Mumbai: The Mumbai Indians juggernaut has rolled forward relentlessly, but at the crunch moment — their maiden IPL final — the team might find the advantage has swung away with skipper Sachin Tendulkar being a doubtful starter for Sunday’s final against the Chennai Super Kings.

The maestro has not sufficiently recovered from the injury to the webbing on his right hand, suffered in Wednesday’s semi-final against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, and did not practise on the eve of the final, although he watched his teammates go through the paces.

The wound needed five stitches and, with a bandage still strapped around the ring and middle fingers, holding the bat might prove difficult for Tendulkar. But knowing his commitment to the team, and given that the occasion is the final, one shouldn’t be surprised if Tendulkar takes the field at the DY Patil stadium.

One may recall South Africa captain Graeme Smith playing the recent Test in Calcutta despite an injury to his little finger that needed 10 stitches. Again, Smith’s injury was on his batting top hand and the pertinent question is how comfortable can a player be while wielding the willow with his hand in a bandage.

However, one thing is certain: It is going to be Tendulkar’s call, not that of the physio’s.

In Tendulkar’s absence, vice-captain Zaheer Khan would be leading the side and, if the way he handled the situation in the semi-final after the captain had to leave the field following the injury is any indication, the Indian pace spearhead seems to enjoy the responsibility.

More tricky for the team management would be deciding the opening combination. In Sanath Jayasuriya they have a veteran who has loads of experience and runs to match Tendulkar but the Sri Lankan has hardly been his destructive self.

Including Jayasuriya would also mean that one of the four foreigners who played the semis — Kieron Pollard, JP Duminy, Dilhara Fernando and Lasith Malinga — has to sit out. The veteran Sri Lankan’s left-arm spin could come in handy, depending on the wicket the groundsmen offer.

Ryan McLaren could be another option, considering how miserly the bowler has been in the league matches.

On the other hand, the team could opt instead to promote Ambati Rayudu who has shown the maturity to handle difficult situations. R. Sathish then could come in the middle-order.

The Super Kings have no such problems to grapple with. Like Tendulkar, counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni, too, skipped match-eve practice along with opener Murali Vijay, but the team clarified there were no injury worries.

The team has blown hot and cold throughout the league stage but the form they displayed in thrashing defending champions Deccan Chargers in the semis should be a warning for the Mumbai Indians.

The Chennai franchise would take confidence from their defeat of Mumbai in the return leg, a match in which Tendulkar’s innings was interrupted by cramps.

If Mumbai have relied on their pacers, it is the slow bowlers who have done the job for the Super Kings. And that might prove crucial since the pitch for the second semi-final, which is most likely to be the surface for the summit clash as well, favoured spinners.

The combination of young offie R. Ashwin and Australian medium pacer Doug Bollinger has been deadly with new ball; and Albie Morkel, Muthiah Muralidharan and Shadab Jakati have been solid in the middle overs.

Then again, being the home team, Mumbai could have a say in the choice of the strip.

Simply put, the scales are balanced and point to an even contest.