They do love a good losing streak at Delhi, don’t they? Just when they have seen the back of a 11-game losing streak in the league, they are now in the midst of a nine-game losing run at the Feroz Shah Kotla. The Ghost of Kotla past will haunt them for another game as Kolkata Knight Riders, led brilliantly by local man Gautam Gambhir, defeated the Daredevils by 6 wickets and 11 balls to spare.
At least, for the first time this year, Delhi did not lose a match in the last over. Silver lining and all that.
The pitch stumps the home team
There has been a feeling festering over the last few seasons that Delhi Daredevils don’t have the complete support of their home fans, compared to the other big franchises in the IPL. The Super Kings’ yellow flags and the Royals’ sea-blue have been a common sight at their home games. Even today against KKR, a “Not Out” on the big screen for a Kolkata batsman was greeted by loud cheers that rang across the ground.
Perhaps that is understandable. Sports fans are a fickle lot. Win a few games, show some fight – like Delhi have admirably done so far this year – and you can win over their support.
But what is less understandable is the pitch that Delhi got this game. “Haven't seen a wicket like this at the Kotla,” said a confounded Gambhir at the toss, adding, “I don't know what's going to be a good total.” He called it right and put Delhi in to bat as JP Duminy looked on in agreement and said he would have bowled first too.
Having been asked to bat on a shiny, green top which had excellent carry for KKR’s opening pair of Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav is not ideal when you have lost your last eight games at home. Morkel could have been forgiven to think he was at Durban!
“We had a pretty dreadful start with the bat that put us on the back foot,” said Duminy after the game. The Kotla pitch, which already has a reputation as a chaser’s paradise, stumped the Delhi top order as the Daredevils managed only 34 over runs in the first six overs, losing both Mayank Agarwal and their in-form skipper. Duminy, for the second time in two games, was dismissed in an unfortunate manner as his attempted sweep off a Narine delivery bounced a little extra, hit his pad and gloves, and hit the base of the leg stump.
Shreyas Iyer, the only batsman who looked at ease in the Delhi top order, set about adding respectability to the score along with Manoj Tiwary, who was promoted ahead of Yuvraj. They put on a 36-run stand at nearly 9 an over, before Iyer played one slog too many and threw away a promising start.
Yuvraj came in at No. 5 and looked in good touch. He resisted going after Narine, as Gambhir teased him with a silly-point and a slip. He hoisted Morkel for a sumptuous six over mid-wicket in the next over, and looked set to push on.
Yuvraj has a brain-freeze
And then he went and did this. An attempted sweep off an innocuous Piyush Chawla delivery hit his pad and trickled to the ‘keeper. As Yuvi stepped outside the crease, clueless as to where the ball was, Robin Uthappa gathered the ball, had the time to fan himself with his gloves with a missed attempt, and managed to take the stumps out at the second go. It was reminiscent of Tendulkar’s dismissal in the 1996 World Cup semi-final, only somewhat more bizarre.
He might have slept through the IPL auction but Yuvraj will have many a sleepless night thinking of that dismissal.
Angelo Mathews and Kedhar Jadhav took Narine to the cleaners in his last two overs, but a total of 146 proved to be too little to defend for Delhi’s bowlers. Dominic Joseph gave Daredevils a glimmer of a hope taking two wickets in the fifth over but Gambhir and Yousuf Pathan played sensible cricket to ensure KKR had a comfortable victory in the end. KKR’s batsman had the time to figure out the pitch and just concentrated on putting the bad balls away in each over, as the required rate never looked even remotely threatening.
The Daredevils will now have to regroup. They finally seem to have a settled team, going with an unchanged XI for the third consecutive match, but they need to address the balance of their bowling lineup. With Nathan Coulter-Nile as their only genuine pace-bowling option and with Mohammad Shami ruled out of this year’s IPL, Delhi cannot have Zaheer Khan back fit soon enough.
Kolkata Knight Riders (147 for 4) beat Delhi Daredevils (146 for 8) by 6 wickets.
At least, for the first time this year, Delhi did not lose a match in the last over. Silver lining and all that.
The pitch stumps the home team
There has been a feeling festering over the last few seasons that Delhi Daredevils don’t have the complete support of their home fans, compared to the other big franchises in the IPL. The Super Kings’ yellow flags and the Royals’ sea-blue have been a common sight at their home games. Even today against KKR, a “Not Out” on the big screen for a Kolkata batsman was greeted by loud cheers that rang across the ground.
Perhaps that is understandable. Sports fans are a fickle lot. Win a few games, show some fight – like Delhi have admirably done so far this year – and you can win over their support.
But what is less understandable is the pitch that Delhi got this game. “Haven't seen a wicket like this at the Kotla,” said a confounded Gambhir at the toss, adding, “I don't know what's going to be a good total.” He called it right and put Delhi in to bat as JP Duminy looked on in agreement and said he would have bowled first too.
Having been asked to bat on a shiny, green top which had excellent carry for KKR’s opening pair of Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav is not ideal when you have lost your last eight games at home. Morkel could have been forgiven to think he was at Durban!
“We had a pretty dreadful start with the bat that put us on the back foot,” said Duminy after the game. The Kotla pitch, which already has a reputation as a chaser’s paradise, stumped the Delhi top order as the Daredevils managed only 34 over runs in the first six overs, losing both Mayank Agarwal and their in-form skipper. Duminy, for the second time in two games, was dismissed in an unfortunate manner as his attempted sweep off a Narine delivery bounced a little extra, hit his pad and gloves, and hit the base of the leg stump.
Shreyas Iyer, the only batsman who looked at ease in the Delhi top order, set about adding respectability to the score along with Manoj Tiwary, who was promoted ahead of Yuvraj. They put on a 36-run stand at nearly 9 an over, before Iyer played one slog too many and threw away a promising start.
Yuvraj came in at No. 5 and looked in good touch. He resisted going after Narine, as Gambhir teased him with a silly-point and a slip. He hoisted Morkel for a sumptuous six over mid-wicket in the next over, and looked set to push on.
Yuvraj has a brain-freeze
And then he went and did this. An attempted sweep off an innocuous Piyush Chawla delivery hit his pad and trickled to the ‘keeper. As Yuvi stepped outside the crease, clueless as to where the ball was, Robin Uthappa gathered the ball, had the time to fan himself with his gloves with a missed attempt, and managed to take the stumps out at the second go. It was reminiscent of Tendulkar’s dismissal in the 1996 World Cup semi-final, only somewhat more bizarre.
He might have slept through the IPL auction but Yuvraj will have many a sleepless night thinking of that dismissal.
Angelo Mathews and Kedhar Jadhav took Narine to the cleaners in his last two overs, but a total of 146 proved to be too little to defend for Delhi’s bowlers. Dominic Joseph gave Daredevils a glimmer of a hope taking two wickets in the fifth over but Gambhir and Yousuf Pathan played sensible cricket to ensure KKR had a comfortable victory in the end. KKR’s batsman had the time to figure out the pitch and just concentrated on putting the bad balls away in each over, as the required rate never looked even remotely threatening.
The Daredevils will now have to regroup. They finally seem to have a settled team, going with an unchanged XI for the third consecutive match, but they need to address the balance of their bowling lineup. With Nathan Coulter-Nile as their only genuine pace-bowling option and with Mohammad Shami ruled out of this year’s IPL, Delhi cannot have Zaheer Khan back fit soon enough.
Kolkata Knight Riders (147 for 4) beat Delhi Daredevils (146 for 8) by 6 wickets.
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