Delhi Capitals will take a call on off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's availability for the big match tomorrow against Chennai Super Kings, after today's evening practice session. Ashwin had hurt his shoulder while fielding during DC's first outing against Kings XI Punjab in Dubai last Sunday. Mohammed Kaif, assistant coach of DC, also said that pacer Ishant Sharma, too, is being monitored and a call on his fitness will be taken later today. In case Ashwin is rested, leg spinner Amit Mishra is likely to get a place in the playing XI.
"Yes, Mishra is a ready replacement, but Ashwin is going for practice today. We haven't taken a call on whether he is available or not. We will see how it goes. We are monitoring him and Ishant both. If not fit, Mishra, who is a very experienced player and has done well in IPL, will be Ashwin's replacement," Kaif said.
He said Ishant Sharma had gone to the ground yesterday, and had a good run, but did not bowl. “Patrick Farhat, the team physio, is keeping a close eye on him."
However, it appears Ajinkya Rahane will have to wait for some more matches to get into the playing XI. Kaif indicated that the team is unlikely to change its batting line-up soon. "Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan did well last year for us, and gave us very good starts in the Power Play. Rahane is a fantastic player, but we feel if we have picked the best team, then we should stick with that for a couple of matches."
Kaif, who has been one of the finest fielders for Team India, predicted that given the long break from cricket and the different conditions here, injuries are becoming frequent. "Soft-tissue injuries will take place a lot. Players coming back after a long break, and that too on a sand-based ground, is not easy. We are not used to it; it’s totally different. The grounds are big and there’s a lot of running and sprinting involved, which doesn’t match [what we do] in training sessions. The intensity is not the same as match day. It’s a tough one for players this year," he said.
DC will be taking on M.S. Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings on "home turf", which is Dubai. They have an idea about conditions and the ground, having played their first match here, while CSK are yet to play a match at the Dubai Cricket Ground. However, DC have not beaten CSK last season.
Kaif feels a break of four days after the first match will help DC as it has given the team time to redraw plans post the exciting match against KXIP which ended in a tie (though DC won it in Super Over). Some players looked rusty on the field and Kaif promises a spruced-up performance now on. "Tomorrow's match is a different ball-game altogether. Stats may not give the real picture this IPL. We played our first game at this ground and have had a chance to look at the conditions. We know the conditions though we did not play our best then. We had a few days off to plan, practise, and had the chance to speak to boys about first game. I can see big improvement."
