Maxwell hopes Kings can replicate Gujarat performance for people of Punjab
Glenn Maxwell has urged the Punjab to replicate last night's performance for the remainder of the tournament and give their fans something to cheer about. The Aussie also praised the pacers for perfectly executing plans while singling out Rahul Tewatia for his exceptional bowling performance.
Chasing Kings XI Punjab’s 167 for 6, Chris Lynn fired on all cylinders for Kolkata Knight Riders and took the team to 61 for 1 in the powerplay overs. However, Punjab bowlers struck back, and the fantastic opening spells by the pacers were followed by a spin strangulation that restricted Kolkata to just 153 for 6. The 14-run win kept Punjab’s chances of a playoff spot alive.
Praising the team’s performance, Maxwell said, "I asked for an improved performance in the field and I got it.
"We backed our plans, which we have been asking of ourselves. They (the pacers at the end) were the calmest of the night. They knew what they wanted to do. The bowlers did their job, the fielders did their job. We are hanging by the skin of our teeth. It would be nice to win a toss now and then."Â
Haryana leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia spent only 18 runs in four overs while picking up two wickets and that proved to be the turning point of the game. In his second over, he had Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir caught at midwicket and then picked up the wicket of Robin Uthappa off the very first ball he faced. While Maxwell praised the 23-year-old for his spell, he also gushed that the team
"Spinners came into the game. Rahul Tewatia bowled well; he got the ball to spin (about when they came back in the game). We were able to stop the bleeding of runs, with the dot balls and conceding not too many boundaries.
"I thought the score was about par...We left ourselves