xtratime Logo

[caption id="attachment_42023" align="aligncenter" width="580"] Yusuf Pathan scored a quickfire half century against Delhi Daredevils on Monday. Image Source: IPL[/caption] Internet Desk: A vintage Yusuf Pathan (59 off 39) knock complimenting Manish Pandey’s watchfully compiled unbeaten 69 helped Kolkata Knight Riders chase down a competitive 169-run target set by the Delhi Daredevils. Left reeling at 21 for three in the third over, the duo fought back with an 110-run partnership at over nine runs to seize the advantage back from DD. Yusuf and Pandey’s flourishing stand forced Zaheer Khan to come back into the attack and bowl himself out with six overs still left in the game. The DD captain, who had conceded 13 runs in his first three overs for two wickets, was clobbered for 15 runs in his fourth by the duo. Reflecting on his team’s win from a dire situation, Yusuf said, “We had a good game plan and it succeeded. We were trying to get a boundary or a six in every over regardless of who the bowler was and to keep rotating the strike. The wicket was good and the partnership was also coming along well.So we were trying to put the bowlers and the captain under pressure so that they commit a mistake and so do the fielders. We backed ourselves.” Asked how they were picking the bowlers to go after, Pathan explained, “The bowlers were becoming aggressive and I was enjoying that. When the bowler comes aggressively at you, I feel good because (which means) he wants to get me out and that leads to a good contest. I enjoy that contest and fighting back.” Elaborating his team’s plans to counter the Zaheer Khan-led bowling line-up, Yusuf said, “DD has a good bowling line-up and Zaheer is captaining them really well. His field placement was also really good, but we had to hold ourselves back and stay calm. We discussed that we have to bat according to the way we want to and not to the field that they were placing. We told ourselves that we will play our shots because their field placements were really good; it could confuse the batsman. But we discussed that we shouldn’t get confused, and back ourselves and continue playing our shots whether it is going over the top or along the ground. “The wicket was good and the outfield fast, so that too was helpful,” he added. Talking about his contribution to the win, Yusuf said, “Obviously whenever the team has needed I have always delivered. I got off to a good start and finished well, as well. I always try to assess the pressure that the bowler and the team are under when I go out to bat. (Here) When I came in to bat I was middling the ball well.The bowlers were under pressure. I could feel that they wanted my wicket.So, I was thinking that I have to stay at the wicket; as long as I am there the match is ours. I was telling myself that. I was converting the boundary balls into boundaries and the strike was rotating as well; so that was a good start.” Talking about the partnership with Pandey, who finished the game with a ball to spare, the senior batsman said, “He is batting really well right now. The way I was middling the ball and the runs were coming, I was telling him ‘the runs are coming freely.You continue to rotate the strike, and if you get the ball (which is there to be hit) for a boundary or six, convert it.’ Yusuf not only played a vital role in KKR’s win, which took the team to top, but also fulfilled a promise he made to himself and to his son on his third birthday. “When we left from the hotel in Kolkata, he asked me for a bat and ball, which was a shock for me. He has only seen two games of mine since he really began to understand things.And after watching those two matches he has asked me for a bat and ball. I wanted to come here and win the game for the team. Today also, when we were talking on the phone, we talked about it. There can’t be a better gift then helping the team win and whatever he has asked for I will give those things to him after winning the game for my team.” Courtesy- IPL media