THE HIMALAYAN MAIL JAMMU Q THURSDAY Q APRIL 29, 2021 11 Travelling back home is a small issue compared KKR's floundering batting faces to situation outside IPL bubble: Ponting NEW DELHI, APRIL On the one-run defeat to strong Delhi Capitals test 28: Australian players RCB, Ponting said, "Our NEW DELHI, APRIL Ahmedabad, on Tuesday. might be a bit apprehensive last game went to a Super 28: Kolkata Knight Riders' Chasing 172 for a win, the following the suspension of Over and against RCB, we floundering batting will be Capitals were struggling at flights from India but Delhi lost by one run. That can put to test once again as Capitals' head coach Ricky only hold you in good stead 92 for 4 but Hetmyer they look to build a winning Ponting said it's a 'small is- when the bigger comes at upped the ante in company momentum against a star- sue' when compared to the the backend. We have got of his captain and another studded Delhi Capitals in chaos triggered by the sec- three games in four days, left-hander Pant as the duo their Indian Premier ond wave of COVID-19 in- we have to take our learn- smashed explosive half- League match, in Ahmed- fections in India. ings." centuries but only to go abad, on Thursday. Australia, on Tuesday, "The team is disap- down in a last-ball thriller. KKR's batting woes em- suspended all direct pas- pointed but also proud how Russell too looked in his anate right from the top senger flights from India boys fought. We will not elements when he smashed until May 15 due to the 'very overanalyse." with the highly talented Chennai Super Kings significant' spike in COVID- DC will next take on Shubman Gill continuing bowlers all around the park 19 cases in India. Kolkata Knight Riders his poor run -- 89 runs from in his 22-ball 54 but only in Australian Prime Minis- (KKR), in Ahmedabad, on six outings. a losing cause. It remains While their bowling, es- ter Scott Morrison also Thursday. to be seen who among the pecially the 'master-ap- leading run getter Shikhar ine to open with Rahul Tri- made it clear that cricketers number of people in India In the wake of the un- New Zealand pacer Kyle Caribbean duo wins the prentice' spin duo of Sunil Dhawan (265 runs), Prithvi pathi, something that was competing in the IPL will who got enjoyment by precedent health crisis, In- Jamieson, who was bought battle on Thursday. Narine and Varun Shaw, Steve Smith and the suggested by the legendary have to make their 'own watching IPL cricket." dia and DC spinner by RCB for 15 crore, said he After Ravichandran Ash- Three Australian players Ravichandran Ashwin de- Chakravarthy, have done an dangerous Rishabh Pant, Sunil Gavaskar. arrangements' to return didn't handle the pressure win's pulling out, the Capi- have exited the tournament cided to take a break from excellent job in restricting KKR can't afford any more The top-order reshuffle home. that comes with a high price tals' bowling got a boost amid the escalating health the tournament to be with the oppositions, KKR's top- slip-up if they want to con- may be the way forward as "There have been revela- tag too well initially. from Ishant Sharma who crisis, while Mumbai Indi- his family. order batting has hurt them tinue their ascent in the IPL the likes of Morgan, Andre tions that our government "I kind of ignored it a little cleaned up the in-form De- has made as far as Aus- ans batsman Chris Lynn re- "It is a really strange feel- bit in my mind and thought the most. points table. Russell and Dinesh Karthik quested Cricket Australia to ing amongst our team right Chasing an easy 124 First-up, Morgan will looked to have found their vdutt Padikkal with a tralians in India returning it would be fine, and I tried peach of a delivery en route to Australia. No doubt there arrange for a chartered now. We are very aware of to focus on things I could against Punjab Kings in have to fix the Gill conun- mojo in the middle. to a tidy 1/26. have been few distractions, flight to take them home af- what's happening outside control...in the first couple their last match, KKR's top- drum. With scores of 15, 33, Thursday's clash will see KKR batting will be put but the travel side for us and ter the event is over. and in India at the moment. of weeks going through the order cut a sorry figure to be 21, 0, 11 and 9, the opener a mini battle between the to