Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala

Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK) put on a lacklustre display against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the first innings of an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter. The match, being played at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 20 April, 2011, saw the Tuskers restricted to a meager 132 runs by the brilliant bowling of Yusuf Pathan.

KKR, after winning the toss, decided to put KTK into bat. Brendon McCullum and skipper Mahela Jayawardene opened the innings for the KTK and provided a blistering start of 49 runs with an average of seven runs per over. Both played exceptionally well and smashed the KKR bowlers all around the park.

The opening partnership was broken when McCullum was caught by Eoin Morgan off the bowling of Shakib Al Hasan. The Kiwi made 23 runs facing just 19 balls and smashed two fours and a six.

PA Patel came into bat as a one-down batsman. After the addition of just two runs to the total, Jayawardene was sent back to the pavilion. He was caught plumb in front of the wickets and was declared LBW after being bowled by Yusuf Pathan. He scored 25 runs from 27 balls and smashed five boundaries.

Once the captain’s wicket fell, right handed batsman, Brad Hodge, came into the middle to bat. The Aussie could not impress with the bat and after scoring just two runs off eight balls, he was clean bowled by Yusuf Pathan. RA Jadeja was the next man in and tried to establish the KTK’s innings but his senior partner on the crease could not support him for long and became the next victim of Yusuf Pathan’s off-spin. He was also judged LBW after scoring just nine runs from 11 balls.

KTK lost their four top order batsmen for just 65 runs and came under an immense pressure. However, Jadeja stood tall in front of the KKR’s bowlers to stablise KTK’s innings but none of the remaining middle order and lower middle order batsmen support him and the Tuskers kept on losing wickets at regular intervals.

Jadeja was out in the 16^th over after playing a handy knock of 29 runs off just 18 balls and claiming three huge sixes. After the wicket of Jadeja none of the KTK’s batsmen could even cross the 15 run mark. KM Jadhav scored 12 runs and was clean bowled by Al Hasan. Similarly R Vinay Kumar was sent back to the pavilion by Al Hasan after scoring 11 runs.

At the end of 20 overs, KTK managed to score 132 runs for the loss of seven wickets and asked KKR to chase the target with an average of 6.60 runs per over.

Yusuf Pathan was the pick of the bowlers for KKR and picked up three wickets for 20 runs and one maiden. Similarly Shakib Al Hasan also took three wickets and gave away 28 runs.