DD look to build on momentum
23 April 2013 12:48 AM GMT
After a morale-boosting victory that snapped a six-game losing streak, Delhi Daredevils would look to build on the winning momentum and keep themselves afloat in the competition, as they take on Kings XI Punjab in IPL 6 on Tuesday.
The Daredevils opened their account, in what has so far proved to be a disastrous campaign, with a nine-wicket thrashing of Mumbai Indians on the back of a blistering unbeaten 95 from Virender Sehwag on Sunday. But they are still at the bottom of the nine-team table and the hosts can ill-afford to lose any more game, starting with the one at the Feroze Shah Kotla.
They will now have to win at least eight out of the remaining nine games to have any chance of being in the reckoning for a knock-out berth. Sehwag’s return to form just a day after legendary West Indian batsman Vivian Richards’ appointment as team advisor was the most talked-about topic in the capital. The home side would hope that the discarded India opener would continue from where he had left last evening. The problem has been that none of the Daredevils’ top- order batsmen have fired. Only David Warner and captain Mahela Jayawardene have scored a couple of half centuries besides Sehwag’s unbeaten 95 and the home side did not get the starts necessary to post big totals.
Even Warner have not contributed much after his initial success. Jayawardene have also not done much with the bat after scoring a 66 in his side’ campaign opener, before hitting a 59 on Sunday. Two other Indians in the top-order, Manpreet Juneja and Kedar Jadhav, had decent outings, while it is to be seen when Unmukt Chand, who has failed in the three matches he has played, could be brought back.
Among the bowlers, pacer Umesh Yadav has been the best performer with nine wickets from the seven matches he had played, while Ashish Nehra had taken six from the four games he’d featured in. All-rounder Irfan Pathan has been disappointing both with the ball and the bat. Pathan needs to strike form to propel Delhi on Tuesday.
The Daredevils opened their account, in what has so far proved to be a disastrous campaign, with a nine-wicket thrashing of Mumbai Indians on the back of a blistering unbeaten 95 from Virender Sehwag on Sunday. But they are still at the bottom of the nine-team table and the hosts can ill-afford to lose any more game, starting with the one at the Feroze Shah Kotla.
They will now have to win at least eight out of the remaining nine games to have any chance of being in the reckoning for a knock-out berth. Sehwag’s return to form just a day after legendary West Indian batsman Vivian Richards’ appointment as team advisor was the most talked-about topic in the capital. The home side would hope that the discarded India opener would continue from where he had left last evening. The problem has been that none of the Daredevils’ top- order batsmen have fired. Only David Warner and captain Mahela Jayawardene have scored a couple of half centuries besides Sehwag’s unbeaten 95 and the home side did not get the starts necessary to post big totals.
Even Warner have not contributed much after his initial success. Jayawardene have also not done much with the bat after scoring a 66 in his side’ campaign opener, before hitting a 59 on Sunday. Two other Indians in the top-order, Manpreet Juneja and Kedar Jadhav, had decent outings, while it is to be seen when Unmukt Chand, who has failed in the three matches he has played, could be brought back.
Among the bowlers, pacer Umesh Yadav has been the best performer with nine wickets from the seven matches he had played, while Ashish Nehra had taken six from the four games he’d featured in. All-rounder Irfan Pathan has been disappointing both with the ball and the bat. Pathan needs to strike form to propel Delhi on Tuesday.
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