to a hip problem, which will place him in doubt for the first Test against New Zealand.Arguably Australia’s most important player, Watson left the field after bowling the fifth ball of his fourth over, having already made a breakthrough when he had Jacques Rudolph caught behind. It was not immediately clear how serious the injury was, but Watson’s history with hamstring complaints meant it was unlikely the Australians would risk him doing any further damage by bowling again in the match.Watson returned to the field later in the day and stood at first slip – he didn’t bowl again – and at the end of the day he was padded up ready to open the innings. However, the ICC’s new law forbidding runners means that Watson’s impact could be limited by how quickly he can make it to the other end of the pitch.While Watson is key to Australia’s setup due to his all-round abilities, the team is also without Harris, the best bowler in the side. Harris was ruled out of the Test, allowing the 18-year-old Pat Cummins to make his debut, and he was set to return to Australia immediately.”Ryan Harris had some right hip pain after the first Test in Cape Town,” Australia’s physio, Alex Kountouris, said. “He was still experiencing pain bowling during the team training session on Wednesday and has therefore been ruled out of the second Test.”He has had a number of investigations since arriving in Johannesburg that have at this stage excluded serious injury, however he will need to return to Australia for further assessment and to commence his recovery. His return to cricket will be guided by the improvement we see over the next week.”That timeframe does not bode well for his availability for the New Zealand series, which begins at the Gabba in a fortnight. Harris, 32, has been Australia’s best bowler since he made his Test debut in New Zealand early last year, easily topping the frontline bowling averages during that period with 35 victims at 21.37.However, Australia’s concern is that Harris has played only half the Tests during that time. He was sent home from the Pakistan series in England last year with a knee injury that required surgery, he suffered a stress fracture in his left ankle during the Boxing Day Ashes Test last year and again needed an operation, and he missed the final Test in Sri Lanka in September due to a hamstring strain.Three Tests is the most he has strung together in a row. The injuries to Harris and Watson leave Australia with some serious concerns ahead of the New Zealand series and the four-Test series against India that follows.Harris was to be accompanied on the plane home from South Africa by the left-arm spinner Michael Beer, who the selectors felt would benefit from match-time back home. Trent Copeland and David Warner have remained with the squad but with an Australia A match against New Zealand set to begin next Thursday, it is not out of the question that one of them could be sent to take part in that match.

Sohail Tanvir, the Rawalpindi Rams captain, has said his team’s lack of experience was the major factor that counted against Rawalpindi in the national Twenty20 final. Tanvir said his team had all the potential but Sialkot Stallions were able to claim the upper hand by having more experienced campaigners in their side. Stallions won the T20 title for the sixth time, beating Rawalpindi by 10 runs at the National Stadium in Karachi.”Our side has got a little bit of inexperience,” Tanvir told ESPNcricinfo. “We were in a right direction and spirit and were almost set to down Sialkot but at the end of the day they probably had more experience players in this competition – that’s the only difference between us and them that gave them the upper hand.””I have some talented youngsters doing well for us and since the super eight we have improved a lot and are getting more mature.”Stallions no doubt is a great side to play, I don’t know if they deserve to win or not but we gave our 100% too. This is all cricket and sometime only one difference could swing away the game from you. But I am not disappointed as we fought hard and played positive cricket.”Rawalpindi had seemed comfortably placed to pass the 180 set by Sialkot, but their progress was held up crucially by the left-arm spin of Raza Hasan. While other bowlers struggled to concede fewer than seven runs an over, Hasan had figures of 4-0-11-2. He choked the flow of runs by varying the flight and lengths of his deliveries while maintaining a tight line.Hasan, 19, has all the confidence required to bowl the death overs. “It about how big your heart is,” Hasan said. “I was called by Shoaib [Malik] and he asked me to bowl the all important [19th] over and I was like okay, I will do it at my best. The ball wasn’t spinning much at all but I had to bowl in the right areas to concede as many runs to overwhelm the batsman.”

