Kolkata Knight Riders suffered consecutive defeats in the first two matches of IPL V due to their batting collapse and coach Trevor Bayliss said his boys would look to reverse their fortunes by building partnership against Royal Challengers Bangalore here tomorrow.
Published: Apr 09, 2012, 11:29 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 09, 2012, 11:29 PM (IST)
KKR lost by eight wickets to DD in their lung-opener and then succumbed to a 22-run defeat to RR in their last match © PTI
Bangalore: Apr 9, 2012
Kolkata Knight Riders suffered consecutive defeats in the first two matches of IPL V due to their batting collapse and coach Trevor Bayliss said his boys would look to reverse their fortunes by building partnership against Royal Challengers Bangalore here tomorrow.
Kolkata lost by eight wickets to Delhi Daredevils in their lung-opener and then succumbed to a 22-run defeat to Rajasthan Royals in their last match and Bayliss admitted that poor batting show by their top-order has let the team down.
“We have been talking about players having to build partnerships. If we put up partnerships, we will have wickets at the end,” Bayliss told reporters at pre-match press conference here today.
“We have to bowl and field well against a side boasting of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli,” he added.
Bayliss said that the team management would sit and decide on picking the best team to play against RCB tomorrow.
“Best team will give best chance for us to win,” he said.
Asked whether KKR was contemplating to blood in Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for tomorrow’s match, Bayliss said the team management would probably decide tonight or just before the match.
Despite a poor start in the fifth edition of the IPL, Bayliss said the players are quite upbeat and are on the right track.
“I think we have had an improvement on yesterday’s game from the first game. We are on the right track. The players are confident that the IPL is a long competition and there was a chance to bounce back,” Bayliss said.
“Most of the teams in the competition will go through a little bit of a low. Teams have bounced back too,” he added.
Asked whether they are thinking to promote Yusuf Pathan up the order, Bayliss said though it was an option for the time being he will come to bat at his usual position as the Baroda dasher has a finisher’s role to play.
“His strength is against spin and I don’t think sending him up the list would force the opposition to introduce spin at the first go. His role is of a finisher,” he said.(PTI)
