Kolkata: IPL is like a treasure hunt with a victory but a single clue. One has to get enough clues to be able to decipher the code and win the ultimate prize. The Kolkata Knight Riders have recently managed to aid their search for the holy grail by defeating the Deccan Chargers.
Yet it will require even greater hunger and discipline to earn themselves a semi-final berth. Listening to all-rounder Angelo Mathews and coach Dav Whatmore would make a believer out of an agnostic.
Speaking to the media after a practice session at the Eden Gardens, ahead of Sunday’s match with Kings XI Punjab, Matthews talked about how the wickets in his native country, Sri Lanka, and India were similar, which was helping him in his tournament.
He said: “We have been playing a lot of matches in the sub-continent and the wickets in Sri Lanka are also similar to these wickets.”
Asked if he had any insights into how to dismiss his Sri Lankan team-mates (Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene) in the KXIP line-up, he responded: “They are good all-round players. It’s best that we plan out how we are going to bowl at them, we will go through each and every player of the opposition.”
On the subject of his own batting role down the order, the 22-year-said he was happy to contribute at any position in the team.
“It doesn’t matter as long as we keep winning,” Matthews affirmed. “That I bat or not, it doesn’t matter as long as we are getting runs and winning.”
Questioned about being one of the few Sri Lankans to be performing consistently in IPL 2010, he said that the secret to his success was his hunger for winning.
“It doesn’t mean [the others] are not hungry to do well. It’s just that they are not getting the runs,” he opined.
With explosive opener Brendon McCullum having now arrived, straight-talking coach Whatmore was asked about where the Kiwi would fit in.
Whatmore said: “He is an opening batsman in T20 and has got a 100 against Australia batting as an opener. So, I think he will be discussed as an opener.”
The Australian added that since McCullum went in first up, Matthews’s position was not under threat and someone like David Hussey or Chris Gayle would be the overseas player left out for the New Zealand wicketkeeper.
Whatmore was dismissive of the idea that playing at their Kolkata home would gave them an advantage on Sunday.
“[A] home match or away match, it doesn’t really matter,” he said. “What matters is that the team makes to continue to win, the team makes to continue to really press forward. We have four losses to make up for and we can’t stop now. We [have] got to keep going regardless of who we play.”
Whatmore was also keen not to underestimate the Kings XI Punjab team based on their current form (just one win so far) and felt they could now be party poopers for the rest of the teams in IPL.
“It’s fair to say that the Kings XI Punjab are struggling with their results. But then the teams who play them are wary that they are overdue a victory as well. So we must not take them lightly and must not be complacent. We will take them just as we take everyone else.”
Yuvraj Singh’s bad form has particularly been in the news, but Whatmore believes that the Punjab blaster can still be dangerous.
“He looked all right the other night (against RCB), didn’t he? There is no doubt about his ability as a T20 batsman, he is pretty good. We just hope to continue to get him out cheaply and making it a naughty series for him,” he quipped.
Asked about his own blaster, Gayle’s, lacklustre tournament, the KKR coach showed his faith in the opener by saying: “He is a terrific player and a matchwinner. Matchwinners don’t always perform but they come up with one or two efforts where we win the game.”
Whatmore will be banking on one of those efforts coming along soon.
No comments:
Post a Comment