Gambhir, Tiwary seal it in Knights’ favour

Shah Rukh Khan and Sourav Ganguly jostled for attention at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, but it was the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) clinical all-round display that made the difference to their fortunes.

 

The Knight Riders seemed intent on riding the momentum gained after the victory against the Delhi DareDevils at the Kotla. 

The target of 120 against Kings XI Punjab, Saturday, was too little to pose any problems for the home team. Even the dismissal of Jacques Kallis in the second over and Eoin Morgan’s enterprising innings (28 off 15 balls) cut short by a brilliant Ryan Harris’ catch in the outfield, failed to check the tempo.

Gautam Gambhir (45 not out off 44 balls) and Manoj Tiwary (34 not out off 41 balls) ensured that the loss of the openers, the fourth combination this season, didn’t affect the run chase. 

With a cool head and true diligence, they cut the Kings XI attack into shreds, never allowing the bowlers to make an impact. The unbroken 85-run partnership secured an eight-wicket victory that took them to the top of the IPL standings.

KKR now have ten points from eight matches, the same as Mumbai Indians (10 from 7 games), but are ahead on a better run rate. 

They need to win at least three of their remaining six games to stay in contention for a play-off berth.

Tiwary has been a revelation. There was never any doubt about his talent and it was only the application that was missing.

His attitude had often been questioned in local circles, but the Bengal captain seemed to have put all that behind him. The success will once again put him in the national selectors’ radar.

Gambhir’s bold and fresh ideas have, no doubt, added a new dimension to the side. He is not afraid to innovate, is always in control of the circumstances and makes his presence felt on the field. Gambhir inspires confidence and has been inspirational as a leader. His combination with Dav Whatmore has worked wonders and can take them to the knockout stages for the first time in the IPL.

Gambhir didn’t think twice before deciding to send Kings XI in on a slow and dry wicket. Only last week, a similar decision against the Kochi Tuskers Kerala had backfired, but that didn’t curb his instincts.

Gambhir’s handling of the bowlers and field placements played a big role in restricting the visiting team’s batsmen. Not to mention Iqbal Abdulla’s spell.

Finding Adam Gilchrist at ease against Brett Lee and Lakshmipathy Balaji, Gambhir quickly brought in spinners from both ends, thereby checking the run flow.

The Knights’ confidence reflected in their fielding. If this was one area that had let them down in the past matches, they wanted to make amends.

The way Eoin Morgan swooped down to pick up and throw inside the inner circle to run out Abhishek Nayar showed their enthusiasm and athleticism on the field. Three run outs and solid ground fielding played a huge role in putting the brakes on the Kings XI batsmen.

Much of the visitors’ success this season has been attributed to Paul Valthaty. But the 28-year-old failed to blossom on a wicket where the ball was stopping and coming. His early departure and Shaun Marsh’s horrible mix-up with Gilchrist robbed them of a good start.

Gilchrist, despite taking 12 off Lee’s second over, found the going tough. His desperation finally ended when he missed Abdulla’s slightly short delivery that held its line and kept low. 

The left–arm spinner has been a key member in the Knights’ scheme of things and once again showed his utility in this format with figures of 4-0-19-2.

At 44 for three in the eighth over, Kings XI were looking down the barrel and there was none to rescue them from the plight. Only Dinesh Karthik seemed to make an effort with a run-a-ball 42 that gave the innings some respectability. But all that faded in the face of the Knights’ determined performance.