Alan Butcher, the Zimbabwe coach, has said the crucial phase in his side’s loss to Pakistan in the first ODI in Bulawayo was the one between the 10th and 20th overs of the chase, during which Zimbabwe scored only 30 runs. Zimbabwe were chasing 248 and got off to a solid start; but though they had lost only two wickets by the end of 20 overs, the asking-rate had already risen to 5.90 an over and kept climbing.”The turning point was the period between 10 and 20 overs of our chase, when we only scored 30 runs,” Butcher said. “We probably gave Mohammad Hafeez too much respect. One more run an over in that period and we’d have won before the last over.” Hafeez conceded just 38 runs in his 10 overs, bowled in one spell.With the asking-rate climbing, Tatenda Taibu and Brendan Taylor tried to score at a quicker pace, but Zimbabwe waited till the 43rd over, by which time Taibu had been dismissed, to take the batting Powerplay. They took 38 runs off it and Butcher said he was happy with their timing of it. “When Taylor and Taibu were batting together there were still a lot of overs to go. While they were there we felt we were well in touch. We were happy with when we took the Powerplay.”Though Zimbabwe fell five runs short in the chase, Butcher said there had been an improvement in their batting. “If you look back six months at the World Cup, we were struggling to get past 180 against Full Member nations [their highest score against a Full Member was 188 versus Sri Lanka]. To get 240 is progress and we’re learning how to do it against the big teams”We need to tweak a couple of things but we had two good innings today – a 70 [from Vusi Sibanda] and an 80 [from Taylor]. Vusi was a bit unlucky with the way he got out. If he had carried on it would have made a difference. He played a responsible knock.”Butcher said there were plenty of positives to take out of the game. “We did well to restrict them to less than 250 because at one stage, when Misbah-ul-haq and Younis [Khan] were in, it looked like 270 was going to be the target. When you get that close, you’re always disappointed to lose, but we can definitely take positives as there were some high-quality performances from our players.”Zimbabwe went in to the game with a different combination from the one that had beaten Bangladesh 3-2 in the ODI series in August, playing just one specialist seamer to accommodate three spinners and a longer batting line-up. Butcher said the decision was made based on the reputation the Bulawayo pitch has as a spinning surface. “I think the decision was justified when you look at the score we restricted them to. The wicket played better than we thought it would; it did not spin as much as we expected and had a little more pace. Having a longer batting line-up is something we’ve been talking about for a while.”Brian Vitori, who started his ODI career by taking two five-wicket hauls in his first two games, against Bangladesh, was left out of the XI and Butcher said it was a tactical decision. He did, however, suggest Vitori could play a role when the action shifts to Harare for the second and third ODIs, and the two Twenty20s.”Different conditions in Harare may make us think of a different attack. Vitori’s omission today was tactical but I’m sure he will play a role in Harare. We hope he plays a similar role to the one he played against Bangladesh, taking wickets up front. Pakistan have a more solid batting line-up, so it is hard to expect him to have the same impact. Against better opposition he may have to work harder.”

