IPL 2019 | Have to ensure bowlers are doing their job, says Ryan Harris

04/15/2019

Ryan Harris has sent a word of caution to the Kings XI Punjab bowlers after the side lost their fourth match in the opening eight stating that the bowlers have to get their job done. He has also asked swashbuckling batsmen Chris Gayle to not hold himself back and go full throttle from next time on.

Royals Challengers Bangalore registered their first win of the IPL 2019 on Saturday as they overcame Kings XI Punjab by eight wickets, as AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli starred once again. Batting first, Punjab posted a competitive target of 174 runs banking on a hard-hitting innings by Gayle who made 99 off 64 balls that RCB chased down with four balls to spare.

It was Punjab’s second consecutive loss in three days and fourth in eight outings as they are sitting fifth on the points table, which has led their bowling coach Harris to ask his side to buckle up if they would want to qualify for the knockouts.

"Our batting has been really good, before today we had 300-run partnerships in a row, which for T-20 cricket is very unusual. So, we are batting very well” Harris said after the match, reported TOI.

“Disappointing thing for me is we bowled well in patches, we had a couple of really good games and then we saw game here today where plans that we made were a long way off. So, we have to get our act together as we can't afford to lose any more games...we have to make sure bowlers are executing and doing their job, they are world-class bowlers," he added.

Harris also felt that his side eventually fell 15-20 runs short after batting first despite Gayle wreaking havoc with 10 boundaries and five sixes. However, he saw teammates changing frequently at the non-striker’s end that forced him to slow down and eventually KXIP posted a below-par target.

“Personally, I think we were 15-20 runs short after the kind of start we had. Obviously, the wicket slowed down later..we got ourselves into a position where we should have been able to launch, but we either lost wickets. RCB bowled pretty well in the middle overs," said Harris.

KXIP were 66 without loss at the end of power play, looking to post a massive target and continue their unbeaten run in PCA IS Bindra Cricket Stadium. However, by the end of the 14th over, Punjab were slumping at 113/4 and Gayle had to tone down a bit. Harris has been of the opinion that he shouldn’t have done it.

"He tried to control through the middle, but we lost wickets during the middle, which doesn't help. He probably takes three overs and then gets to move on once he gets the pace of each bowler," Harris said while praising Gayle’s effort.

"Through the middle, we'd like him to keep going. But the way the spinners bowled and the wicket was holding up a bit, it was quite hard for him to do that. Losing wickets as consistently as we did he sort of had to be the man to bat through. If he is there in the last three or four overs, he can get 50-60 runs. I guess we'd like him to go harder a bit earlier but the role he played tonight was excellent. He deserved the hundred," he added.

Punjab would next take on Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday and the Ajinkya Rahane-led side hasn’t been very strong either.