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Delhi Daredevils displaced Kolkata Knight Riders from second spot with a comfortable 27-run win in their Indian Premier League match, in New Delhi, on Saturday.
With their spinners leaking 85 runs in nine overs on a good batting track, Kolkata Knight Riders opener Robin Uthappa conceded that they misread the Feroz Shah Kotla pitch, which usually is slower.
1. Kolkata Knight Riders fielded Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla and Brad Hogg, but could not make any impression against the Delhi Daredevils batsmen.
"Kotla generally has a tag of slow track, but it was a really good track. Flat and hard. The ball skidded off and nicely came on to bat. Our spinners were nullified today. But spinners are our strength and the idea was to back our strength," Uthappa, who was top scorer for Kolkata Knight Riders with his 72-run knock, said at the post match press conference.
From 32-3 in five overs, Delhi posted a challenging 186-8 and Uthappa said his side let the Daredevils post a formidable score.
"With little more discipline, we could have restricted them to less than 160. We took our foot off pedal after getting the first three wickets and bowled some rank bad balls," he said.
2. Asked if Daredevils captain Zaheer Khan still has the same zip that he had before retirement, Uthappa, who faced him while opening the Kolkata Knight Riders innings, replied in the affirmative.
"Zak bowled as well as he has always done. He is a very cunning bowler. He does not give you much. It's tough to go on offensive against him. He still has that zip but surely that pace has dropped. But it still came nicely on to bat."
3. Uthappa also defended the team's decision to send Piyush Chawla at No 3, saying "he is not a dud with the bat".
"He has done well in first class cricket. Since Manish Pandey is not there, it gives us this luxury of trying these things," he said.
Uthappa said death bowling was a concern for them but they will take lot of positives from the game.