Kings XI Punjab stuttered but Delhi Daredevils found ways to falter and suffered its seventh consecutive defeat in this season’s Pepsi Indian Premier League on Monday, falling by four wickets in front of a nearly packed Ferozeshah Kotla.
Not many expected 165 to be a major challenge for KXIP, and whatever little worries might have existed at the start of the second innings were dissolved by Manan Vohra’s onslaught.
The 20-year-old’s 19-ball 42 saw KXIP to 66 in six overs. This brought the required rate down to seven and ensured that KXIP never had to take too many risks.
Yet, the South African spin duo of J-P. Duminy and Imran Tahir did not throw in the towel on a track that didn’t assist them much. The leggie was particularly tough to negotiate as he employed his googly sporadically well.
It accounted for Glenn Maxwell when he attempted an ugly on-side swipe. David Miller also perished in his effort to be aggressive as he stepped out to Duminy and was bowled.
Yet, the promotion of another 20-year-old kept KXIP in control. Akshar Patel’s calmness was crucial as the other batsmen failed to curb their recklessness. With 38 needed off the last five overs, the all-rounder found three fours off Wayne Parnell to reduce the pressure.
Although the match went to the last over, much of the damage to the host’s cause had already been done by its erratic fielding and bowling in the earlier overs.
Causing plenty of annoyance, not to mention bewilderment were the 11 wides, and multiple overthrows and misfields. So was Pietersen’s captaincy; he chose to save Tahir’s overs for the ‘death’ and allowed KXIP to tide through a troubled passage in the middle overs.
A poor finish to their innings had hurt the Daredevils much during the first innings. From 140 for three in 16.4 overs, the host lost five wickets in 12 balls.
After DD was invited to bat, a restless M. Vijay tried to pull Sandeep Sharma but had to check his stroke, and it resulted in a catch to Beuran Hendricks who ran backwards from short fine leg.
Vijay’s dismissal didn’t seem to inhibit Pietersen as he hit three fours and a six off the next nine deliveries, and he and Dinesh Karthik went on to forge a 71-run partnership over the next eight overs.
Pietersen’s urgency ensured that Karthik could take a little time before adopting a more aggressive approach. Then, Akshar Patel dismissed Pietersen bowling him with a delivery that turned after the left-arm spinner had bowled consecutive arm balls.
As Duminy struggled to score quickly, Karthik chose to accelerate, and found 16 runs from a Rishi Dhawan over, as Delhi scored 40 runs from the 15th to the 17th over.
Scoreboard
Delhi Daredevils: M. Vijay c Hendricks b Sandeep 5 (8b, 1x4), Kevin Pietersen b Akshar 49 (32b, 6x4, 1x6), Dinesh Karthik c Dhawan b Hendricks 69 (44b, 7x4, 3x6), J-P Duminy c Maxwell b Hendricks 17 (21b, 1x4), Kedar Jadhav c Maxwell b Sandeep 0 (1b), Mayank Agarwal b Sandeep 6 (2b, 1x6), Manoj Tiwary (not out) 10 (8b, 1x4), Wayne Parnell c Maxwell b Hendricks 2 (2b), Mohammed Shami (not out) 1 (2b); Extras (lb-1, w-4): 5; Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs): 164.
Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Vijay), 2-84 (Pietersen), 3-140 (Duminy), 4-144 (Jadhav), 5-151 (Agarwal), 6-155 (Karthik), 7-158 (Parnell).
Kings XI Punjab bowling: Sandeep Sharma 4-0-35-3, Beuran Hendricks 4-0-36-3, Akshar Patel 4-1-18-1, Rishi Dhawan 4-0-42-0, Shivam Sharma 4-0-32-0.
Kings XI Punjab: Virender Sehwag c Tiwary b Duminy 23 (22b, 2x4, 1x6), Manan Vohra c Vijay b Tahir 42 (19b, 4x4, 3x6), Glenn Maxwell b Tahir 14 (11b, 1x6), David Miller b Duminy 2 (6b), Wriddhiman Saha c Parnell b Shami 13 (13b, 1x4), Akshar Patel (not out) 42 (35b, 5x4, 1x6), George Bailey c Jadhav b Tahir 6 (7b), Rishi Dhawan (not out) 8 (5b, 1x4); Extras (lb-4, w-11): 15; Total (for six wkts. in 19.4 overs): 165.
Fall of wickets: 1-67 (Vohra), 2-84 (Sehwag), 3-92 (Maxwell), 4-94 (Miller), 5-127 (Saha), 6-155 (Bailey).
Delhi Daredevils bowling: Wayne Parnell 3.4-0-42-0, Mohammed Shami 4-0-39-1, Jaydev Unadkat 4-0-31-0, Imran Tahir 4-0-22-3, J-P Duminy 4-0-27-2.
Man-of-the-match: Akshar Patel
KXIP won by four wickets with two balls to spare.
