IPL-10: Gujarat bowlers face litmus test against Bangalore

Rajkot, April 17 (IANS) Gujarat Lions bowlers will face litmus test when they take on star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) batting line-up in an Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Tuesday.

Gujarat, led by Suresh Raina, had a dream debut last edition by finishing third on table but they are at seventh place in the ongoing 10th edition of the cash-rich Twenty20 cricket league.

Apart from one match against Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS), where their bowling department did a fantastic job, Gujarat's bowlers have struggled to find the rhythm.

A recent six-wicket defeat against Mumbai Indians also raised many questions over Gujarat's bowling unit, which lacked some quality bowlers. But the inclusion of Andrew Tye has added a spark to the bowling attack as he scalped five wickets, including a hat-trick.

With three losses in four matches so far in the tournament, Gujarat will now look to better their overall record against bottom-placed RCB.

Unlike the bowling department, Gujarat's batting unit has been in a good touch. Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, Raina and Dinesh Karthik provided the solid platform but lower-middle order failed to step up to the pressure.

Gujarat, who bought the maximum number of players (11) among the eight franchises at the IPL auctions in February will be eager to find a right combination for the rest of the tournament.

On the other hand, last year's runners-up Bangalore, who have some quality international players are struggling in this edition.

They have a strong batting line-up but failed to find the right combination. Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Shane Watson have stood up to their reputation but not in unison.

The bowling department of Bangalore, which includes Tymal Mills and Samuel Badree, fired in some crucial matches but all players have to perform in unison to do well in the tournament.