KKR is ready to bounce back

KOLKATA: The slow and low behavior of the pitch here at the Eden Gardens may play a crucial role yet again when home favourites Kolkata Knight Riders take on a beleaguered Royal Challengers Bangalore in their first-leg match of IPL-IV on Friday.

Four days ago, Rajasthan Royals were bundled out for a paltry 81 on this tricky track and lost to Knight Riders by eight wickets. Three days later, the 22-yard strip proved thorny for the home side, which went down to debutants Kochi Tuskers Kerala by six runs while chasing a modest target of 133. Though tricky, the track, however, has never been a mine field. Matches can be won by reading and using it correctly. For instance, KTK captain Mahela Jayawardene’s prediction that 130-140 would be a par score this pitch proved prophetic against Gautam Gambhir’s KKR. On the other hand, Gambhir’s decision to adopt the hitherto successful formula of chasing a target backfired against KTK.

The defeat, their second in five matches must have come as a wake-up call for Gambhir and his men and they would be all the more determined to consolidate their position at the top of the league table with an emphatic win over the Bangalore outfit. KKR’s bowling attack, especially the spin department, has been doing a wonderful job them. The fielding has been razor sharp and the captaincy very much competent. It is only the batting department, where they need to iron out some flaws.

A question mark has cropped up over the consistency of opening batsman Jacques Kallis, who failed in the last two matches after scoring a half-century in the first three. His opening partner Manvinder Singh Bisla is yet to justify his position, scoring 72 runs in five matches. It is surprising that despite mediocre performance the team management is persisting with Bisla and not giving Aussie stumper Brad Haddin a chance.

On the other hand, Daniel Vettori’s RCB is now languishing at bottom of the table with three points from five games. They started off nicely, beating KTK by six wickets. But thereafter, the star-studded team slumped to a disappointing position, suffering defeats at the hands of Mumbai Indians, Deccan Charger and Chennai Super Kings. Unfortunately their last match against Rajasthan Royals was abandoned due to persistent rain.

The biggest problem for RCB is the inconsistency of their star players, who include Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Zaheer Khan, Daniel Vettori, Saurabh Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara and Mohammad Kaif. The fielding performance also continues to be a subject of worry.