Saturday’s doubleheaders are inspiring lessons for students of the game

By K.R. Nayar

Kolkata Knight Riders’ verve to bounce back and Kings XI Punjab’s show on defending a small total was inspiring

Saturday’s doubleheaders in the Indian Premier League (IPL) are two inspiring lessons for the students of the game. The first match was a lesson on how a team bounces back from a defeat in their previous match to overpower a team that is high on the points table.

Through an unexpected partnership between Nitish Rana and Sunil Narine, a not so well known leg spinner Varun Chakravarthy’s stunning five-wicket spell, and backed by their pacer Pat Cummins’s three wickets, Kolkata Knight Riders crushed Delhi Capitals and keep alive their hopes of making it to the playoff stage.

The second match was a clear lesson on how a team with clear thinking and strategy, and a calm mind, can help defend a low total.  Kings XI Punjab pulled off a 12-run win by refusing to be demoralised at being restricted to 126 for 7 or be concerned about the quality of the batsmen in Delhi team. Their pacer Jofra Archer, who was dropped in the previous match, produced a comeback show by taking three wickets, a stunning catch, and walked away with the player of the match award.

The result of the victories was that Kolkata moved to the fourth slot while Punjab recorded their fourth straight win. When the race for the playoffs is peaking then defeats can hurt badly.

Punjab’s win was nothing but a stunning steal. Critics may have been sharpening their knives on Punjab’s batting collapse from 66 for 1 in just nine overs to post a mere 126 runs. Hyderabad fared even worse crashing from 56 for no loss, made through their opener and skipper David Warner’s quick 35 off 20 balls, to just 114 runs.

Jagadeesha Suchith, who has been the perennial substitute fielder, pulled off a breathtaking catch at long-off to end Pandey’s knock and break the crucial 33-run stand with Vijay Shankar to turn the match around. Twenty-one-year-old left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh bowled his heart out backing Jordan, to also take three wickets. United they all fought and won the match for Punjab.

With regard to the first match, it’s time  Delhi introspects on why they have lost their second match in succession after riding high. Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant used too many deliveries to get their runs and departed putting much pressure on the rest of the batsmen. Their batting strength is worth more than what they posted, and hence need to rectify the chinks in their batting.  Similarly, their bowling, which is among the best, was found wanting unable to break partnerships. It seems like there was sudden panic and loss of clarity in strategy when faced with opponents who strike back hard.