Both Warner and Sehwag were out and now DD are 71/3 off 12.3 overs. 78 runs off 45 balls and the match is wide open!
At the moment it seems to be Advantage Kolkotta. Will it regress to the mean ? Time alone can tell.
Since cricket is a game of grand vicissitudes, it is difficult to tell. Some sixes will bring the pressure on the KKR bowlers and some wickets can put pressure on the DD batsmen ! Now the Required Rate is more than ten runs per over, a difficult task ! Travis Birt tries to loft Y Pathan and holes out. DDD 75/4 !
V Rao was the last batsman who showed some resistance but when he perished that was more or less the end of the Delhi challenge.
Sehwag 34 off 23 was the only batsman who impressed.
For Kolkotta, Tiwari continued to be the unsung hero as he played a character innings of 61 not out and enabled KKR to reach 148.
Iqbal Abdullah shone for Kolkotta as he scalped three wickets for 25 off his allotted 4 overs. Special mention must be made of Balaji who clean bowled the dangerous Warner for 2 and removed Y Nagar who was in an aggressive mood, hitting two sixes. Brett Lee bowled economically in the death overs and it was Unadkat who got rid of the dangerous Sehwag. On the whole a great bowling performance by Kolkotta !
Sehwag blamed his batsmen for his 17 run loss. It was surprising that Delhi could only muster 131/9.
After the match Sehwag was candid about the lack of responsibility of batsmen. "We had enough batsmen, but no one took the responsibility to finish the job for the team. I said 150-160 is easily chasable, but KKR bowled well."
On the contrary, Gambhir was enthused. "The guys showed a lot of desperation, we all wanted to win desperately...I never expected so much spin on such a grassy wicket. Everyone contributed in his own way, and if you manage to defend a score of 148 it gives the team a lot of confidence" said the Michael Bevan like batsman.
"Our bowlers showed what they are made of. My heart and soul is with KKR, I am not a Delhi boy anymore."
Manoj Tiwari, who was adjudged Man of the Match for his magnificent 61 off 47 balls, said he wanted to play the entire 20 overs, a vow taken by Sehwag in the World Cup.
"I tried to stay till the end, and the others played around me, things worked well for me today. Hope to continue my contributions".
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