Michael Clarke, the Australian captain and selector, must weigh up the fitness of his spearhead Ryan Harris and the century at No. 3 by the debutant Shaun Marsh as he travels to Colombo with a 1-0 series lead over Sri Lanka after the second Test in Pallekele was washed out.The Australians would have been heavily favoured to finish off the series had five full days been possible, and even another two hours on the final day might have been enough as Sri Lanka teetered with a lead of 80 and four wickets left when the rain returned for good.Harris, who claimed six wickets for the match and has been the most dangerous bowler on either side so far, left the field after the last of his spells, complaining of hamstring stiffness. Clarke said Harris’ physical well-being would be a pivotal concern in the three days between Pallekele’s soggy conclusion and the start of the final match at the batsman-friendly SSC ground.”There’s always been concerns about Rhino’s fitness because unfortunately he’s dealt with a few injuries throughout his career,” Clarke said. “He’s a very strong bloke and he’ll do anything to get on the park. He has a bit of hammy stiffness so tomorrow he’ll have a scan just to find out if there’s anything there but we’re confident, if the scan shows nothing, that he’ll certainly be available for the third Test. If it does show something there’s going to be a little bit of doubt.”He’s been a very good bowler for a long time now, it’s just obviously with Harry his body … trying to keep him fit and healthy. He’s got this issue with his knee that he’s dealt with for years that is going nowhere. It’s part of what he has. He’s a wonderful player to have in your team, not just the way he bowls, he’s got plenty of talent with the bat. He’s as good as any fast bowler in the world in the field. And he brings a lot to the team as a guy. He’s one of those guys you want in your team.”He’s having a big impact in this series. Hopefully he’s fit for game three – if he’s not it gives somebody else an opportunity and it’s about trying to make sure we get him as fit and healthy as we can for our next series against South Africa. We’re not silly – we know with every game Rhino plays there’s going to come a day that his knee can’t take it anymore or his body can’t take it anymore, like all fast bowlers. It’s just about trying to manage him as best as we can. He’s certainly been doing the business for us.”Harris may have been in line for a rest irrespective of his injury status, given the rigours of three back-to-back Test matches. Clarke said that option had been a point of discussion across the tour, with the Victorian duo of Peter Siddle and James Pattinson sitting in reserve.”There were discussions about all the fast bowlers, having three back-to-back Test matches with big workloads on generally pretty flat wickets here. Tough bowling conditions,” Clarke said. “Certainly concerns about all the fast bowlers but maybe rain has saved [Harris] from a few overs. Finishing a day early in the first Test probably saved him a bit there as well.”He feels okay at the moment, it was more precaution. I said to him once he finished that spell that it was unlikely he was going to bowl again today so he should go off and see Alex (Kountouris, physio) and do what he needs to do to ensure we’re not doing anything silly. Fingers crossed, hopefully it’s clear.”Less clear is what will be done about Marsh, who would have been expected to lose his spot to Ricky Ponting before he impressed all observers with a committed 141 at No. 3. Ponting is guaranteed to return, leaving Marsh, Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes in a fight for two remaining batting places. Clarke and the coach Tim Nielsen will be the men on the ground making the call, following the selector Greg Chappell’s pre-planned departure from the tour at the outset of the second Test.”Interesting couple of days coming up. Like I said before this Test match it’s not a bad problem to have, a problem that we’ve been looking forward to for a while,” Clarke said. “Unfortunately not all the batters can play, someone’s going to have to miss out. I’ll need to speak to Tim, who is obviously a selector, and the other selectors back home and we’ll make that decision.”I’ve got a couple of ideas in my own head at the moment but, like I say, I think it’s important I communicate with the other selectors, see how they feel and then we’ll go from there. The first thing is to work out what six batters we feel are the best six batters for the next Test match. Once we do that then it’s obviously up to me to select the batting order. Time will tell I guess.”I think it’s important that we do have a long hard think about what six batters we’re going to go with. It’s obviously hard. Shaun’s batted beautifully, Uzzie’s done pretty well since he’s come in and I thought Hughesy looked really good the other day and unfortunately didn’t go on, and we’ve got the great Ricky Ponting coming back. It’s a good problem to have.”

