Fight for coherence!
As the fiercely competitive Indian Premier League enters its halfway point, Rajasthan Royals seem to be in control, with the majority of the other teams having to play catch-up.
The Delhi Capitals, who have not played in Delhi, will benefit from having more home games in the second half of the 14-team season. In response to a query by Tuesday midday, Delhi coach Ricky Ponting said, “We haven’t played a single home game.”
He gave an explanation for DC’s decision to skip a match in Delhi during the first half of the league: “We took the opportunity to move away from Kotla after the WPL to give the wicket a bit of a break there.”
Ponting desires further
“Overall, I want the guys to know that, despite how close we have been, we could very well be sitting here with five wins and a defeat. When asked how he saw the second half of the league with his club in ninth position, he said, “So, we understand how close we are and how close the tournament is, but you can’t afford to be close, you can’t afford to be [only] good, you got to be very good.”
Three of Delhi’s five aggressive southpaws in the top five and one in the lower middle-order will provide a challenge for Gujarat’s main spinners. Ponting acknowledged that they had that advantage, but he believed that the Titans could counter left-handers with away deliveries by using off-spinner Jayant Yadav as an impact player.
Rashid Khan, Gujarat’s top-ranked leg-spinner, isn’t playing at his best and would rather bowl outside of the Powerplay, which might put pressure on him when he faces players like Abishek Porel, David Warner, Axar Patel, and Rishabh Pant.
Warner is dubious
Warner, however, is questionable after a left hand injury sustained during the game against the Lucknow Super Giants. Since arriving in Ahmedabad, the left-handed Australian opener has not been in training.
Ponting said that despite the unambiguous X-ray, Warner continued to have some edema at the left knuckle. “He can’t seem to grip the bat correctly.
The final decision will be made the morning of the play. “We will give him a fitness test tomorrow morning, but he is a character that whatever the pain, I won’t be surprised if he is ready to go,” he said.
In order to finish the first half of their season in the top five, the hosts Titans will need to increase their point total to eight.
For both clubs to have a chance of making the playoffs, they will need to play more consistently in the second half.
