IPL 10, Match 23, Kolkata Knight Riders vs Gujarat Lions: 5 Tracking Points

From Narine's blitz to Raina's finish, here are the major highlights from the game

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Suresh Raina
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Suresh Raina. (Photo Source: BCCI)

The Eden Gardens in Kolkata was the venue where Kolkata Knight Riders played hosts to Gujarat Lions in the 23rd match of the season. The home side was asked to bat first on a batting friendly pitch and they were off to a flying start courtesy the opener Sunil Narine. The score was up and running in the powerplay. Robin Uthappa then carried on the momentum and scored a brilliant fifty and KKR seemed like cruising to a massive total. But the Lions’ bowlers did well to halt the score under 200 and had to chase a target of 188.

Their chase was powered by the openers Aaron Finch and Brendon McCullum who came out with an intent of scoring quickly right from the beginning. But after they were dismissed, GL found themselves in a slight spot of bother. But the captain Suresh Raina played a superb knock of 84 and ensured there were no hiccups in getting past the line. GL reached the target having 4 wickets and 10 balls in hand and achieved their second victory of the season.

Here are the 5 major highlights from the game:

#1 Narine’s yet another opening blitz

After experimenting with Colin de Grandhomme at the opener’s slot, KKR brought back Sunil Narine to open the innings alongside the skipper Gautam Gambhir. The job of the West Indian was pretty simple, he was asked to go after the bowling from the outset and set the run rate flowing from the start. He batted there twice before but the third one proved to be the most successful for him.

He began by striking three fours in the first over from Praveen Kumar followed by four more in the next one by James Faulkner. Basil Thampi was introduced in the third over but he was deposited for two fours and a six by the left-hander. KKR’s score was boosted to 44 after 3 overs to which Gambhir had contributed just 2 off 2 balls. The skipper Suresh Raina brought himself on in the fourth over and accounted for Narine’s wicket. The opener departed for 42 off just 17 balls but not before he had his job perfectly.

#2 Uthappa came to the fore

Narine had provided the kind of start KKR would have hoped for and it presented a great platform for someone like Robin Uthappa to build the innings. The right-hander looked fluent from the beginning and struck some classy shots. He got a reprieve when Aaron Finch grassed one at long on when he was batting at just 7. Uthappa realized that the luck was by his side and so, he made a conscious effort of digging in there.

The partnership between him and Gambhir added 69 runs for the second wicket before the latter was removed in the 12th over. Uthappa reached his half-century in the 15th over from 35 balls. When the Lions’ bowlers made it hard to score runs, he fell in the hunt to up the ante. Praveen Kumar sent him back in the penultimate over and ended a fine knock of 72 off 48 deliveries that included 8 fours and 2 sixes.

#3 Lions pulled things back at the death

The KKR innings was flourishing after Narine’s innings and the partnership between Gambhir and Uthappa. The score was well past 100 in the 11th over and they looked like getting over 200 runs easily. Even after Gambhir’s dismissal, Uthappa was at the crease and they had enough firepower in the form of Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan to take them to a huge total.

But the GL bowlers did well to restrict them and made it difficult to score run. Only 78 runs were scored in the last 9 overs and KKR should have scored plenty more having an ample number of wickets in hand. Especially, James Faulkner who went for 17 runs in his first over, made a terrific comeback and gave away only 21 in his next 3 overs and also picked up the wicket of Gambhir that put the brakes on scoring.

#4 An electrifying start set the tone for GL

A target of 188 runs was on the board and the Lions’ openers provided the perfect start to chase the big total. Brendon McCullum slammed two boundaries in the first over bowled by Shakib and the other opener Aaron Finch took Narine to the cleaners and hammered two fours and a six in the next over.

Finch followed it up with another big over as he collected two fours and a six in the third over by Shakib and the score flew to 40 in just 3 overs. Finch was out in the fourth over after scoring 31 off 15 balls. But McCullum kept going after the bowling as he ended the over with a six and 2 fours and the score read 56 after just 4 overs. After the powerplay, the Kiwi batsman was dismissed for 33 off 17 but the GL’s score was powered to 72 before the fielding restrictions were lifted.

#5 Raina led from the front

The skipper had a wonderful platform set by the openers and the onus was on him to carry forward the momentum. He got off the mark on the first ball but Narine managed to induce an outside edge of his bat that the keeper Uthappa failed to grab. Raina realized that it was his day and he didn’t fail to seize the opportunity. He was adamant to stick to the crease in the beginning and only focussed on rotating the strike.

The middle-order suffered a collapse and they were down to 5/122 in the 13th over. With still a handful of runs to get, the left-hander took it upon himself to see his side through. He didn’t reprieve either the pacers or the spinners and kept the required run rate under control. When he got out in the 18th over, just 8 more runs were needed off 13 balls which were achieved easily with 10 balls to spare. Raina ended with a magnificent 84 off just 46 balls that included 9 fours and 4 sixes.

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