Mohali confident of putting it across Chennai

Despite losing both their previous IPL matches to Chennai Super Kings, King's XI Punjab were going into Saturday's semi-final against the same opposition with a measure of confidence, team captain Yuvraj Singh and coach Tom Moody said on Friday.

"It's a different ground (Wankhede Stadium) and circumstances are different. We are coming into the game with greater confidence and will be looking to do our best with ball, bat and on the field," Moody said.

Captain Yuvraj said the team had learnt valuable lessons from their losses to Chennai at home and in the latter's backyard (Chidambaram Stadium) and were keen not to commit the same mistakes.

"We will try not to make the same errors again and will see where the opposition falters and try and take advantage," the stylish left-handed batsman said.

"Our confidence is high with the way we are playing and if we execute our plans properly tomorrow, no doubt we can win," the King's XI skipper said.

About his own form with the bat, Yuvraj said the good run he had in their last game would stand him in good stead.

"I had some good form in the last game. It has come at the right time ahead of the semi-finals," he said referring to his knock of 49 in 16 balls.

Yuvraj Singh backed his bowling attack by saying it had performed well barring the odd game.

"Our bowlers have bowled well. It's just that the wickets were flat. The attack might have faltered on one or two games, but our bowlers are doing a great job," Yuvraj said.

Yuvraj praised the batting of Shaun Marsh, who has accumulated nearly 600 runs in only 10 games.

Team upset with Yuvraj's attitude: report

As if Yuvraj Singh's failure with the bat in the first Test against Australia was not bad enough, the left-hander's attitude has now become an issue with the Indian team management.

"Yes, there's a problem with Yuvraj's attitude. We will have to have a one-on-one with him in Sydney," Lalchand Rajput, assistant coach of the team, was quoted as saying by The Age.

The daily claimed Yuvraj's attitude during the Boxing Day Test "infuriated members of the Indian side."

It also went on to say that the left-hander's "air of indifference", coupled with his failure with the bat at MCG, might cost him his place in the side, paving the way for either Virender Sehwag or Dinesh Karthik to open the innings.

Yuvraj scored 0 and 5 in the match and it was to accommodate him that the team think-tank had decided to open with Rahul Dravid, a move that came a cropper as Australia romped to a 337-run win to take 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

Yuvraj was also fortunate to escape a fine from Match Referee Mike Procter for lingering at the crease after Billy Bowden had adjudged him caught behind lark for a first-innings duck.

The 26-year-old again stood his ground after Brad Hogg trapped him leg-before for five in the second innings. He later attended a hearing but was declared not guilty of breach of ICC conduct.

Source : http://www.cricketnext.com/

Yuvraj's all-round show powers India to series lead

Led by Yuvraj Singh with bat, ball and in the field, India repelled a determined push from Salman Butt to pull off an ultimately comfortable 46-run win at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. Butt's fourth ODI hundred intermittently threatened India's 294 but it was built without solid support and ultimately wasn't enough to prevent them taking a 2-1 series lead.

Yuvraj foiled Pakistan at key moments, first with an intelligent, elegant 77, then with a shining run out amid a gloomy fielding performance and finally with a vital wicket. The interventions were necessary for when Pakistan began the chase, their target appeared a stroll.

Perhaps it is the Kanpur air, but Pakistan's openers prosper here. Two years ago, Shahid Afridi terrorised India; today Butt gave them a fright. It had rained boundaries when India's openers were at the crease earlier, but with Butt, Afridi and Younis Khan there came a monsoon. Afridi set the tone from his first ball and though an ugly swish was his end - Irfan Pathan is on top in this battle of Pathans - the boundaries continued.

It wasn't surprising that Butt was in the mix, for against India, he generally is. He averages 45 against them, as compared to 33 overall and all his hundreds have been against them.

Of his initial strokes, not one would be out of place in a Test and if we're familiar with the wristy flourishes through off, his leg-side play was surprisingly prominent. An early pull wide of mid-on was an appetiser, a punch through midwicket in Zaheer Khan's first over, a grand main course and a clip between the two to bring up his fifty a zesty dessert.

But India soon wised up: Zaheer switched to round the wicket, the off side was tightened and Butt's cover drives made redundant. Boundaries vanished, runs slowed and wickets fell. For all their fielding comedy, India - or rather Yuvraj - managed to pull off a spectacular run out when it mattered, with Mohammad Yousuf being the lazy, familiar victim.
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