The Indians have nearly sold out their two-day practice match at the County Ground in Northampton on August 5 and 6, but they still won’t be the town’s biggest act this summer.Like India’s chances of a series victory in England that too has, in fact, come and gone.On June 25, nearly 15,000 packed into an open-air Elton John concert, live from the outfield, at the venue where India will attempt to repair form and reputation this weekend. John was on his Rocket Man world tour and, among many of his other hits, he also sang “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me.” The Indians could well adopt it as their theme song when they take to the ground on Thursday after a thumping defeat in the Nottingham Test.In what is an outside chance of a complete turnaround, India’s own Rocket Man has finally turned up on the tour during which the sun has gone down fairly rapidly on India’s No.1 Test ranking. Virender Sehwag’s arrival in England on Wednesday coincided with the double-whammy that both Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh are out of the Test series, both injured during the Nottingham Test.When, after the Lord’s defeat, MS Dhoni said that all that could go wrong did go wrong during that Test match, he didn’t know he was presenting himself as the ultimate optimist. Lord’s was merely a prelude to the tailspin that was Nottingham.It has been a downhill series: India’s strike bowler pulled up with an injury in the first session of the first Test and their strike batsman has arrived at a time when the series can only be saved.It is not a bad target for a counter-attacker like Sehwag to sink his teeth into. At the same time it could be just what Gautam Gambhir needs to feed off as he pushed for a return in time for Edgbaston a week from now.The two-day practice match could be just the tonic India need, but only if its convalescing cricketers are recovering at the speed they need. Sehwag is coming cold off shoulder surgery, Gambhir off a still-swollen elbow while airlines now only let Zaheer onto a plane if his hamstring is strapped up in bubble wrap and marked fragile.The Northampton County Cricket Club is promising a turn for the better for the visitors. Their hospitality and weather will be warm. Their pitch will be … okay never mind. At least Zaheer has also been promised a better return to Northampton than when he played for Worcestershire in 2006. The track has changed from its subcontinental avatar to a green but they say generous seamer.Deputy head groundsman Paul Taylor says it is far from Nottingham redux. Taylor was quick to point out that the grass cover was “different to Nottingham’s. It has a more even covering, there won’t be tufts of grass.” Northants Cricket CEO Mark Tagg pointed out that the county ground had received ECB commendations for the quality of their pitches following a complete overhaul in the middle of the last decade. Taylor says, “We used to have pitches rather like subcontinental tracks. Grassless, where on windy days you could see dust flying, which helped our spinners.” That was the time Anil Kumble became the highest wicket-taker of the 1995 county season with 105 wickets for Northamptonshire, 64 at home, 41 away. Until recently, Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann turned out together for the county until 2005.Over the last five years following renovation, however, the pitch has changed character and now suits the quicker men. The overseas players expected to turn out for the practice match over the weekend is left-arm swing man, Chaminda Vaas, so Zaheer will at least have good company. Taylor says, “This wicket is very different from what Zaheer would have experienced with Worcester. It did not carry through much then, but this is a wicket is now true.” As far as the batsmen go, Taylor says that considering Northampton’s own progress – they lead the Division 2 county table – the top batsmen have not really prospered but, “it is the Nos. 7 to 9 that are averaging 55, I would say if you get in, you can score very quickly indeed.”At Lord’s and Nottingham, India’s new generation batsmen have struggled precisely in that simple skill: getting in and staying there. There is however something they must leave behind, according to former captain Sourav Ganguly: the debris from the past two weeks. When he was asked by TV channel what he would have said to his players if he were still captain, Ganguly said, “Get away from the game in the next two days. Every individual player, get away from the team. Take a walk down the road, have a dinner on your own and evaluate, where do I stand? How have I done in this series, where can I get better?… Talk to yourself and say how can I get better? Because that’s the only way the team can get better.”Ganguly’s is sound advice but unlike Nottingham, where the team lived in the city centre, in Northampton the team hotel is closer to a motorway out of town and a golf course. Naturally, there were few sightings of solitary Indian players walking around in deep introspection on Wednesday evening. There’s a far better chance that they took turns in walking up to Sehwag and saying by God, it was good to be seeing him again.

Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan will lead India in the Emerging Players tournament to be held in Australia from August 1 to 13. Mumbai batsman Ajinkya Rahane, who has an impressive first-class average of 67.72, will be the vice-captain of the 15-member contingent.The squad includes a number of players on the fringes of the India team, who have impressed through the domestic season and in the IPL. Manoj Tiwary, who failed to shine when given an opportunity in the West Indies one-dayers, has been included in the side. Saurabh Tiwary was picked despite a lacklustre IPL.This year, the Emerging Players tournament will feature three-day matches as opposed to limited-over matches as in previous years. India’s campaign at the tournament starts with a match against South Africa from August 1. They will then play New Zealand from August 6, and Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) from August 11.Ashok Menaria, who led India in the 2010 Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand before fruitful Ranji and IPL seasons with Rajasthan, was also picked. S Anirudha, Manish Pandey, and Ambati Rayudu were the other IPL regulars who made the squad. Karnataka’s C Gautam got the wicketkeeper’s spot.Legspinner Rahul Sharma and left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla, who made waves with their incisiveness in the IPL, make up the spin attack. Karnataka seamer Vinay Kumar, who toured West Indies with the senior one-day team, will lead the fast-bowling department. Umesh Yadav and Varun Aaron, both of whom have built reputations based on their ability to generate pace, and left-arm seamer S Aravind complete the pace attack.India had won the tournament in 2009 after Virat Kohli led the team to a 17-run win over South Africa with a rollicking century. They reached the finals of both the 20-over and 50-over legs of the tournament in 2010, but lost to AIS in the 20-over final and lost out to South Africa for the 50-over title. The final of the 50-over leg was abandoned due to rain and South Africa were declared winners because they finished higher in the points table.Squad: Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-capt), S Anirudha, Manish Pandey, Saurabh Tiwary, Manoj Tiwary, Ashok Menaria, C Gautam (wk), Ambati Rayudu, Rahul Sharma, Iqbal Abdulla, Umesh Yadav, Varun Aaron, S Aravind, Vinay Kumar

