Sachin's Blasters will lock horns with Warne's Warriors in the second T20 match of the Cricket All Stars series at the Minute Maid Stadium in Houston on Wednesday.
Warne's Warriors got the better off Sachin's Blasters in the first T20 by six wickets at the Citi Field Stadium in New York on Saturday.
Blasters got off to a brisk start with the help of the 85-run opening partnership between Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag but lost their way completely after these two got out. Shane Warne was the Man of the Match for his outstanding spell of spin bowling as well.
Now, the legends have reached Houston to play the second T20 of the three-match series. Some of the players who had decided to sit on the bench in the first game are likely to feature in the second one. And the rivalries will resume again on Wednesday and one can term it as entertainment at its best!
Let us have a look at some of the key clashes that once can expect during the second T20 match of the Cricket All Star Series in Houston:
1. Sourav Ganguly vs Shane Warne: Ganguly's eyes used to light up whenever he saw a leg-spinner or a left-arm off-spinner bowling at him in those days. As he missed out on the first T20 of the series he will be eager to open the innings for the Blasters with Sehwag and play Warne after so many years. It will be interesting to see whether 'Dada' steps out in his signature style, sends the ball into the orbit when the leggie maestro will bowl at him on Wednesday at the Minute Maid Stadium.
2. Virender Sehwag vs Wasim Akram: Sehwag's innings in the first T20 of the Cricket All Stars Series reminded all and sundry of the past. He took on any bowler that came to bowl at him on Saturday until Daniel Vettori got the better off him. Akram bowled an economic spell during the first T20 but he too faced the wrath in his first two overs. Can Akram knock Sehwag out in the 2nd T20? We need to wait and watch.
3. Ricky Ponting vs Graeme Swann: Rivalry rekindled! Ponting kept his calm and played a brilliant innings to take the Warriors over the line in the first T20 of the Cricket All Star series. Ponting played Muralitharan rather easily but this time he will have to play Swann who has wished to play in the second game of the All Star League. It might just remind one of the old Ashes days when these two locked horns!
4. Kumar Sangakkara vs Shoaib Akhtar: The Sri Lankan legendary batsman was still at his best against Sachin's Blasters in the first T20 at the Citi Field Stadium on Saturday. Although he played other bowlers with ease but faced a lot of hiccups while batting against The Rawalpindi Express - Shoaib Akhtar who was bowling at some serious pace. Ultimately Akhtar got the wicket of Sangakkara and now it will be interesting to see whether Sangakkara can get the better off Akhtar in the second game.
Last but not the least,
5. Sachin Tendulkar vs Saqlain Mushtaq: This battle will take every audience down the memory lanes of Sharjah and other places where India and Pakistan have played their epic ODIs and Test matches against each other. On one hand, 'The Doosra' man and on the other we have one of cricket's all time greatest players! What a clash this will be!
