IPL: KKR V DD – http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Irfan-c64444 Pathan praises Eden pitch – Cricket News Update
The Delhi Daredevils all-rounder http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Irfan-Pathan-c1601 has credited his match-winning knock against the Kolkata Knight Riders in Thursday’s IPL opener to the batting friendly Eden Gardens pitch, as he feels the wicket got better after the downpour.
The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Gujarat-c787 all-rounder struck a pugnacious knock of unbeaten 42 runs from just 20 deliveries, as the Daredevils chased down a gettable 98-run target in the last over with eight wickets to spare.
Earlier, rain before the match restricted the game to 12-overs-a-side. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/V-Sehwag-c2739, after winning the crucial toss, put the hosts into bat, favouring his bowlers in overcast conditions. The Morne Morkel led Delhi attack restricted
the formidable Kolkata Knight Riders line up to 97 for 9 in their allotted quota of 12 overs.
In reply the tourists never looked in trouble as Aaron Fench and Sehwag provided them a steady start with an opening stand of 49 runs before Irfan Pathan played a 42-run match winning knock off just 20 balls to take the side home with
five balls to spare.
"The wicket just got better. I've played at the Eden earlier and it's always on the slower side,” said Pathan while speaking to media reporters after the match. “Probably the wicket got settled because of the rain. The ball came nicely
on to the bat," he added further.
Irfan was adjudged as the man of the match for the whirlwind match winning knock. He said that KKR’s fast bowler Marchant de Lange’s pace was just perfect on the damp wicket.
"It was coming nicely to bat. His pace, it seemed, was just right for batting on this pitch,” said the fast bowling all-rounder.
Pathan was also happy that his side won the important toss. He also praised http://www.senore.com/Cricket/JH-Kallis-c1692 and Manoj
Tiwary.
“It was a good toss to win. In shorter games you generally tend to panic. If you bat first you don't know what target to set. Morne [Morkel] changed the whole momentum for us," said Irfan.
Delhi play the Royal Challengers Bangalore next on April 7.
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