IPL 2021: Jaydev Unadkat hopeful of a turnaround for RR in Delhi

IPL 2021 Preview: Doused in criticism about captaincy, Pant seeks to fly like Morgan

Bhuvan (Amir Khan) in the film Lagaan swings the bat with full force, the ball is in the air and is eventually caught by Captain Russell but behind the boundary line. Bhuvan wins it after notching up a six on the last ball and helps his village to get exemption from paying taxes to the British Government. That’s kind of how it works when you are watching a Bollywood movie. The underdog always wins. But it isn’t that easy in real life, especially in the Indian Premier League when you are up against some quality bowlers. On Tuesday, Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant was in a similar situation. He needed 10 runs off the last two balls against RCB to take his team over the line in Ahmedabad. A situation tailor made for a Bollywood thriller. He did get a boundary on the penultimate ball and needed a maximum on the last one but failed to hit it over the boundary line. DC lost by 1 run. Pant and his batting partner Shimron Hetmyer were despondent. Let us take you a little back as to what happened in this particular game. Chasing 172, DC were 92/4 in the 13th over when Hetmyer unleashed an onslaught against the RCB bowlers. He scored an unbeaten 53 off 25 while Pant remained not out on 58 off 48 but the youngsters failed to complete the task for their team. The two batsmen were consoled by the RCB team but they knew that just gave it away on what could have been one of the finest chases in the history of IPL. But as they say this game is cruel and it plays the balancing act with accuracy. Not so long ago, Pant had unfolded the kind of mettle he possessed. Some four-five months back, the Indian team was in Australia for the four-match Test series. We were initially trailing, were without our regular skipper, were racially abused and the players suffered bruises on their bodies. It was probably the toughest time that the Indian team had faced. But there were few young lads who were up for this battle on the cricket field and two of them were Pant and Shubman Gill. While Gill was unmoved by the bouncy tracks and some serious pace in Australia, Pant was in some different mood all this while. After almost getting written off prior to this series, the left-handed batsman was out there in the middle to prove that he belonged. His responsible partnerships with Cheteshwar Pujara and the carnage he had caused showed that the criticism had certainly paid off. Well, riding on some brilliant performances from the young brigade, the Indian unit completed a successful tour Down Under and won the Test series 2-1. A couple of months later, Pant was handed over DC’s captaincy after skipper Shreyas Iyer ruled out of the cash-rich league. But this added responsibility has certainly pushed Rishabh on the backfoot as far as his batting is concerned. DC are placed at number three in the points table with four wins and just two defeats in the six matches that they have played but Pant hasn’t been firing yet especially in the way that he does while his captaincy has also come under scrutiny. The wicket-keeper batsman though has been among some runs in the past couple of matches but a knock of his calibre still awaits. Coming to Kolkata Knight Riders, the Eoin Morgan-led side defeated Punjab Kings in their last encounter in Ahmedabad after facing some early hiccups during the chase of 124 runs. But captain Morgan and Rahul Tripathi steadied the ship for the side and took them to a win by 5 wickets. Delhi can capitalise The Delhi Capitals are probably one of the most balanced sides in the tournament. With experienced players like Shikhar Dhawan, Steve Smith, Amit Mishra and now back in the scheme of selections Ishant Sharma, the Delhi franchise is not really in a spot of bother despite a defeat in the last game. Apart from this the young bunch of cricketers including captain Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Kagiso Rabada, Hetmyer and Avesh Khan are always up for the task. The addition of Ishant and Axar Patel in the bowling department. The left-arm spinner produced some magical spell during the Test series against England in Ahmedabad earlier this year and would be looking to replicate that. A couple of things that they need to focus on for now is Pant’s batting and Marcus Stoinis’ form. DC are in definite need of their captain’s blazing knock as soon as possible because this would help the aggressive batsman get in the groove himself. He has scored runs in the two matches but only needs to be confident about his abilities and back that special hand-eye coordination that he has. Stoinis might not be in very good form but he has the ability to deliver with both bat and ball and needs to be persisted in the side for now. Nevertheless, the Capitals look pretty stable with their side at the moment and they certainly don’t need any changes in the XI for now. KKR’s batting woes Kolkata Knight Riders might have won the match against Punjab Kings but the early hiccups in the chase were a sign of how Morgan’s side needs to put the right pieces in the puzzle. Either their top order has failed to fire or if the youngsters have chipped in, the experienced batsmen in the middle order like Andre Russell, Morgan, Dinesh Karthik and Shakib Al Hasan have failed to capitalise barring some instances. Opener Nitish Rana started off the season on a good note but has lost the touch in between while his opening partner Shubman Gill has been struggling to get any form. The two for sure have the capability to give KKR a positive start consistently. Rahul Tripathi has been in a decent touch. He in fact played a crucial knock in the last match against the Punjab team and stitched a responsible stand with captain Morgan to get his side out of trouble from a tricky situation. The bowling unit is back in some good knick. Youngsters like Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna have been impressive while Pat Cummins, Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy also produced some good spells of bowling in the last outing. Kolkata surely need their batting order to go into and huddle and discuss about the roles of the players while they are out in the middle. As far as bowling is concerned, Morgan can go ahead with the same lot for now. Match Details Match: DC vs KKR, 25th Match, Indian Premier League 2021 Date: Thursday, April 29, 2021 Time: 7:30 PM Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad Pitch and Toss On Tuesday, RCB captain Virat Kohli did talk about the dew factor in Ahmedabad and said that both him and Pant thought there would be some amount of it. But before the start of DC’s chase, there was an occurrence of a sandstorm which might have nullified the presence of the dew. Nevertheless, DC and KKR can expect some dew when they go head to head against each other on Thursday. Coming to the pitch, there have been two totally contrasting matches. One saw a few runs scored around the park while the other witnessed almost a drought. The track at the Narendra Modi Stadium can possibly help the spinners but the dew factor can help the chasing team take the upper hand. If you win the toss, bowl first. Team News Delhi Capitals Shimron Hetmyer got some form back during the game against RCB while Ishant Sharma and Axar Patel exceedingly well after being drafted back into the side. Axar’s impressive spell against England in the Test series is still fresh and he too would be looking to be among the wickets asap. Kolkata Knight Riders Captain Eoin Morgan took charge of the situation when his team was in a spot of bother against Punjab Kings and led them to victory eventually. The bowling attack has been in good shape and can trouble the opposition on their day. Probable XI DC Prithvi Shaw, Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Steven Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Kagiso Rabada, Ishant Sharma, Avesh Khan KKR Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Sunil Narine, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Andre Russell, Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy Fantasy XI Rishabh Pant, Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, Rahul Tripathi, Prithvi Shaw, Andre Russell (C), Axar Patel, Pat Cummins, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Sunil Narine (VC)

Russell Domingo lashes out at Bangladesh players for their poor mindset

Bangladesh head coach Russell Domingo lashed out at his Bangladesh boys after failing to win the opening Test against Sri Lanka. Despite dominating the first two days of the match, Bangladesh ended up conceding a huge lead as the match ended in a tame draw. Domingo feels that with the current mental state of the Bangladesh players, they won’t be successful in the longest formats. The mentality to not lose rather than going for the win won’t help Bangladesh going forward feels Domingo. The Bangla Tigers are currently at the bottom of the points table in the ICC Test Championship and is looking to sign off their campaign in the tourney with a victory under their belt. Ever since making their Test debut way back against India in 2000, Bangladesh have never managed to produce consistent performances in Tests. Bangladesh have won just 14 out of the 122 Tests they have played so far. Out of the 14 victories, 11 have come against Zimbabwe and West Indies. As per reports in the Cricbuzz, it is learnt that Domingo felt that Bangladesh should have declared at tea on the second day just after crossing the 500 mark but skipper Mominul Haque allowed the batters to keep batting which wasted a lot of time. The approach clearly didn’t impress Domingo despite the skipper lauding his team for drawing the match especially after some poor performances in the longest format. "It is disappointing when a drawn Test is seen as a massive success. I am not here for drawn Tests. We don't want to lose Tests but we should have a mental shift. We have to play to win, and not merely be happy with draws. I have had six or seven Tests with the team now, I think I understand our team and culture. I know the areas we need to improve on, particularly on the mental side of things in Tests,” Domingo was quoted as saying by the Cricbuzz. There's a long way to go. There's a fear of losing Tests, and that's something that we have to come away from. We have to play to win. At the moment I feel we are playing not to lose. It is a mental shift that we need to make. That mental shift will take a bit of time. Guys haven't been successful in Tests. Until we change that mindset, we will always be okay with mediocrity. It is not something I want to be part of," he further added. Domingo feels that there needs to be a serious change in the mindset of the players. The current Bangladesh team lacks the intent in winning Test matches. Rather than being happy with a draw, they have to start thinking of victories in the longest format. Their record in Tests despite playing this format for over two decades is dismal, to be honest. "We want to take the team forward and play the game to win. We have to bat first in tough conditions. We have to declare to give ourselves enough time to bowl sides out. Those are the shifts that you have to make to become a serious Test-playing nation," Domingo said. Bangladesh missed the likes of Shakib Al Hasan for the Test series owing to his IPL commitments. With Shakib out of contention, Domingo said that they need to play five bowlers in the absence of Shakib which gives them a better chance in the longest format. Over the years, Bangladesh have focussed on atleast 7-8 batsmen but playing 5 bowlers in the opening Test gave a fair idea about their changes in attitude. However, it wasn’t replicated on the field. "I need to chat with the selectors this afternoon, but I think that's the way forward. When you have Shakib in the team, it allows you to play seven batters. When you don't have that all-rounder, we have to be brave, and try to have five bowlers who can get us 20 wickets. If it was solely up to me, it would be the way to go, but there's a panel of selectors that need to be consulted with, and it got to be a decision that we all have to support," Domingo quipped. Under the coaching of Domingo, Bangladesh have just managed to win a solitary Test in 8 attempts. Despite not being happy with their performance in the opening Test, Domingo is hopeful of the fact that Bangladesh can win the Test series against Sri Lanka. "We want to try to win the series. It will be a great achievement for Bangladesh to win a series in Sri Lanka. Winning a Test series abroad is a goal that we have set ourselves. We have to play well over the five days. Sri Lanka are a tough side to beat, especially at home. Our focus is on starting the Test well, and one session at a time," Domingo signed off.

CSK vs SRH: Jonny Bairstow seeks reset in Delhi leg after tough first leg of tournament in Chennai

Sunrisers Hyderabad are not having a great time in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League as they find themselves languishing at the bottom of the points table. But, not all is doomed and gloomy for the men in orange as some players have tasted success with the roles they have been asked to perform for the team. One such member of the team is Jonny Bairstow who has been at his dominating best with the bat so far in the season and is looking to make it big in the upcoming matches as the Sunrisers have travelled to Delhi for the next leg of the tournament. He called the movement of the team to Delhi a fresh start and lamented the failures they had to deal with at slower and lower surfaces in Chennai. He said that the team is geared up for the challenge as they are looking to start off their second leg of the competition in Delhi against the Chennai Super Kings. “Obviously, we are coming to Delhi so it’s a fresh start. I think it is important for us to get few wins our way because Chennai didn’t necessarily go our way in few close games that we were on the wrong side of. Look, as I said it’s a fresh start, fresh leg of the competition and yes we are coming up against a strong Chennai side, so we need to put in a good performance,” Bairstow said in a video released by the Sunrisers Hyderabad on their Twitter timeline. “We are able to reset and go again and that has started with tonight’s training. Look we’ll turn up tomorrow and see how the pitch is and as always will try our best.” The Sunrisers will also bank on Kane Williamson who almost won the Sunrisers their last game against the Delhi Capitals but lack of support from other batsmen could not achieve the goal. Bairstow, along with David Warner will open against the Super Kings and will take on the new ball bowler Deepak Chahar who has been a shining light of his team just like the right-handed Yorkshireman has been for the Sunrisers.

New Zealand players might travel with Indian players for ICC Test Championship final

The New Zealand cricketers who are part of the Test squad for the ICC World Test Championship final against India might travel to UK with the Indian players afer the conclusion of the IPL. The Test Championship final is slated to be played between India and New Zealand at Southampton from 18th June. The Kiwi players who are part of the Test squad has to travel with the Indian players as they can’t come back home and then depart for England due to th strict quarantine rules in place. It was mentioned by New Zealand cricket team’s union chief. Among the 10 New Zealand players plying their trade in the IPL, four among them are part of the Test squad which includes the likes of Kane Williamson, Trent Boult, Kyle Jamieson and Mitchell Santner. The Black Caps have named a 20 member Test squad for the two-match Test series against England starting from June 2 just ahead of the Test Championship final. The final squad for the ICC Test Championship final will be trimmed to 15. …they can’t very well come home, do the two weeks isolation and then go to England, so they’re going to have to be there (India) until the round-robin finishes, or the final series,” NZ Cricket Players Association chief executive Heath Mills said when he was asked whether the New Zealand players can go back and return in time. “Then we’ve got other players who are coming home – logistically there’s not a lot of flights. It’s not easy to sort out the logistics. We’re working closely with NZ Cricket and they’re in touch with the BCCI and the ICC,” Mills further added. Mills further explained the fact that the New Zealand Cricket Board has been in close contact with the players part of the IPL. They are also in regular talks with the BCCI, ICC and the England and the Wales Cricket Board. Tension has crept in after there was a huge surge in COVID-19 cases in India. Despite being anxious, Mills stated that none of the New Zealand players have expressed their desire to leave for home. “There’s no doubt they’re certainly anxious about what is happening in India and what they’re witnessing,” Mills said. “Whilst they’re anxious, they’re ok. No one has indicated yet that they want to go home.” At a time when Adam Zampa called the IPL bio- bubble in India as the most vulnerable he has been part of, Mills said that the players are well looked after by their IPL franchises and they feel safe in their respective bio-bubbles. “There’s four teams in a hotel and the hotel is locked down. The challenge is when they transfer from city to city, then they need to put on the PPE gear and that’s when they’re probably most at risk. “The players are in the safest place in India, in the team bubbles, which is the most important thing from my perspective.”