Stuart Clark has retained his playing contract with New South Wales despite stepping back from his on-field duties to focus on his new role as general manager of the Sydney Sixers Twenty20 side. Clark did not retire when he took up the administrative job in May, but he said he would only play for the Blues in times of crisis and would instead put his energy into his off-field role.However, he has been named in the state’s squad for 2011-12, an indication that Clark might not have played his last game for the Blues. The news was not so good for the wicketkeeper Daniel Smith, the allrounders Tim Armstrong and Scott Coyte, the spinner Luke Doran and the fast bowler Joe Mennie, all of whom were delisted.From their 2010-11 squad, New South Wales also lost Mark Cameron to Western Australia, Peter Forrest to Queensland and Nathan Bracken to retirement. The promising opener Nic Maddinson, who is currently on tour with Australia A in Zimbabwe, was upgraded from a rookie deal to a full contract, while the allrounder Sean Abbott, the fast bowler Nic Bills and the legspinner Nathan Brain were all made rookies.”The regular availability of Simon Katich for the RTA SpeedBlitz Blues will be of enormous benefit both to the team and for the development of our young players,” the Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert said, “whilst the return from injury of fast bowlers Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Burt Cockley is eagerly awaited.”With 10 players on Cricket Australia contracts, the Blues were in an envious position compared to other states after the recent collective bargaining talks between the players and Cricket Australia resulted in a reduced number of state deals being offered. New South Wales were able to name a squad of 29, including CA players and rookies.New South Wales squad Doug Bollinger (Cricket Australia contract), Beau Casson, Stuart Clark, Michael Clarke (CA), Burt Cockley, Trent Copeland, Patrick Cummins (CA), Brad Haddin (CA), Nathan Hauritz (CA), Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Phillip Hughes (CA), Phil Jaques, Simon Katich, Usman Khawaja (CA), Brett Lee (CA), Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Ben Rohrer, Steven Smith (CA), Mitchell Starc, David Warner, Shane Watson (CA).Rookies Sean Abbott, Nic Bills, Nathan Brain, Timm van der Gugten, Adam Zampa.

Match facts

Tuesday, May 24, Mumbai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Bangalore comfortably won their last encounter against Chennai•Associated Press

Big Picture

It began with a last-ball thriller, meandered in the middle, and ended with perhaps the most exciting match of the season. The IPL league phase is over, and though there were some spirited contenders, the four teams who looked strongest from the start are the ones that have progressed.Amid the randomness of the prolonged qualification period Royal Challengers Bangalore have provided some stability. With eight wins in their previous nine games, they are undoubtedly favourites, a concept so vital to most sporting contests, but considered taboo in the IPL. They have earned the tag, and not just through the belligerence of Chris Gayle. S Aravind and Virat Kohli have been consistent, Daniel Vettori has been effective in his unassuming manner, Zaheer Khan has shown glimpses of his abilities and, perhaps, most importantly they’ve been relatively safe with their catching in a tournament plagued by poor fielding.They beat Chennai in their last league game and a similar result in the first qualifier on Tuesday will ensure a berth in the final.Chennai, though, have the opportunity to play some MS Dhoni-endorsed “fearless” cricket, knowing that the lifeline Kolkata’s L Balaji and Mumbai’s Ambati Rayudu combined to afford them on Sunday night is a sturdy one. Their second chance, should they need it, will be in Chennai, where they won all seven of their games in the group phase.It will be interesting to see whether they take some risks to derail the Bangalore juggernaut; perhaps throw caution to the wind with the bat, or maybe put in some close fielders for the phenomenal Gayle.

