IPL 2016, KKR vs KXIP: Andre Russell show propels KKR to top spot

Glenn Maxwell’s belligerent 68 ignited the flagging spirits of the Punjab. They still needed 43 runs from four overs. Shakib bowled a terrific 17th over, in which he conceded only five runs to put KKR in the ascendancy. Punjab were further pegged back by the dismissal of Miller, before two exquisitely timed maximums by Axar Patel brought the equation down to 22 runs from the final two overs. Punjab collected another 10 runs in the penultimate over by Morkel. Taking a leaf out of Sandeep’s brilliant final over, Russell, bowled full and fast. Gurkeerat and Axar did not get the room for elevation, and in the process they panicked. Gurkeerat and Swapnil were run out in the space of two deliveries. Ironically Sandeep, who brought Punjab back in the game with the ball, barely dug out Russell’s yorker in the final delivery of their innings.

Russell: We knew 160 was defendable

Opening salvo

One of the reasons for KKR’s success has been the prolific form of openers Gautam Gambhir and Robin Uthappa. Their plan has been simple. Gambhir and Uthappa would give them solid starts upfront, laying the platform for big hitters like Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan to explode at the fag end. In one of the rare instances when the openers failed — like in the previous game against the RCB — Pathan and Russell saw them through. On Wednesday, KKR’s script looked eerily similar after they were put into bat by Kings XI Punjab.

Led by Gambhir, KKR once again got off to a steady start, racing to 40 in six overs. Punjab bowlers were far more disciplined than their previous games, bowling a more fullish lines, restricting the home side to 74 in the first 10 overs. The openers however, upped the ante in the second half, taking KKR past the 100-run mark in the 12th over.

Gambhir was run out after reaching his fifty, but Pathan and Uthappa kept the scoreboard ticking with some judicious hits. After 15 overs, KKR were 121/1, well in course to reach 180. The visitors, however, got a lucky break in the same over when Uthappa was run out for a well-composed 70.

That final over

With barely three overs remaining, Andre Russell got into the act, getting a boundary off Sandeep Sharma. He then smoked a six over long on off Mohit Sharma in the following over to collect 12 runs in the penultimate over of the innings. After 19 overs, KKR had scored 160. With both Russell and Pathan having got their eye in, most expected blitzkrieg.

However, the final over by Sandeep Sharma proved to be an anti-climax. The medium pacer’s previous over was not fruitful, as he had conceded 10 runs. Sharma, however, turned things around by bowling a series of yorkers. Inexplicably, KKR’S big hitters found it difficult to clear the ropes. The final over yielded only four runs. Sharma eventually rounded off an excellent over by getting Russell run out in the final delivery of the innings. The choke Punjab bowlers exerted in the final overs put the match firmly on an even keel at half time. None of Punjab’s bowlers had wickets to show for their efforts, as all the three KKR batters were dismissed via run-outs.

Kings XI Punjab — the sum of three parts

Kings XI Punjab’s chase can be best summed up into three parts — the familiar top order wobble, which was followed by the resurgence in the middle order, and then the tepid finish. Despite some lusty hits in the end, Andre Russell could not help KKR post 180. The big Jamaican, however, made it up with the ball by removing Punjab opener Marcus Stoinis of Australia in the third ball of the chase. Russell was ably supported by the South African Morne Morkel, who bowled with pace and disconcerting good bounce from a fair paced Eden Gardens track. In the opening four overs, the duo picked up three wickets, and Punjab were reeling at 3/16.

KXIP’s Wicketkeeping all-rounder Wriddhiman Saha, who came in at No.5, played couple of attractive strokes to give some impetus in the innings. He was done in by Piyush Chawla’s leg break for 24. After nine overs Punjab were tottering at 4/53. Saha’s dismissal brought in David Miller. Along with Glenn Maxwell, Punjab’s two big superstars were looking to get their campaign back on track. Maxwell announced his intentions from the onset and in one moment of sheer brilliance, picked Brad Hogg’s wrong’un to smack a six. He then followed it up with another six and a boundary off the leggie Chawla.

If that was not enough, the Aussie collected 17 runs in Hogg’s next over, to put Punjab at 4/93 at the end of the 12th over. Suddenly, Punjab’s dressing room was breathing a lot easier. Maxwell’s monstrous hits had taken them within touching distance. The duo added another 24 runs in over 3.3 overs before Chawla got rid of the Aussie, nailing him in front of the wicket after he missed a reverse sweep.e Russell 3/20)