Jacques Kallis troubled by KKR's fielding problems

Against Mumbai, Kolkata appeared to have done enough to secure a victory with the home side needing 60 to win off four overs. However, Nitish Rana and Hardik Pandya managed to reach the target with a ball to spare. Kallis blamed the team's poor fielding efforts in the death overs as the main cause for the defeat. 

"It's surprising. We pride ourselves in our fielding. It is an area we have been pretty good in the last couple of seasons," Kallis said, reported PTI.

"Hopefully we can turn that around. I think it's much of a mindset. We know that it's an issue. Hopefully, we can improve on that. For me, it's such an area that we really want to improve."

Even with 11 runs needed off the last over, it looked like KKR were still in with a shout having dismissed Rana in the previous over. But on the second ball of the over Surya Kumar Yadav fumbled the ball and ended up conceding a boundary that eased the pressure on the Mumbai team. But the chances weren't done yet as substitute fielder Rishi Dhawan dropped Pandya two balls later which put an end to the Kolkata challenge.

"It's a little setback. Probably we were in control of the game for 36 of the 40 overs. Certainly, a game that we thought we lost rather than Mumbai won," Kallis explained.

"Having said that conditions got tougher for the bowlers. There was dew. It was tough. They played well in the last four overs. Our guys would have learnt from that," he said.

"I think we will rather learn from it rather than hurting the guys too much, it has happened at the early part of the season. I think lessons were learnt."

Talking ahead of KKR's first home game of the season, the South African said that he was happy with the choices available at his disposal, with Umesh Yadav in contention for the game as well. 

"We have a lot of talent in our side where we can mix and match our bowling attack. We have different options for different wickets," Kallis said.

"Obviously the wickets are not going play the same as last season. But we will come up with ideas, the team selection that will revolve around conditions and opposition. But we will stick to our strength.

"It's about getting the right side for the right game. We are fortunate enough to have spinners who can bowl in any conditions. They don't only need conditions to succeed."

"We have got some mystery spinners, some wrist spinners who are tougher to read than orthodox spinners." 

Kallis' team will take on Kings XI Punjab, the only unbeaten side in the IPL, today at Eden Gardens. Praising his opponents Kallis said, "They are a dangerous and well-balanced side. We have to be on top of our game to beat them. All sides are evenly matched. Eventually, it will boil down to the team who makes the most of the opportunity. Hope we will get back to the winning ways."