Champions League T20 2013: Mumbai Indians - Tactical Analysis and quick-fixes

The Nathan Coulter-Nile quick fix:

Nathan Coulter-Nile can provide the balance. But will he be picked?

Yes, you read it right. I concede, it’s just a quick fix. After all, I did not select the team that could land MI in all sorts of troubles. So a stopgap measure is the best solution they have for now.

Surely, no bowler in the world could fill Malinga’s spot in T20s but that doesn’t mean you don’t try strengthening your bowling department at all.

The Western Australia fast bowler, Nathan Coulter-nile, though nowhere close to the Sri Lankan in terms of consistency, is known for his death bowling skills. With the ability to make use of life, if any, on the pitch in addition to his big hitting skills, he earns his spot in the playing XI ahead of Maxwell.

He will also give the much needed protection for Mumbai Indians’ spinners and leave batsmen in a state of dilemma of whether to attack or play the spin duo according to their merit.

Thereby, the bowling line up is much more balanced than say Johnson, Harbhajan and Ojha with Abu Nechim, Rishi Dhawan, Pollard and Maxwell. You are looking at a total of 200 runs there, don’t you? Not to forget, Johnson is not known for his death bowling skills either.

Coulter-Nile, who has already made his debut for Australia in T20s and ODIs, could prove to be erratic at times but is on any day a better option than Abu Nechim and Rishi Dhawan in combination with Johnson at death and with the variety in the bowling MI boast of, the fast bowler could easily thrive without any real pressure on him.

The dead end:

My solution to all these would be to drop Sachin Tendulkar and that is exactly why MI will meet a dead end in attempting to solve any dilemma that they are about to come across, as they would not even consider the idea of dropping him.

No, it’s not like the entire objective of this article is to end this way, to force Sachin out. But that is the way forward and the only exit route that can unlace all these knots in MI line up unfortunately.

By dropping Tendulkar, Rayudu can be promoted to open along with Smith. Let Rohit Sharma and DK interchange their positions. Rohit at number 3 gives more certainty than DK.

I know that Rohit and the word ‘certainty’ are generally considered as oxymorons, but this is a domestic T20 tournament – one which he definitely has an impressive track record to support this move, being the second highest run-scorer in the history of IPL, behind only to Suresh Raina.

Leave Pollard in a position from which he can inflict the maximum damage i.e. number 5, for a change I agree with MI on this. Include Aditya Tare in the line up ahead of Sachin and use him as a floater. If a wicket falls early, send him in at number 3, or else just delay him and continue with a top 5 consisting of Rayudu, Smith, Rohit, DK, Pollard.

Unless and until a team can get players who slot in at positions from 1 to 6 automatically, employing floaters is more effective than diluting the batting order.

So considering all the above, here is how Mumbai playing XI should look like – Dwayne Smith, Ambati Rayudu, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Kieron Pollard, Aditya Tare (as floater), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Johnson, Pragyan Ojha, Abu Nechim.

Verdict:

Group stage exit looms large, if Glenn Maxwell is picked ahead of Nathan Coulter-Nile.