Will be harsh to blame Balaji for loss

Author Image:

I am sure most of us go through this. But with me it happened for the first time in my international cricketing career

. October 14 is my birthday and I have a general feel good factor around this time. Yes, like all of you I too am fond of gifts but the feel good is because winter is slowly trooping in around this time.
The buzz of a new cricketing season, early morning dew, a pleasant chill, preparations for the festive season and evening air filled with the smell of smoke from a corn seller — all a heady cocktail of early winter in north India. And around this time I have never had an indifferent performance on a cricket field.

In 2008 while playing a Test match in Mohali against Australia, I got a 67 and a hundred. More importantly my team won by over 300 runs. Then last year on October 14, India beat England in an ODI by more than a hundred runs and I got a decent 32 off 33 balls. This was followed by another India win on October 17 in Delhi, where I got an unbeaten 84.
But this year so far has been an exception. We played on October 13, lost and I got a golden duck. Birthday or no birthday, it feels wretched to lose a T20 game by a margin of 52 runs and that too when we had things under control.
It will be harsh and misplaced to blame Balaji for the loss. I think he is a class act. He just had an off day which in this format is not too far away for even the best of bowlers. I think on that wicket our batting should have applied itself a little more. I should have hung around and looked to play conventional cricket in these conditions. By that I mean seeing the new ball off and then going for a calculated assault.
To me, we were always catching up when we were three down for mere four runs and Jacques Kallis had retired hurt. Thankfully, Kallis doesn’t have a fracture and we will take a call on his participation against Auckland Aces on Monday.
Delhi bowlers did really well. Irfan’s swing and Morkel’s steep bounce pegged us back. Both presented two extremely different challenges. I am really happy for Irfan and the fact that he has rediscovered his swing and rhythm.
For KKR, Sunil Narine once again showed why he is such a class act. He looked exceptional on a track that didn’t assist spinners. (360 Corporate Relations)