test against the likes of Australians who are here is The BCCI has already as- Obviously, our hearts go out Australia series we were at 17 for 3 inside three overs has failed to impress, ex- Caribbean duo of Russell only a small issue," Ponting sured that it will make to every single person that's playing, I didn't handle the before skipper Eoin Mor- tending his poor run of and Shimron Hetmyer who Ishant, Kagiso Rabada and said in a virtual press con- arrangements for the return struggling with COVID-19 magnitude of the situation gan led from the front to form from the England will be anxious to do well young gun Avesh Khan, ference after his side lost to of the foreign players once in the Indian society," as best I could," he said. snap their four-match los- Test series. after the Capitals suffered while the spin duo of Amit Royal Challengers Banga- the tournament ends. Ponting said. "It (the price tag) cer- ing streak. It would not be a bad an agonising one-run de- Mishra and Axar Patel will lore by one run. A second wave of COVID- "We have had our one tainly isn't on my mind any- Against a DC batting line- ploy to drop Gill down the feat against Royal Chal- also look to make an im- "On daily basis, we are 19 pandemic has swept In- player leave as well, more. Yeah the first month, up boasting tournament's order and bring back Nar- lengers Bangalore, in pact. thinking about what's hap- dia and the country is Ravichandran Ashwin left probably six weeks after the pening outside and we un- recording over 3 lakh daily to be with his family so that auction were tough and I derstand how blessed we cases for the past few days, is affecting, we are talking guess I have learnt from are to be doing what we are leaving the health infra- about it more than most that which will hold me in Mumbai look to overcome doing. Hopefully, there are a structure in shambles. teams are." good stead." middle-order woes against RR Indian sprinters on verge of NEW DELHI,APRIL (187) despite being incon- 28: Defending champions sistent. Mumbai Indians will look And the likes Shivam missing Olympic qualifier to sort out their middle-or- Dube, David Miller and NEW DELHI,APRIL India will also field der woes and bring their Riyan Parag, would have to 28: Star sprinters Hima teams in the men's campaign back on track support the top-order by Das and Dutee Chand 4x400m in the event to be when they take on an incon- chipping in with much- might miss the Olympic held in Chorzow, Silesia, in sistent Rajasthan Royals in needed contributions. qualifying World Athletics Poland. an IPL game, in New Delhi, All-rounder Chris Mor- Relays in Poland on May 1 The top eight teams from on Thursday. ris (9 wickets and 48 runs) and 2 as the Indian team's the World Athletics Relays MI are coming into the has blown hot and cold and connecting flight to Ams- will automatically qualify match after suffering back- will again be under pres- terdam has been suspended for the Tokyo Olympics. to-back losses, the last one sure to deliver his high following the record-shat- The women's 4x400m being a nine-wicket defeat price tag.Left-arm pacer against Punjab Kings in Chetan Sakariya (7 wick- tering spike in the country's relay team has pulled out of (65 runs), hasn't fired in even as Hardik plays solely COVID-19 case load. the event as more than two Chennai and need to start ets) has been a revelation, the Delhi leg afresh. unison so far. as a batsman. while the experienced duo The women's 4x100m members are unfit. The middle-order can Mumbai, however, and the men's 4x400m re- The Indian mixed The Sanju Samson-led of Jaydev Unadkat (4 wick- Rajasthan have lost thrice pummel any good attack might play Adam Milne in ets) and Mustafizur Rah- lay teams were to board a 4x400m relay team has al- into submission on any place of Jayant Yadav. KLM flight to Amsterdam ready qualified for the in the tournament so far man (4 wickets) have been that our team may not be like Frankfurt from where and will seek to build on the given day and Sharma Rajasthan, on the other decent. The three left-arm in the wee hours on Thurs- able to take part in the they can proceed to Tokyo Olympics after would hope for their batting hand, have a lot of issues to day but the Dutch govern- reaching the final during six-wicket win over Kolkata pacers along with Morris, World Relays.