The press conference after the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings in the IPL III on Tuesday saw both teams dwelling on the impact of the final four overs of the first innings where Kings' skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni raised a tornado of runs.
The vanquished host felt the match had slipped out of its grip as its bowlers failed to contain the rampage in the last four overs.
On the other hand the winning side attributed its success to the accomplishment and character its batsmen — Dhoni and S. Badrinath — showed in the same period to make the score competitive.
“The last four overs cost us around 60 runs and that took the game away,” said KKR skipper Sourav Ganguly.
Ganguly was also critical of the way his side chased the target. “We played too many shots and gave up the chase easily.”
The KKR captain justified the inclusion of freshly arrived New Zealand pacer Shane Bond saying, “he bowled very well despite it being his first game with the team.”
For CSK coach Stephen Fleming, Dhoni's ability to excel under pressure turned things around.
“I am fortunate to have a brilliant captain. His (Dhoni's) composure and ability to perform under pressure is second to none,” Fleming said.
Fleming also said the win came in a very uncharacteristic fashion for a team that loves to “put in a lot of power.”
He said while the team's first match against Deccan Chargers was “nervy”, the team had pulled off a very accomplished performance against KKR.
