Opening partnership has been a problem for the Adam Gilchrist-led Kings XI Punjab and they are looking to turn thongs around when they on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in an Indian Premier League-V (IPL-V) fixture at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium here today.
u00a0“We haven’t quite had an opening partnership, myself and the other partner getting out early and we are looking to change that,” Gilchrist said in a pre-match media conference yesterday.
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Adam Gilchrist
Gilchrist and Paul Valthaty have disappointed with their bat so far. The former Australian wicketkeeper said Valthaty, hero of last edition, knows he can put up a better performance. “He is by no means out of contention in this tournament. It is just that we haven’t batted a perfect match or anywhere near that,” he said.
The fact that the Punjab side won over the Kolkata outfit at Eden Gardens would surely put them in a better frame of mind. Their last two wins came against Pune Warriors (home) and KKR (away). “(In T20) we all want to go 10 an over risk-free when we bat, but unfortunately, that risk doesn’t always pay off.” The skipper said that fielding the same playing XI back-to-back would help them make their choices. He also said that former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood is available for selection.
“He’s in contention. It’s nice to have him after a bit of delay. But we haven’t finalised our 11 yet, but definitely he is available for selection,” Gilchrist said. Gilchrist though showered praise on his bowlers. “They were very committed, pretty disciplined and an overall great effort from them,” he said. u00a0
Gambhir’s wishlist
>> He wins the toss
>>u00a0u00a0KKR get off to a good start
>>u00a0u00a0Yusuf Pathan comes good
>>u00a0u00a0There’s no collapse in middle-order
>>u00a0u00a0Early exit of David Hussey
Gilchrist’s wishlist
>>u00a0u00a0He wins the crucial toss
>>u00a0Opening pair fires this time
>>u00a0u00a0Piyush Chawla shows all-round skills
>>u00a0u00a0KKR middle-order fails again
>>u00a0u00a0Sunil Narine is not on song
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