Even as he said that the Royal Challengers Bangalore will hold the advantage, Gujarat Lions’ bowling coach Heath Streak maintained that there will be no letting up from his team.
“They are playing at home and probably have the edge,” Streak said on Monday. “But we will certainly be chasing them hard. We’re looking for a hard-fought contest and don’t expect anything less from Kohli and his boys.”
The last time the two clashed here though, it was a painful outing for Gujarat as it succumbed to a 144-run loss with Virat Kohli and A.B. de Villiers wreaking havoc.
“We’re under no illusions,” Streak said. “They’re a good side but they’re human beings and can make mistakes. We will have specific plans (for the RCB batsmen). We had them the last time and they worked well for a short time. We went well in the first 10 overs and then they had an outstanding last 10 overs, particularly the last five.”
“We’ve also got some really good match-winners. Suresh (Raina) is back. His experience is unsurpassed in the IPL history. We’ve seen in the last two games — just having him back has gelled the side. (Brendon) McCullum can be as devastating as any of those guys. (Aaron) Finch has been in great form. It’s going to be a tough match.”
Thus far in the season, Lions’ has been a real team effort with a number of stars chipping in.
“That’s probably been the catalyst for us,” Streak said. “We collectively put in the best team effort and that’s why we’ve ended where we have.”
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