Gambhir rues dropped catch, nerves at the death
Mumbai, April 10 (IANS) Having lost a cliff-hanger to the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said on Sunday that his team’s inability to hold their nerves at the death and the failure to take Hardik Pandya’s catch in the last over proved crucial in determining the course of the match.
Mumbai Indians registered a four-wicket win with only one ball left in the pulsating game at the Wankhede stadium.
The hosts logged full points by scoring 180/6 in 19.5 overs, after the Knights got 178/7.
Gambhir praised Pandya (29 not out of 11 balls) and man of the match Nitish Rana (50 of 29 balls) for playing “unbelievable innings”.
The duo virtually turned the match on its head with a blitz 41 run partnership of only 14 balls for the sixth wicket.
“We put a good score on the board in the last three overs. But Hardik and Rana played unbelievable innings,” said Gambhir, whose side slumped to their first defeat in two games of the tournament.
Gambhir also rued the “life” given to Pandya, in the fourth delivery of the ultimate over, when Rishi Dhawan could not get near a top edge from the batsman on the dewy turf.
“If we’d taken Hardik’s catch, anything might have happened,” he said.
Gambhir said his boys panicked a little at the end.
“It’s just a matter of keeping our nerves calm. We panicked a little in the end with the misfield and the dropped catch.”
He said there was a bit of dew on the ground that didn’t make it easy for spinners.
