After succumbing to their seventh loss this season, Delhi Daredevils skipper JP Duminy said his team paid the price for conceding too many runs in the last five overs against Kolkata Knight Riders on Thursday.
- Chawla spins Kolkata Knight Riders to victory
Johan Botha smashed 17 from five balls (4x4) in the last over to lift KKR to a competitive 171/7.
"Probably leaked 15-20 (runs) too many, I thought we gave it a good go with the bat," said Duminy after his team fell short by 13 runs while chasing 172.
"We had eight batters, but we didn't utilise Morkel. We're pretty much out of it, but we have a lot of pride to play for. Let opportunities go. We have a lot of work to do with our fielding. We brought it back nicely in the middle, contained them. But in the last five overs they got 60-odd which was too much," he added.
The skipper had dropped Mayank Agarwal and brought in local lad Tiwary to play at his home ground but the move did not work.
"We dropped an opener so we probably had to fill that spot and he was the next guy in. He was very keen to do that. We are not blaming anyone for certain performances that lost us the game. On a whole, we all could have done better; we all could have taken up responsibilities at some stage of the game. I probably leaked a too much in the Powerplay."
Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said he was always confident of defending the total with his battery of bowlers.
"I think we were thinking 160 and getting 170 was a bonus. That over of Zaheer, and the way Johan batted was brilliant. 155 would have been par with Sunil and Hoggy with us," Gambhir said.
"We knew Delhi would come hard, it was a must-win game for them. But we knew we had options and we were always controlling the game with our spinners. Always a blessing in disguise to have so many options, for me four spinners is always better. Johan, Piyush, Hoggy and Sunil are great.
"People keep talking that Kolkata turns and spins, but we've been getting 170 runs. And they just lost by 13 runs. It's a good batting track, when you have quality in the line-up it doesn't matter," he said.
Asked about their next game against Kings XI Punjab, Gambhir said: "I don't believe in momentum. It's a new game the day after tomorrow and we'll start even again. We have to go out and play to our potential and we have everything to lose against Kings XI, who have nothing to lose."
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, who was adjudged the Man of the Match for snapping four wickets, said: "The season is going pretty well, the ball is coming out very well. No matter how many spinners are in the side, as a leggie I go for wickets. And the kind of powerful batting line-up Delhi had, that was the only option to contain them," said the Uttar Pradesh cricketer.
"My role depends on the situation, Sometimes I bowl four on the trot, sometimes I'm held back. It depends on the captain," he added.
"I always go for wickets as a leg-spinner. I never think of containing the batsmen because that does not work. The moment you think of containing the batsmen then you become defensive. You may go for runs as well when you bowl to take wickets but at the same time you can only win the matches by taking wickets," Chawla said.
Chawla's first spell read 2-0-23-1, but he turned it around in the last spell taking the wickets of Kedar Jadhav (10) and Yuvraj Singh in one over.
"It's about how strongly you come back if you go for runs in the first two overs. At that time I was planning to get some wickets. That's the only thing through which I could contain the batsmen. They were taking their chances, especially against me. I knew they would look to go after me and I just needed to bowl in good areas."
Chawla also showered praise on fellow spinner Sunil Narine, who was included in the side after being cleared by the Board with a final warning.
"We all know how good a bowler he is. We can all see how strongly he came back after the ups and downs. He's a class act," he said of Narine who returned wicket-less giving away 30 from his full quota of four overs.