Form guide

Bangalore: WLWWW (first on points table)
Chennai: LWWWL (second on points table)

Team talk

In three matches since Tillakaratne Dilshan’s departure, Bangalore tried three different opening partners for Gayle, all without much success. The latest move, to push AB de Villiers up the order, was the boldest, as it clusters Bangalore’s three best batsmen at the top, and leaves the middle order looking inexperienced.If they do stick with de Villiers up the order, Luke Pomersbach is rather wasted as a fourth foreign player. They could replace him with either Asad Pathan or Arun Karthik, and bring in Charl Langeveldt, who took five wickets in the three chances he was given, in place of Abhimanyu Mithun. Vettori also suggested after the previous game that Bangalore may bring in spinner J Syed Mohammad in place of a batsman if the pitch looks like it will turn.Chennai have not changed their XI in their previous four games, but may consider a couple of moves after the thrashing they were handed in Bangalore. Albie Morkel has not displayed the wicket-taking ability he did in the first half of the tournament, and with Chennai’s batting line-up already long enough, Tim Southee is an option.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector.

In the spotlight

S Badrinath has failed in his previous two innings. The last time Chennai played at the Wankhede Stadium, he was sublime during his 71 not out off 48 balls. In last year’s semi-final, he was Chennai’s top-scorer with 37.AB de Villiers has had an ordinary second half of the season with the bat, but his talent is unquestionable. He likes being in the thick of the action, so won’t mind opening the batting again.

Prime numbers

• Daniel Vettori is by far the most economical bowler of this IPL season (five overs minimum). His 40 overs have gone at a rate of just 5.40 an over.
• With five stumpings, MS Dhoni has the most such dismissals among the wicketkeepers in this IPL.

The chatter

“If you get Chris Gayle out and you’ve got a few [runs on the board], you have a chance; getting him out will be priority, number one.”

Match facts

Thursday, May 12, Chennai
Start time 2000 (14.30 GMT)James Hopes will take over from Virender Sehwag as Delhi Daredevils captain•AFP

Big Picture

Chennai Super Kings are the team to beat in the IPL, yet again. Mumbai Indians may have done the early running and may be top of the table, but they have also twice collapsed dramatically for totals of less than 100. Contrastingly, it has taken either the elements or a special performance to conspire against Chennai, who are one of only two teams to have posted totals in excess of 180 on three occasions. With the ball, they have done just about enough to choke off opponents, which is evident from the fact that they have bowled out their opposition only once this season.As if seven losses weren’t enough, Delhi Daredevils now have to compete without Virender Sehwag, architect of three of their four wins so far, who will miss the rest of the IPL to undergo shoulder surgery. Delhi with Sehwag were average, Delhi without Sehwag will be poor, unless they can manage to step up considerably under new captain James Hopes. Chennai have been unbeaten so far at home this season, and will start as clear favourites on Thursday. A win will mean a play-off berth is more or less secure.

Form guide (most recent first)

Chennai: WLWWW (third in points table)
Delhi: LWLWL (eighth in points table)

Team talk

It is impossible to replace Sehwag, but someone will have to take his place in the XI. It could be young Unmukt Chand, who had two torrid outings at the start of the season. Roelof van der Merwe could also get a game, but that would mean Colin Ingram having to miss out after only one match, in which he faced two balls.Chennai have grown stronger after the arrival of Dwayne Bravo but what Wriddhiman Saha’s role was in the previous match is anybody’s guess, considering that he didn’t keep, and would have batted at No. 8. At least S Anirudha can bat higher up or Joginder Sharma can bowl.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team Selector.

In the spotlight

After starting this season with three half-centuries and a 46 in five matches, David Warner‘s form has tapered off sharply, with only 26 runs in his next five innings. He was even left out against Deccan Chargers, but in the absence of Sehwag, his position at the top of the order acquires added importance, if Delhi have to challenge Chennai.That Doug Bollinger has a better economy rate than even R Ashwin, who is usually difficult to get away, shows how important the fast bowler has been for MS Dhoni. He has chugged in and hustled batsmen with pace, bounce, angle and variation, whether at the start of the innings or at the death. Thirteen wickets from just eight games have made Chennai even more reliant on him.

