IPL 2021 | Our performance was mightily impressive with the ball upfront, admits Eoin Morgan
Following a hard-fought win, Eoin Morgan has admitted that their performance was very impressed with the ball up front and insisted that they had to work incredibly hard. Morgan also insisted that the franchise was helped with the fact that their spinners are variation bowlers, unlike other teams.
Going into Monday’s clash against Punjab Kings, Eoin Morgan’s KKR side had terribly underperformed to only win only one game in the tournament. However, on Monday, they changed their fortune rather nicely against an equally struggling Punjab Kings side in Ahmedabad, where KKR made full use of the conditions.
Having restricted Punjab to 123, it was just a matter of time before KKR wrapped things up, with a five-wicket win. In the post-match presentation, skipper Eoin Morgan had admitted that their performance on the night was impressive with the ball, especially upfront. The English skipper also praised the youngster Shivam Mavi for leaving an indelible impact on the game, dismissing the dangerous Chris Gayle for a first-ball duck.
“Wins haven't been easy to come by. Have worked incredibly hard. Today, along with a bit of luck, the performance was very impressive particularly with the ball upfront. When the wicket's like that - from the 12th over of our innings, the ball was sliding on. Only his second game this season (Mavi). The match-up against Gayle was favourable. He bowled well in the last game and started well here. For him to make an impact is huge, credit to him,” Morgan admitted in the post-match presentation.
Unlike other franchises, Kolkata have an impressive spin bowling unit, with Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy working well in tandem. Morgan praised the duo, adding that it is an advantage to have spinners who rely on variations rather than drift and turn.
“The advantage we have over most spinners is that our spinners are variation bowlers. They don't rely on drift and turn. They control their lengths well and rely on a tiny amount of turn and today they were exceptional.”
However, around the bubble, the situation in the country, owing to COVID-19 has worsened, with the IPL heading to two states that are terribly impacted by the virus. Morgan stated that the teams would try and lend their support to everything that is happening in the world.
“Lot of time to go in the tournament. Hopefully today can kick-start something for us. Certainly think it's challenging and it does have to be managed for players, coaching staff. When you consider the horrific nature of what's happening outside the bubble, we try and lend our support and encouragement for everything that's going on not only in India but around the world.
“If you're going out stay safe, wear a mask, social distance. We've seen first hand at home how devastating it can be. On behalf of KKR we wish everyone well. Ultimately if we stick together we can beat this thing.”