IPL 6: Match 1 - KKR vs DD - Flops of the day
Unmukt Chand, the find of the U-19 World Cup, was castled by the Aussie veteran Brett Lee. It was a lovely out swinger from Lee but it also exposes Chand’s technique. Akash Chopra, who has seen Chand from close quarters, reckons he is not up to the mark of International Cricket and Lee would testify for that! For someone as young as Chand, it will be disheartening for him that a 37 year-old bowler can beat him for pace. Perhaps after that dismissal, Dhoni will tell Chand, “Seeing you today, you will also have to wait a lot of time to be part of my team!”
Manvinder Bisla, the hero of last year’s final, was a big disappointment today as he was out for only 4 runs as he was undone by the extra bounce that Nehra generated in his first over. There were murmurs of selecting Manvider Bisla for an openening slot in Indian T20 team last World Cup as India faced a crisis, when they had to open with Irfan Pathan in Sri Lanka. However, all is not lost for Bisla as a good IPL season here may open up opportunities for him in the national team for that vacant opener’s slot as this selection committee is willing to look beyond Gambhir and Sehwag, especially in T20 cricket.
Delhi Daredevils are hit hard by the injuries to Sehwag (for the day), Ryder and Kevin Pietersen (for the entire season). Add to it the sale of Ross Taylor and Delhi are in a real mess! They needed someone to stand up and be counted and it was the perfect chance for David Warner to lead his side to a respectable score. But, alas, Warner couldn’t. As he has disappointed Aussie fans on so many occasions this summer, this time it was DD fans’ turn to be disappointed. David Warner made 21 runs and got a decent start for his team but as soon as Sunil Narine came into the attack, he got out the very first ball he faced from Narine, ensuring his spin troubles are prolonged.
Johan Botha, the former South African ODI and T20 captain now based in South Australia, was considered a major scoop when DD bought him at this year’s auction. He was supposed to cure their Achilles heel, spin bowling. It was really an astute buy and may prove to be the bargain of the season as we move deep in to the season. But judging by his performances today, he was a big letdown. He scored only 7 runs when his team desperately needed to be rescued. He left them high and dry by trying a reverse-sweep. He would be a touch disappointed though, as he was clearly struck outside the off-stump and should not have been given out! He fared a bit batter in the bowling department as he finished with figures of 1/23 in 3.4 overs. DD will be hoping for more contribution from him, not only in on the field but also off the field as he is the part of the DD think-tank and highly regarded as a tactical genius.
Umesh Yadav, the big hope of India’s historically depleted fast bowling and capable of bowling at 90 mph, was also one of the big disappointments of today’s play. All the Indian fans were eager to see him in action and he disappointed them with not only his lack of pace but also with waywardness in line and length. Though it would be grossly unfair to judge a fast bowler in an IPL match, he was certainly not up to the mark in terms of fitness as was evident while chasing the ball in the field.