Prime numbers

• The highest total the in IPL is Chennai’s 246 made in 2010; the highest this season is Delhi’s 231
• Chennai have the best win-loss ratio in the IPL, 1.43

The chatter

“Irfan Pathan is a solid player and he will be given some more opportunities in the next three games.”

Leicestershire 56 for 2 v Surrey 294
ScorecardTom Maynard top-scored for Surrey with 70 in bowler-friendly conditions•PA Photos

Rarely has there been a pitch at The Oval as green as the latest produced by Scott Patterson, the new head groundsman, so Kevin Pietersen was probably secretly quite happy that his comeback isn’t slated until next week. It also meant that Surrey’s 294 was enough to keep them very much in the contest, especially after their strong pace attack claimed two Leicestershire scalps before the close.The first of those, Matthew Boyce, went to Chris Tremlett in his first match of the season following post-winter rest. He is a rhythm bowler, so given the lay-off a certain amount of rustiness was expected, but he immediately located a splice-jarring length which made life difficult. He should have had Will Jefferson for 3 by the time Boyce fell but Tom Maynard, who continued his impressive form with a 73-ball 70, spilled a simple chance at third slip.Too many Surrey batsmen wasted their starts, but unlike last week at Lord’s where the line-up collapsed dismally twice, they can be offered a little more mitigation here because there was help throughout for the quick bowlers. The ball didn’t stop swinging all day and that coupled with the bounce meant wickets were always on offer. It made for lively cricket as runs also flowed at four-an-over.Already it has got to the stage where Surrey are desperate for a win. For all the positive talk around The Oval, this has been another difficult start to a summer in the Championship. One of the key problem areas has been the opening combination and Chris Adams, the cricket manager, opted to pick his best team, which included the fit-again Mark Ramprakash, and find an opening combination from it.These were certainly tough conditions to blood a young and untested pair in, after both Michael Brown and Gary Wilson were dispatched back to the second team. Rory Hamilton-Brown, the captain, offered to fill one of the spots and the other went to 20-year-old Jason Roy who was fresh from a productive weekend of CB40 action.This time, though, Roy was undone by some perfect swing bowling from Matthew Hoggard as two outswingers were followed by a nip-backer which trapped him lbw. However, Surrey appeared to have set a solid platform as Hamilton-Brown and Ramprakash added 68, but that would remain the best stand of the innings.Ramprakash’s first boundary was an edge through fourth slip, but he was soon suggesting there’ll be plenty of runs this season. Hamilton-Brown drove powerfully for most of his eight boundaries and thought he had another when he hooked Wayne White only to see Nadeem Malik pull off a superb catch at long leg. When Ramprakash edged a good delivery from Nathan Buck which bounced, the pressure was back on the middle order.Steve Davies had two recent 90s to his name but played the poorest shot of the top order when he fished at a wide delivery and edged to first slip. Then Zander de Bruyn was undone by another ball that lifted off a length having worked hard to reach 40.Maynard, in a productive run after a maiden hundred and an unbeaten 98, reached a positive half-century off 58 balls and became ever more expansive with his stroke play, twice lofting drives over the off side and also skipping down the pitch at Henderson to drive him over mid-on. However, Gareth Batty was undone by Hoggard’s swing as he tried to play to leg and edged to gully where Matthew Boyce made amends for an earlier drop.Claude Henderson, who is enjoying an excellent start to the season, then showed there was something on offer for the spinners, too. He had already made a few turn when Maynard gave his impressive innings away by loosely picking out cover and shortly after tea Stuart Meaker prodded a simple catch to slip. Arafat gave the total a useful boost with 44, before he popped a catch to short leg to give Henderson his third.Arafat also struck before the close as he complemented Tremlett’s bounce with skiddier swing and found movement to have Josh Cobb caught behind. It set the scene for an enticing duel between Tremlett and the in-form James Taylor, but Tremlett’s spell ended after five overs as the paceman feels his way into the season.