Good night for Knights; nightmare for Devils
The domestic talent is stealing the show this time in the IPL and it was no different on Thursday as bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders, who had also let slip early advantage, clashed. N Ananthanarayanan reports. Scorecard | Pics | Local tunes
The domestic talent is stealing the show this time in the IPL and it was no different on Thursday as bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders, who had also let slip early advantage, clashed.
In the end, the hopes of capital’s fans sank deeper as Daredevils slumped to another defeat to stay at the bottom of the table while KKR bounced back from two defeats on the trot by defending a small total.
KKR once again found their batting hero in Manoj Tiwary, who played another solid 47-ball 61 not out to bail out the innings. While seamers did the job for Virender Sehwag’s team, the pitch slowed down a bit and the home batsmen’s penchant for big shots only resulted in skied catches in the deep. With 26 runs needed off the last two, bowler Brett Lee was instrumental in running out both Venugopal Rao and Ajit Agarkar off successive balls to end the contest.
Delhi had begun with much hope in the evening. Irfan Pathan bowled a three-over spell of swing and seam and bowled KKR opener Jacques Kallis leg-stump as he shuffled too far. That effort from the $1.9 million all-rounder, who had been struggling with bat and ball, lifted the hosts. Morne Morkel again failed to find rhythm, but Umesh Yadav struck twice off successive deliveries in a sharp spell. Although it was the third game on the trot on the same pitch, skipper Virender Sehwag’s decision to bowl first and get all the overs out of the pacers seemed justified.
However, Tiwary had been KKRs batting mainstay this season, whether they won or lost. Like Paul Valthaty, Ambaty Rayudu and Rohit Sharma, he is another player who is nursing his Indian dreams.
The 25-year-old, afraid of attacking bowlers whatever the situation, has totalled 194 runs, and has been dismissed just twice. His 27, 30 not out, 30 not out, 46, 0 not out, and 61 not out has kept KKR believing.
Tiwary was banished after a one-dayer in Australia in early 2008 and a shoulder injury had also dented his India hopes in the past. Daredevils hopes rested on a quick start from David Warner and Virender Sehwag. L Balaji forced the Aussie to play onto the stumps and Sehwag seemed to be undone by the pitch losing its early pace.