All-round Kolkata add to Pune’s woes
Pune Warriors India continued their insipid run in IPL-6, succumbing to their 11th defeat in 13 matches. On Thursday, they went down to Kolkata Knight Riders by 46 runs at the Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium here.
Chasing 153, Pune were shot out for only 106 in 19.3 overs. This was Kolkata’s fifth win this season and kept them in equation for the playoffs, at least mathematically.
Pune began on a disastrous note, and were reduced to 39/3 by the eight over. Captain Aaron Finch (5) and Yuvraj Singh (1) were back in the dugout with just 23 on the board. There was no end to Yuvraj’s horror run and his brief stay lasted just two deliveries after KKR pacer Laxmipathy Balaji induced an outside edge to the keeper. Young Udit Birla (7 off 14) seemed clueless in the middle and was castled by Iqbal Abdulla (2/26). The fall of wickets continued and the visitors were right on top when Abdulla picked up his second wicket in the form of Robin Uthappa (31).
With 75 needed in last six, Angelo Mathews’ four lusty sixes brought the equation down but his departure in the 17th over all but sealed the issue. Kolkata’s Sunil Narine and Jacques Kallis were effective with the ball, picking two wickets each.
Earlier, a disciplined bowling effort from Pune Warriors India helped them contain KKR to 152/6. Home bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/25), debutant Parveez Rassol (1/23) and Mitchell Marsh (2/7) kept it tight. For the visitors, barring skipper Gautam Gambhir 50 (44b, 4x6) who struck his fourth half century none looked impressive.
Having scored just 34 runs in his last five innings, Gambhir looked determined from the start after electing to bat first. He made good use of the field restrictions and slammed six boundaries in the Power Play overs. The visitors were cruising at over eight runs per over but quick dismissals of Manvinder Bisla and one-drop Kallis — courtesy fine fielding display — pegged them back. Bisla was superbly stumped by Mahesh Rawat off Bhuvneshwar while Rassol picked up his maiden wicket when Kallis hit straight to covers at Angelo Mathews, who grabbed it on second attempt.
Mentored by Bishan Singh Bedi, the young Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder showed he wasn’t overawed by the big occasion nor did he show undue desperation to impress. Altering his length while keeping his line close to off stump, the youngster stuck to the basics. Though Gambhir struck him for two boundaries in the first over, his next three yielded only 14 as he returned with encouraging figures of 4-0-23-1.
The hosts continued to tighten things up and did well to pull down the run-rate considerably as Kolkata were 66/2 at the half-way stage.
The visitors failed to get a partnership going and Eoin Morgan was sent back in the 14th over while Gambhir followed him in the next over soon after getting a fifty.
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