By Suneer Chowdhary
Kochi Tuskers Kerala overcame a poor start and an end-innings crisis to post a reasonably decent 148 for eight in their 20 overs against Pune Warriors at the Dr. DY Patil in Navi Mumbai. Pune will need to do one better to win their second game in a row.
Published: Apr 13, 2011, 09:46 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 13, 2011, 09:46 PM (IST)
Pune Warriors celebrate a wicket
By Suneer Chowdhary
Mumbai: Apr 13, 2011
Kochi Tuskers Kerala overcame a poor start and an end-innings crisis to post a reasonably decent 148 for eight in their 20 overs against Pune Warriors at the Dr. DY Patil in Navi Mumbai. Pune will need to do one better to win their second game in a row.
Having seen the Kings XI Punjab getting toppled by the pace and swing of the Dr. DY Patil Stadium track in their first game against the Pune Warriors, it was a brave decision by the Kochi Tuskers Kerala to bat first after winning the toss. But the verdict backfired, much like it had in that Pune-Punjab game as the pace bowlers reduced the Tuskers to 24 for four in the fifth over.
The Tuskers innings began in a similar fashion to that of the previous game of the day between Punjab and Chennai. A wicket fell of the very first ball of the match as Brendon McCullum tried to drive an out-going delivery from Alfonso Thomas on the up but only managed to edge it to the keeper.
Parthiv Patel was promoted up to the number three position and started off with a couple of boundaries which meant that captain Yuvraj Singh brought Wayne Parnell from the same end in the third over of the game.
Parnell, who had had an excellent first game for Pune followed it up with two wickets in his very first over. Both were off inside-edges, one leading on to the stumps, the other into the gloves of the wicket-keeper; VVS Laxman gone for a duck and Mahela Jayawardene for two.
Patel’s brief cameo lasted for 19 balls, had four boundaries hit but was scuppered by another excellent piece of bowling by Parnell. The bowler got the ball to deviate a little away from Patel, who nicked it to the slips and the side had lost four wickets for 24.
Had it not been for the fifth wicket stand of 88 runs between Brad Hodge and Ravindra Jadeja, things would have looked far worse than what they eventually ended with. Jadeja began with three boundaries in the very first over he batted off Thomas.
The duo manoeuvred around for five or six runs every over and got the run-rate to more than six in the eighth over before starting off an onslaught in the 10th. Yuvraj Singh was hit for a six in that over and Jadeja followed it up with another big one in the next off Rahul Sharma before Hodge joined in the party in the 12th by smashing one over the long-on’s head off a free-hit.
The side seemed to have recovered well enough to get to at least 150 when Hodge (39) was dismissed. In an attempt to tonk the inexperienced Rahul Sharma over the fence, he only managed to get it as far as the long-off fielder. Kartik tumbled forward to take an excellent catch.
The partnership broken, this was followed by Ryder inducing a false stroke off Jadeja’s bat, with Parnell catching a skier. Jadeja’s 47 came off only 33 balls, had three four and another three sixes.
A few lusty hits and scurry between the wickets from Raiphi Gomez in the penultimate over was followed by a very useful final six balls from Parnell that went for 19 runs to propel the side to 148 for eight.
Brief Scores: KTK 148 for 8 in 20 overs (Ravindra Jadeja 46, Brad Hodge 39; Wayne Parnell 3 for 35, Alfonso Thomas 1 for 31) vs PWI.
(Suneer is a Mumbai-based cricket writer and can be contacted at suneerchowdhary@gmail.com and Tweets here @suneerchowdhary)
Pictures © AFP
