The man that can do no wrong
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the IPL game between Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab in Hyderabad
Abhishek Purohit
16-Apr-2011
Everything Paul Valthaty tried seemed to come off • AFP
When it rains … - I
Paul Valthaty bowls his medium-pacers effectively in local cricket, but Adam Gilchrist would have hardly expected him to be the leading wicket-taker in the match when he handed him the ball in the 12th over. But Valthaty cannot put a foot wrong at the moment, even when he bowls the ball a foot outside leg stump, which is what he did with his fifth delivery. It would have been called a wide had Shikhar Dhawan not swept it straight to short fine leg to give Valthaty the first of his four wickets.
Paul Valthaty bowls his medium-pacers effectively in local cricket, but Adam Gilchrist would have hardly expected him to be the leading wicket-taker in the match when he handed him the ball in the 12th over. But Valthaty cannot put a foot wrong at the moment, even when he bowls the ball a foot outside leg stump, which is what he did with his fifth delivery. It would have been called a wide had Shikhar Dhawan not swept it straight to short fine leg to give Valthaty the first of his four wickets.
Valthaty does a Fernando
Valthaty's haul of 4 for 29 wasn't all about fortune though. He bowled some clever slower deliveries on a full length, which batsmen found difficult to get away. And the grip he used to bowl them was interesting. It was the split-finger grip that Dilhara Fernando uses so effectively. One of his slower ones got him the wicket of Bharat Chipli, who mis-timed a lofted shot to deep midwicket.
Valthaty's haul of 4 for 29 wasn't all about fortune though. He bowled some clever slower deliveries on a full length, which batsmen found difficult to get away. And the grip he used to bowl them was interesting. It was the split-finger grip that Dilhara Fernando uses so effectively. One of his slower ones got him the wicket of Bharat Chipli, who mis-timed a lofted shot to deep midwicket.
When it rains … - II
Considering the manner in which he goes hard at almost every delivery, Valthaty was going to need some fortune to be able to play a substantial innings. He was dropped by Chennai Super Kings during his unbeaten century. On Saturday he wasn't dropped, but caught off a leading edge at point when he was on 16. But the bowler, Ishant Sharma, had overstepped, and Valthaty cashed in by hammering Manpreet Gony for 23 runs in the next over.
Considering the manner in which he goes hard at almost every delivery, Valthaty was going to need some fortune to be able to play a substantial innings. He was dropped by Chennai Super Kings during his unbeaten century. On Saturday he wasn't dropped, but caught off a leading edge at point when he was on 16. But the bowler, Ishant Sharma, had overstepped, and Valthaty cashed in by hammering Manpreet Gony for 23 runs in the next over.
Gilchrist tries the scoop
At the start of Kings XI Punjab's chase, when Valthaty was the aggressor, Gilchrist was trying to work it around to give his opening partner the strike. But immediately after Valthaty had been let off by Ishant's no-ball, Gilchrist walked outside his off stump and tried an ungainly scoop over short fine leg. He missed it completely and didn't try the shot after that, preferring to tee off straight down the ground and over midwicket, his favoured areas.
At the start of Kings XI Punjab's chase, when Valthaty was the aggressor, Gilchrist was trying to work it around to give his opening partner the strike. But immediately after Valthaty had been let off by Ishant's no-ball, Gilchrist walked outside his off stump and tried an ungainly scoop over short fine leg. He missed it completely and didn't try the shot after that, preferring to tee off straight down the ground and over midwicket, his favoured areas.
The send-off
Amit Mishra was unlucky to have a leg-before appeal against Gilchrist turned down off his first delivery; replays showed the ball was hitting leg stump. In his next over, Gilchrist lofted him for a straight six. There was some chatter going on between the two when Mishra came back for his second spell. Gilchrist pushed a googly back to Mishra who then gave him a long, cold stare. Two deliveries later, Gilchrist swung a half-tracker straight to deep square leg. He muttered a few words to Mishra as he walked off, and the bowler gave him a big send-off, gesturing pointedly to tell Gilchrist to march back.
Amit Mishra was unlucky to have a leg-before appeal against Gilchrist turned down off his first delivery; replays showed the ball was hitting leg stump. In his next over, Gilchrist lofted him for a straight six. There was some chatter going on between the two when Mishra came back for his second spell. Gilchrist pushed a googly back to Mishra who then gave him a long, cold stare. Two deliveries later, Gilchrist swung a half-tracker straight to deep square leg. He muttered a few words to Mishra as he walked off, and the bowler gave him a big send-off, gesturing pointedly to tell Gilchrist to march back.
Abhishek Purohit is an editorial assistant at ESPNcricinfo