Mohali: Kolkata Knight Riders produced a disciplined bowling effort to restrict Kings XI Punjab to a modest 138 for eight in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Tuesday.
Shaun Marsh top-scored for the hosts with an unbeaten 56 off 41 balls. The Australian struck five boundaries and a six during his stay in the middle in a rather mediocre outing by the Kings XI Punjab batting line-up.
For KKR, Sunil Narine finished with impressive figures of 2/22, while Morne Morkel had 2/27 from his quota of four overs each. There was wicket apiece for Umesh Yadav, Piyush Chawla and Yusuf Pathan.
The total could have been much less had it not been for the 18 runs Marsh and Kyle Abbott (12 not off six balls) plundered in the innings’s last over bowled by Andre Russell.
Invited to bat after the coin landed in favour KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir, Kings IX Punjab struggled to get going in the beginning, losing Manan Vohra (8) with just 21 runs on the board in the fourth over.
Experienced opener Murali Vijay spent some time in the middle, but could not manage more than 26 runs in 22 balls before being foxed by a Piyush Chawla googly.
Wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha (8) did not last long and became Sunil Narine’s first victim since his comeback as the ace spinner had the batsman caught behind.
The hosts were dealt a body blow when off-spinner Yusuf Pathan had skipper David Miller (6) caught behind with a deliver that cramped him for room.
Things only got worse for Kings XI Punjab as Narine sent back the dangerous Glenn Maxwell (4) whose switchhit could not clear Piyush Chawla at cover.
Even as the slide continued for Kings XI Punjab, Shaun Marsh held one end firm through singles, twos and the occasional boundaries. Looking for their second win of the season, what badly affected the home side was the lack of partnership through the innings, thanks to the failure of its star batsmen at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium. 26 was the highest partnership of the innings.
Axar Patel displayed poor temperament and was dismissed by Umesh Yadav’s slow off-cutter. Marsh broke the silence in the stands with a spanking pull shot off Morne Morkel. However, Mohit Sharma came and went, falling to a short-pitched delivery from Morkel. Next man Pradeep Sahu was run out while going for a non-existent second run, leaving Marsh frustrated.
