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| CSK vs KKR |
r to hold interest and catch the imagination of the fans.
The usual energy and excitement associated with the opening game of a mega event was missing as defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders put up a listless performance on the field on Friday.
The bowling and fielding on both sides left a lot to be desired, while run-making was patchy. In a format where one lapse can make the difference between victory and defeat, both teams were guilty of letting slip easy chances. The sparkling innings of Jacques Kallis (54 off 42 balls) was the only saving grace.
For a team which has a lot to prove, KKR's intent was questionable on the field. A good start can be the key to lift the spirits, to get the momentum going and instill self belief. KKR's performance in the field was all the more frustrating because they had the opportunity to achieve that. Their fielding, the lifeline of any team seeking revival, was of poor quality and prevented them from making a strong statement early in the contest.
CSK's chief run-getters, Anirudha Srikkanth (son of chief selector K Srikkanth) and Suresh Raina were dropped early in their innings. Yusuf Pathan was the culprit on both occasions. First, he failed to hold on to Anirudha's return catch in the fourth over and in the last ball of the next over off L Balaji, he dropped Raina's simple offer at mid-on.
Had KKR been alert and sharper, CSK could have been staring down the barrel at 31 for three. To recover from there on a slow track would have required a special effort from the lower order.
Raina and Anirudha rubbed it in by threading together a second-wicket partnership of 75 runs. The latter couldn't have believed his luck when England international Eoin Morgan also dropped him in the 11th over. It was a dolly and as Morgan looked disbelievingly at his palms at midwicket, the butter-fingered KKR players had become the butt of jokes of the Chennai crowd. And, when Sarabjit Ladda took the catch at midwicket to dismiss Raina, a round of sarcastic laughter rang around the stands.
Sources: http://www.hindustantimes.com
