IPL 5: Delhi aware of Tendulkar threat, says Simmons

New Delhi: Delhi Daredevils coach Eric Simmons Thursday said his team was aware of the threat posed by the return of Sachin Tendulkar from injury as they get ready to host Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League match here on Friday. "Sachin [Tendulkar] is back, that makes a difference. They [Mumbai] are coming off a good win," Simmons told reporters here.
Tendulkar missed action after getting hit on his finger in the opening game on April 4 and returned to the opening slot against Kings XI Punjab Wednesday. Simmons said Delhi would look to take the positives from their big win in the first-leg match against the Harbhajan Singh-led side. "Good win against them last time. We will take the positives from that game."


Delhi thrashed Mumbai Indians by seven wickets after bowling them out for 92 at the Wankhede Stadium on April 17. While Delhi are expecting a tough encounter, Simmons said winning matches from the jaws of defeat test a team. "It's good to win from losing position, it's always good to win from tough situations."
Delhi could not train on Thursday due to bad weather. "Today was an optional practice. Ideally, we would have loved to have a few hits," the coach said. From skipper Virender Sehwag to New Zealander Ross Taylor, the hosts' batting is loaded with world-class strokemakers. Asked if there is a tendency to get complacent at times, especially with the presence of stars such as Kevin Pietersen and Mahela Jayawardene in the line-up, Simmons said, "We have three very experienced overseas players. They are all very experienced and know their roles."
He lauded the bowlers for their consistent showings. Talking about the tweakers, the South African said, "Four important aspects for spinners are loop, turn, bounce and drift." Simmons was delighted to see Sehwag scoring runs consistently and also praised promising youngster Pawan Negi. "Viru has played some exceptional knocks and Negi is a very talented player," Simmons, who prefers to keep the opposition guessing as far as his team's strategies are concerned, said.