Delhi skipper Zaheer Khan admits misreading Kotla pitch and going in with a spinner short after Knight Riders' Manish Pandey hoists leg-spinner Amit Mishra over the ropes for thrilling four-wicket win off penultimate ball
Zaheer Khan, Manish Pandey
KKR's Manish Pandey is hoisted by teammate Darren Bravo after their four-wicket victory against Kings XI Punjab in an IPL-10 encounter in New Delhi yesterday. Pic/AFP
There is no doubt that Manish Pandey (49-ball 69) played a mature knock to guide Kolkata Knight Riders home and dash Delhi Daredevils' hopes in a tense finish. But it was a strange decision by the home team to go into the match at Kotla with just one spinner in Amit Mishra. They left out their best spinner Shahbaz Nadeem which, in the end, cost them dear.
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Daredevils skipper Zaheer Khan admitted after the narrow four-wicket defeat that they missed the services of the fifth bowler, implying that they missed another spinner on a track which had turn. "We went with a pace-heavy attack, thinking the pitch would have good pace and carry but were surprised that it had good turn," said Zaheer, implying that another spinner would have been handy on this track.
DD's Zaheer Khan in full flight against KKR. Pic/Pti/Sporzpics
For the second successive match, Daredevils chose to set a target rather than chase one, but unlike in the previous match against Kings XI Punjab, this time it did not work. Had they had the services of another spinner, the result could have been different. The team management gave no reason for leaving out Nadeem after he had bowled superbly in the win against KXIP. He probably had a niggle and the Daredevils think-tank decided to finally include both Mohammed Shami and Angelo Mathews for the first time this season.
On being asked what prompted him to go for leg-spinner Amit Mishra to bowl the last over rather than Shami, Zaheer said that he also thought of giving Mathews the ball, but ultimately decided on Mishra. "We did not want to give the batters the pace to hit the ball, besides there was a bit of spin. It was a choice which could have worked for us. Tonight it did not come off. However, I am very proud that the boys fought till the end."
Zaheer said he felt that 168/7 was decent total. "I thought 170 was a good score to defend, but in the end it was just a matter of one lusty blow coming off."
Manish Pandey
Manish Pandey was delighted to complete the task of taking his team across the line. "I am happy that I carried out the role assigned to me (of a finisher). I had to bat till the end and take the team home, I am glad I could achieve the task. But it was a team effort, everybody did their job. This win will give us the confidence and momentum to win as many matches as possible."
Pandey was delighted to take the orange cap, for highest run-getter, from his skipper Gautam Gambhir. "It's good that the orange cap (for the current highest run-getter) has remained within the team and hopefully the purple cap (for highest wicket-taker) too will come to our team in the near future," Pandey said after leading the team to victory with one ball to spare.
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