Tendulkar's return makes a difference: Eric Simons

Delhi Daredevils coach Eric Simons on 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," Simons told reporters here.

Tendulkar missed many matches after getting hit on his finger in the opening game on April 4 and returned to the opening slot in the match against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday.

Simons said the Daredevils 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."

The Daredevils thrashed Mumbai Indians by seven wickets after bowling them out for 92 at the Wankhede Stadium on April 17.

While the Daredevils are expecting a tough encounter on Friday, Simons 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."

The Daredevils 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 Daredevils' 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 Jayawardena in the line-up, Simons rubbished such thoughts.

"We have three very experienced overseas players. They are all very experienced and know their roles," Simons said.

He lauded the Daredevils bowlers for their consistent showings.

Talking about the tweakers, the South African said, "Four important aspects for spinners are loop, turn, bounce and drift."

Simons 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," Simons, who prefers to keep the opposition guessing as far as his team's strategies are concerned, said.