Eye on the ball philosophy fails
Plays of the day from the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore at Eden Gardens
Alagappan Muthu
22-May-2014
Manish Pandey and Ryan ten Doeschate clashed into each other while hunting down a skier • BCCI
The collision
In the fifth over of Royal Challengers Bangalore's chase, Yogesh Takawale's intention to clear the legside field fostered a leading edge that soared over cover point and the skier enticed Ryan ten Doeschate and Manish Pandey. Both of them had their eyes trained upwards and forgot they were on a collision course. The ball landed in Pandey's hands, but the impact popped it out and rolled to the boundary. Ten Doeschate clutched at his shoulder as he picked himself off he turf, Pandey winced when he tested his ribs. The 'eyes on the ball' philosophy obviously isn't quite foolproof.
In the fifth over of Royal Challengers Bangalore's chase, Yogesh Takawale's intention to clear the legside field fostered a leading edge that soared over cover point and the skier enticed Ryan ten Doeschate and Manish Pandey. Both of them had their eyes trained upwards and forgot they were on a collision course. The ball landed in Pandey's hands, but the impact popped it out and rolled to the boundary. Ten Doeschate clutched at his shoulder as he picked himself off he turf, Pandey winced when he tested his ribs. The 'eyes on the ball' philosophy obviously isn't quite foolproof.
The throw
Royal Challengers were struggling to rein in the scoring and when the opportunity for a wicket presented, their indiscipline got the better of them again. Ten Doeschate pushed to point and Robin Uthappa's eagerness to regain the strike had him halfway down the pitch. Muttiah Muralitharan had enough time to wait for the bowler to recover from his follow through. Abu Nechim raced back and was a foot away from the stumps when he chose to overarm a throw in and missed. Uthappa was barely in the frame.
Royal Challengers were struggling to rein in the scoring and when the opportunity for a wicket presented, their indiscipline got the better of them again. Ten Doeschate pushed to point and Robin Uthappa's eagerness to regain the strike had him halfway down the pitch. Muttiah Muralitharan had enough time to wait for the bowler to recover from his follow through. Abu Nechim raced back and was a foot away from the stumps when he chose to overarm a throw in and missed. Uthappa was barely in the frame.
The bad bounce
Yusuf Pathan's batting style orients himself to clearing boundaries than rotating strike, hence his pigeonholing as a death-overs basher. Recently though, he has campaigned for a higher position and Kolkata Knight Riders trusted him at No.4 for a third time this season. He looked quite busy and was venturing towards looking solid when the hunt for a non-existent single and a misbehaving bat did him in. He dabbed into the covers and set off for a risky single. Virat Kohli swooped in from short cover, Yusuf tried to beat the throw with a full-length dive but his bat bounced up at the worst possible time to dismiss him.
Yusuf Pathan's batting style orients himself to clearing boundaries than rotating strike, hence his pigeonholing as a death-overs basher. Recently though, he has campaigned for a higher position and Kolkata Knight Riders trusted him at No.4 for a third time this season. He looked quite busy and was venturing towards looking solid when the hunt for a non-existent single and a misbehaving bat did him in. He dabbed into the covers and set off for a risky single. Virat Kohli swooped in from short cover, Yusuf tried to beat the throw with a full-length dive but his bat bounced up at the worst possible time to dismiss him.
The ill-fated reverse scoops
Shakib Al Hasan was murderous when his bat swing was allowed to come down in a clean arc. He utilised the depth of the crease and kept hacking sixes over long-on and midwicket. However, he would not give up the scoop over fine leg. Ashok Dinda deceived one attempt with a slower ball in the 14th over. He shelved the shot and smoked 24 off the 15th. But the shot made two appearances in the penultimate over. The first one was a play and miss, the second clipped the off stump.
Shakib Al Hasan was murderous when his bat swing was allowed to come down in a clean arc. He utilised the depth of the crease and kept hacking sixes over long-on and midwicket. However, he would not give up the scoop over fine leg. Ashok Dinda deceived one attempt with a slower ball in the 14th over. He shelved the shot and smoked 24 off the 15th. But the shot made two appearances in the penultimate over. The first one was a play and miss, the second clipped the off stump.
The spin battle
Sunil Narine generates a buzz that Muttiah Muralitharan would find vaguely familiar. Both trade in the art of mystery and are noted for squeezing turn out of most surfaces. Tonight though, the pretender took the throne. Muralitharan began with promise and rolled back the years when he got one to rip outside Shakib's outside edge, but leaked 19 runs in two overs. Narine answered by beating Virat Kohli's outside edge and extracting additional bounce to have him caught at short third man next ball. Then to seal the deal, he had Yuvraj Singh caught at long-on and burst through AB de Villiers's slog sweep to finish with 4 for 20.
Sunil Narine generates a buzz that Muttiah Muralitharan would find vaguely familiar. Both trade in the art of mystery and are noted for squeezing turn out of most surfaces. Tonight though, the pretender took the throne. Muralitharan began with promise and rolled back the years when he got one to rip outside Shakib's outside edge, but leaked 19 runs in two overs. Narine answered by beating Virat Kohli's outside edge and extracting additional bounce to have him caught at short third man next ball. Then to seal the deal, he had Yuvraj Singh caught at long-on and burst through AB de Villiers's slog sweep to finish with 4 for 20.
Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo