Kolkata and the batting woes
After two consecutive defeats and a match against Mumbai on Monday, it seems SRK will have to wait to celebrate.
By Kashinath Bhattacharjee
At the end of the second match, the owner of Kolkata, Shah Rukh Khan, refused to celebrate, saying that, he wanted his team to win five matches on trot and only then he would celebrate. It seems that his wait just got longer.
What went wrong for Kolkata in the last two matches? Stressing on bowlers in a game that is meant for the batsmen?
Gopal Bose felt, “It could have been so. There is no doubt about it that the format favours batsmen. And our batting was just inexplicable, especially last night. I did not find any reasoning.”
In fact, Bose was waiting for Sourav Ganguly to come at number three after Manoj Tiwary’s early exit.
“He was one of the best batsmen in the 50-50 format. The more balls he gets is more scope for him as well as the team to get more runs. He has the ability to clear the field once set. So, he has to come early.”
Sambaran Banerjee had another option. “Batting was always our concern and I am saying that from the first day itself. And I was shocked to see (Cheteswar) Pujara coming at number three. I have seen Pujara from the very beginning and he is a fantastic prospect in 3 or 4-day format. But, when you have to reach 169 and lose your first wicket early, you just cannot have him there.”
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So, who could have been promoted? Was it Sourav? For Sambaran, the last Begal captain to have won the Ranji Trophy, it wasn’t Dada. “That was a crucial time when you needed to have a player who could have just gone after the bowling -- a pinch hitter. I would have expected Laxmiratan (Shukla) if he was in the final XI. In absence of him, it could have been either Angelo Matthews or Owais Shah. Both have proven records of clearing the field at will. Angelo, after his match-winning efforts with the bat, is not getting enough opportunities to show his talent with the bat. He could have been ideal.”
Devang Gandhi, the former Indian opener, felt the team is not getting a good start and that is a problem. “To be able to chase a big score, you need to have a solid foundation and we are lacking there. In both the matches Kolkata lost, the start was not good. It becomes more difficult when chasing a big score. Moreover, I feel Kolkata have fewer batsmen who can clear the ropes at will. In this format of the game, that is a must. Hope things will change once Chris Gayle and David Hussey reach. They certainly have the ability to do so. The team will get the necessary impetus then.”
For Bose, another concern was the complacency factor. “Did they take Jaipur lightly? I do not know. Jaipur had lost all their previous three games. But you just cannot take any opponent lightly in a tournament. It’s more dangerous than any other things. I sincerely hope that they did not do it.”
All of them, however, were, very happy with Abhishek Jhunjhunwala’s match-winning performance. Sambaran said, “That was the only joy for me from last night’s match. He had lost two years. Now he wants to encash every opportunity. He is not that strong fellow, physically, but what a useful inning he played for his team.”
A Kolkata-lad ruining Kolkata deams seems to be the perfect headline to the palpable purples' performances in Motera!
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