Following a disheartening 106-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter, Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting expressed his disappointment with his team’s lacklustre performance in the first half of the game.
Ponting emphasized the excessive runs conceded by his team while also highlighting concerns regarding their slow-over rate while bowling. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) exhibited a commendable display across all aspects of the game in the ongoing IPL 2024 clash at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.
Ricky Ponting said: “I was almost embarrassed with our first half of the game today – to concede that many runs. It took us two hours as well to bowl our overs, so we were two overs behind again, which means the guys bowling the last two overs only get to bowl with four fielders outside the circle.”
“There are a lot of things that happened in this game that are unacceptable; we have to fix [them] immediately to go forward in this tournament.”
Despite DC skipper Pant’s consecutive half-century scores, there was a moment of worry when he called for the physio while batting. Ponting suggested that it might have been due to fatigue, noting that Pant seemed to be in good form otherwise. Nevertheless, Ponting commended Pant’s batting performance and remarked that the situation demanded an aggressive approach, which could help bolster his confidence.
“I did not see him hobbling at all” – Ricky Ponting on Rishabh Pant
Regarding skipper Rishabh Pant’s decision to not opt for a Decision Review System (DRS) against Sunil Narine during KKR’s batting innings, Ponting expressed confusion and disappointment. He mentioned that not only Narine but also Shreyas Iyer was missed later on, indicating a communication breakdown within the team. Ponting speculated that Pant might not have heard the appeals, whereas other players on the field did.
Pointing further added: “They got off to a flying start in the powerplay. They were around 90 runs after six overs. That phase is not ideal; if that happens at the start of the game, then you are always trying to find your way back into the game and they did not allow us to do that today. They were relentless. We have got to be very critical on ourselves.”
“I saw he called a physio out. It might have just been a bit of tiredness. Looked like he was moving pretty well when he batted. I think we should just concentrate on the way he batted tonight. I did not see him hobbling at all after he called the physio out. I saw him doing a little bit of stretching, so there might be a little bit of cramp.”
Ponting’s post-match assessment encapsulated his dissatisfaction with DC’s performance in both bowling and fielding aspects, alongside acknowledging individual batting achievements. Additionally, he addressed the missed opportunities in terms of DRS referrals, highlighting the need for better communication and alertness among the team members.
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