A boost from the boss
Kolkata Knight Riders' co-owner and Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan, who
cheered and danced as his team got off to a victorious start, was missing when
they came down crashing against the Chennai Super Kings in their third game. This time he didn't miss the action, and came down to the dugout before the start of the game to personally greet each player.
Duck, wait and hit
Runs were coming at a trickle for Kolkata - at least by Twenty20 standards - when Shaun Pollock brought himself on for his second spell in the 11th over. David Hussey had already smashed him over extra cover, and Pollock bowled a slower bouncer on the final delivery. Hussey did not pick it initially, and he looked set to let it go. But the ball took ages to arrive, by which time the batsman adjusted, and a last-minute dab, almost out of the wicketkeeper's gloves, set the ball running to the boundary.
A quick bite, Sanath
No doubt the television producer is under pressure to drag out the top performer and put the camera in his face for a mid-innings or post-match interview, but in the mad rush one still needs be logical. Sanath Jayasuriya was the star in the field for the Mumbai Indians, but he also opens the innings and was rushing back to the dressing room to change and pad up in the break. But the television guys cut short his progress requesting him for a quick chat. Obviously the Sri Lankan legend was annoyed. Mumbai coach Lalchand Rajput settled matters and Shaun Pollock, the second-best performer, faced the camera instead.
Missing revenge
Chasing 138, Mumbai had been reduced to 25 for 3. Ashok Dinda had dismissed Manish Pandey for a duck and Robin Uthappa should have been his second victim. Uthappa slapped a short delivery to the left of backward point, where Debabrata Das reached out, but the ball didn't stick. Das had fluffed the chance to avenge his dismissal - Uthappa took a catch to his left at point to end the debutant's innings on 29.
Come on Billy, raise that finger ...
... would have been the refrain from the Kolkata crowd when Murali Kartik rapped the batsmen twice on the pads and led loud appeals from the home team. But umpire Billy Bowden didn't budge. Perhaps Sourav Ganguly should have considered a change of ends for the spinner.
Coincidences
Till today's game, Sanath Jayasuriya's quiet time in the IPL hadn't helped the cause of the Mumbai Indians. But after his four-over spell, his figures read 3 for 14, uncannily similar to his 3 for 12 off seven overs against India in the 1996 World Cup semi-final at the same ground. He took two catches then, and the 38-year-old showed he was no slouch, pouching two, the first of Sourav Ganguly at wide slip ample proof the reflexes were still top-notch.
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