Played well but it was not good enough: Finch
Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab have had their share of good and not-so-good moments in the last couple of days, as they head into the do-or-die game for the hosts. While Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina might still be getting nightmares following the way Delhi Daredevils chased down a massive 209-run target with consummate ease, hosts Kings XI Punjab are on an upswing, especially with the way their bowlers defended an ordinary-looking 138 against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday night.
KXIP are aware they still have an outside chance of making it to the last-four, and with such a splendid victory in the last game, they definitely start favourites in their den. Placed fifth with 10 points and with four more games to go, KXIP realise the importance of winning against Gujarat Lions, and would be hoping to replicate their performances against Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
What has worked for the Glenn Maxwell-led Kings XI Punjab in the last two low-scoring games is their bowling. By dropping an out-of-form Ishant Sharma and recalling Sandeep Sharma, they have got their mojo. There won’t be many who have claimed the wickets of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the same match, and Sandeep will be Punjab’s biggest strength. Even against Delhi, Sandeep controlled his pace and swing to yielded results.
“I won’t forget yesterday’s match against RCB. A score of 138 can be considered a very small total when you have players like Virat, Gayle, de Villiers in the batting line-up. I kept bowling to my strength and we kept getting wickets. The plan was to get these
bigwigs out and then put pressure on others. It was my day. The coach was happy, so was our co-owner Preity Zinta. We have got the winning momentum going and now we need to be consistent and win our next four matches to reach the playoffs,” said the 23-year-old Sandeep, adding: “Gujarat are a great team. The way Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik played against DD shows their class.
“Our batsmen like Hashim Amla, Shaun Marsh, Martin Guptill and Manan Vohra too have done well in the past.”
Sandeep, who is in the mould of Praveen Kumar, was signed by Kings XI Punjab ahead of the 2013 season and has taken 68 wickets in 52 games. The pacer from Patiala, who has been showing his presence since he played for India the U-19 team, has fought injuries and tried to maintain his swing and pace.
Sandeep was drafted into India’s T20 side for the two-match series against Zimbabwe in 2015,
Days after Gujarat Lions lost a high-scoring match to Delhi Daredevils, their Australian middle-order batsman Aaron Finch believes the team will now play for pride in the three remaining matches.
Up against Kings XI Punjab, who are coming off a win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Finch said that in T20, momentum matters a lot and despite playing good cricket, his team has not been lucky enough to post wins especially in close matches.
“It happens in T20 cricket. It’s a game that can change in a few overs. If you win your first match, which is a close one, you tend to carry the momentum and win others. But, I think, when you start losing, it tends to become a mental game. We have played good cricket but I think not good enough,” he said.
Gujarat Lions posted a 200plus score against Delhi Daredevils, only to see it being chased down in the 18th over. Earlier also in the tournament, Gujarat Lions did well to tie the match against Mumbai Indians only to lose it in the ‘Super Over’. Up against Jasprit Bumrah, both Finch and Brendon McCullum were simply outsmarted by the Indian pacer’s guile and variation. Finch, a batsman who in 2013 smashed a record 156 against England, said that new variations, including a knuckle ball, are the next big thing that pacers around the world are adopting in order to restore balance between bat and ball.
“It’s a very good ball, something the more and more fast bowlers are developing. You are beginning to see bowlers coming up with 2 to 3 different types of slow balls, but I think once you see it more often, the batsman will start playing it a bit confidently also.”
Finch said that although things haven’t panned out well for the team, and they are out of the race for playoffs, the boys will play for pride in the remaining matches. “We are out of the competition but we have our pride at stake. McCullum is back in New Zealand after a hamstring injury and will be missed in the last three matches,” he said.
Finch said that the travelling and back-to-back matches do take a toll on the players, and that is why there have been so many injuries in IPL. “It takes a big toll, especially on fast bowlers. You play a match and then sit in a bus or aircraft for 10-12 hours’ travel a day. In the end, it’s a lot of travel and not much of rest, but then that is part and parcel of the game.”
CONFIDENT KXIP know they still have an outside chance, and with a superb win on Friday, they start favourites vs Lions