IPL 8: Excited to play some cricket again, says Mitchell Starc

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Bangalore will be buoyed by the return of Mitchell Starc, who is expected to be a part of the playing XI against Chennai Super Kings. (BCCI Images)

Royal Challengers Bangalore's new-ball troubles in the Pepsi Indian Premier League 2015 have been well documented. The scores posted in the first six overs by Kolkata Knight Riders, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians - 53 for no loss, 65 for no loss and 48 for 1 respectively - don't paint a pretty picture.

However, Bangalore will be buoyed by the return of Mitchell Starc, who is expected to be a part of the playing XI against Chennai Super Kings. Starc, who participated in his first net session on Tuesday (April 21) since landing in Bangalore, had a long chat with Allan Donald, possibly about the landing foot, before having a go at AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle.

He looked a tad rusty, but the pacer insisted he's excited to be back with the squad and looking forward to a chance to play. "I'm excited to play some cricket again," said Starc when asked if he or the team was happier with his return. "I've had three weeks off cricket, so it's nice to train with the team and be back in Bangalore with the boys.

"It would have been nice to be here from the start, but nice to be here now. I'll be really excited tomorrow if I get the chance to play."

Starc said that though Bangalore have lost both their last two games in front of the home crowd, they were determined to put up a good show against Chennai. "I'm excited for the challenge. We may not have won in the last couple of games, but it can turn around very quickly in T20 cricket," he said. "I'm sure the boys who are in the XI will come out tomorrow and bowl and bat really well."

Steve Rixon, Chennai's fielding coach who fronted the media before the team began their practice session, acknowledged Bangalore are a dangerous side. His team, he said, would focus on their strengths. "That (the two losses in the tournament so far) makes them a very dangerous proposition," he said. "They are very desperate to get off the mark as we saw the other day (against MI) and came out swinging and we are expecting the same here.

"To be perfectly honest, we just need to look at our own backyard. We've have to make sure we are doing the little things right. I believe we've got a good talent base on our side."

"It's a ground we haven't always been so successful but we've got some very good memories," he added, referring to the Champions League Twenty20 win against Kolkata last year.

With the likes of Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith opening the batting for Chennai, the team will bank on them for a good start on a ground considered one of the most high-scoring venues in India. Starc admitted that the aim was to not let them get away. "Obviously, they've got some big names in their top order and some guys we need to make sure we don't let get away," he said. "So we'll plan really well, train well tonight and look forward to a really good contest."

After the loss against the Rajasthan Royals, Stephan Fleming had said, "There are some attitude issues we'll have to deal with when we are behind." Rixon added that the management had spoken to the players. "We are very clean with our messages," said Rixon. "We normally do a one on one with the guys. The top order batsmen needed to have an adjustment to the way they thought about their games. We play a brand of risk cricket and occasionally you'll see 30 for 3 or 50 for 3, but that's the way we play. We've got depth in out batting, which will let us go all the way.

"Our bowlers needed more than 160 on the board to bowl at. Generally it was all those little things in our game that let us down. It's just a matter of getting our heads around that, getting back to what we do so well. Our training will be based around the same thing, making sure to get to the way we were in the last three games and get back to winnings ways. We understand how T20 works and we've been successful through that same formula."

He acknowledged that the loss had been a wake-up call. "It's something every side needs at some stage," he said. "You have to get beaten along the way. It's the nature of this game but to get beaten pretty well indicated we needed to shake us out."

Chennai are currently second on the points table and will look to regain the winning momentum. Bangalore, on the other hand, would want to win their first home game this season and give the fans something to cheer about.