The Kolkata Knight Riders began IPL 3 with a bang, recording an exciting 11-run victory over defending champions the Deccan Chargers in the opening match at the DY Patil Stadium here on Friday.
Sri Lankan Angelo Mathews played the all-rounder’s role to perfection, smashing an unbeaten 65 that lifted the Knights’ total to 161 for 4, and then returned to claim one for 27.
England’s Owais Shah played a crucial knock of 58 while sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 130 runs with Mathews.
The Chargers were off to a brisk start with captain Adam Gilchrist (54) and VVS Laxman (22) putting on 61 runs for the opening stand. But the wheels came apart after the dismissal of the Australian swashbuckler and they just about managed to reach 150 for seven.
The win marked a true turnaround for Shah Rukh Khan’s side that consistently ended on the wrong side of close results last year in South Africa.
More than the skills, it was the character that was notable in the Knights’ performance. And there was the familiar sight of Sourav Ganguly ending up as a winning captain.
Sourav failed with the bat, but his leadership skills were on full display as he coolly plotted the rivals’ downfall, ringing in the right bowling changes at the right time.
On the other hand, Gilchrist had reasons to worry as his batsmen, without exception, fell to poor shots to innocuous balls.
The Knights’ start was nothing but a disaster as they lost Manoj Tiwary and captain Sourav in the very first over for nought.
Chaminda Vaas provided a spectacular start to the tournament that has been dogged by off-field controversies when he had Tiwary caught at mid wicket off the first ball.
The Sri Lankan veteran, exploiting the bounce and carry, then induced an outside edge from Sourav three balls later.
The Chargers struck another double blow when they had Cheteshwar Pujara and Brad Hodge in three balls.
Mathews began with a top edge six to third man, but thereafter played some shots of authority. He even improvised to play scoop-sweeps.
Shah, at the other end, played a percentage innings but did not hesitate to punish an erring Andrew Symonds, sweeping him for a six over square-leg fence.
Mathews then opted for the long handle as he clubbed Vaas, Tirumalasetti Suman and RP Singh all for a six each.
The last four overs cost the Chargers 58 runs with Vaas being the most expensive, conceding 18 runs in his third over.
Despite the late onslaught, the Knights couldn’t maintain the momentum and let the Chargers get off to a flying start.
Gilchrist survived a chance when his outside edge off Ishant Sharma, on two, was grassed by Hodge at second slip. But he soon settled down to play one of his typical knocks. A six off Langeveldt in the third over helped him get into groove and another off Laxmi Ratan Shukla saw him firmly set.
Laxman was in an unfamiliar role as an opener (he has opened only five times in ODIs) and adopted an unfamiliar style. To see him under-cut Ishant Sharma was very un-Laxman-like.
He perished attempting a slog sweep, Murali Kartik taking a good catch off his own bowling.
Gilchrist eventually fell trying to pull Hodge and ended up being caught in the deep.
From there on the procession followed, with Herschelle Gibbs and Andrew Symonds quickly returning to the pavilion.
That set the stage for Rohit Sharma, who has been in and out of the Indian team, to play a match-winning knock. But the Mumbaikar played a shot that he would regret for his life, a tennis smash against a bouncer from Mathews that popped into Hodge’s hands at mid off.
Suddenly, the target began to look insurmountable with 34 needed from 20 balls.
Anirudha Singh and Chaminda Vaas fell going for the big shots, leaving 20 to be scored off the last nine balls, which proved to beyond Suman and Jaskaran Singh.
