A broken bat and a farcical run-out
Plays of the day from the match between Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils in Mohali
Abhishek Purohit
25-May-2014
Busy man: Kevin Pietersen struck his first fifty of the season, was involved in one near run out, one farcical run out and broke his bat • BCCI
The chip off the bat
Kevin Pietersen opened the innings and had faced all of three deliveries when he called for a replacement bat. A drive to mid-off and two clips off the pad to midwicket were all he was getting from his original one. After those three shots, a large chip of wood - at least half a foot long - came loose from the bottom of the bat and stuck out almost horizontally. Pietersen made good use of the replacement, scoring his only fifty of the season.
Kevin Pietersen opened the innings and had faced all of three deliveries when he called for a replacement bat. A drive to mid-off and two clips off the pad to midwicket were all he was getting from his original one. After those three shots, a large chip of wood - at least half a foot long - came loose from the bottom of the bat and stuck out almost horizontally. Pietersen made good use of the replacement, scoring his only fifty of the season.
The farcical near run out
In the sixth over, Pietersen was struck on the pad by Parvinder Awana. Even as the ball rolled towards cover, Pietersen charged out looking for a single. Dinesh Karthik responded immediately. Meanwhile, Awana was appealing loudly for lbw, and Pietersen, momentarily distracted, stopped. Karthik hesitated too, but they decided to go for it eventually. Even as the fielder lined up to throw the ball, Awana found himself in the firing line, and threw himself to the ground to get out of the way. After all this, the throw missed, and Pietersen survived.
In the sixth over, Pietersen was struck on the pad by Parvinder Awana. Even as the ball rolled towards cover, Pietersen charged out looking for a single. Dinesh Karthik responded immediately. Meanwhile, Awana was appealing loudly for lbw, and Pietersen, momentarily distracted, stopped. Karthik hesitated too, but they decided to go for it eventually. Even as the fielder lined up to throw the ball, Awana found himself in the firing line, and threw himself to the ground to get out of the way. After all this, the throw missed, and Pietersen survived.
The farcical run out
In the tenth over, Manoj Tiwary guided Rishi Dhawan in front of point and set off for a single. Pietersen's response was even more emphatic than Karthik's. He raced across, and reached the striker's end in one sharp burst. But Tiwary had developed cold feet seeing George Bailey reach the ball. But Pietersen had already sped past him and Tiwary could do little but sacrifice his wicket. He was stranded so far out that Bailey only had to lob the ball slowly for the bowler to remove the bails.
In the tenth over, Manoj Tiwary guided Rishi Dhawan in front of point and set off for a single. Pietersen's response was even more emphatic than Karthik's. He raced across, and reached the striker's end in one sharp burst. But Tiwary had developed cold feet seeing George Bailey reach the ball. But Pietersen had already sped past him and Tiwary could do little but sacrifice his wicket. He was stranded so far out that Bailey only had to lob the ball slowly for the bowler to remove the bails.
The slow left-armer tamed
Left-arm spinners are not exactly Pietersen's favourite type of bowlers. Which is why he would have had some satisfaction after taking Akshar Patel for three successive fours in the 11th over. The first one was a delicate lap-sweep that ran fine. The second one was slapped off the back foot to the deep point boundary. He could have been bowled the third time, as he came forward to one that did not turn. However, an inside edge took the ball past the stumps, and also gave Pietersen another boundary.
Left-arm spinners are not exactly Pietersen's favourite type of bowlers. Which is why he would have had some satisfaction after taking Akshar Patel for three successive fours in the 11th over. The first one was a delicate lap-sweep that ran fine. The second one was slapped off the back foot to the deep point boundary. He could have been bowled the third time, as he came forward to one that did not turn. However, an inside edge took the ball past the stumps, and also gave Pietersen another boundary.
Abhishek Purohit is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo