4, 0, 0, 25, 0, 1, 1, 19, 0 The above sequence of numbers highlights Delhi Capitals’ troubles at the top of the order. In nine matches com...
4, 0, 0, 25, 0, 1, 1, 19, 0
The above sequence of numbers highlights Delhi Capitals’ troubles at the top of the order. In nine matches coming into the Qualifier 2 against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, Delhi’s openers simply hadn’t managed to get going.
Between the talented Prithvi Shaw and experienced Ajinkya Rahane, DC hadn’t been able to find a solution to the problem and somehow, it was starting to drag the in-form Shikhar Dhawan down as well.
So even while the decision to push Marcus Stoinis up the order was calculated (and on the cards for a while), when it eventually panned, make no mistake: it was also a desperate move.
DC coach Ricky Ponting knew that if they couldn’t get going early, SRH’s much-vaunted bowling attack would make things more difficult for them by tightening the screws and drying up the runs.
So he settled on a player he knew and trusted and perhaps, most importantly, a player who wanted to make the difference.
Ever so often, players talk about wanting to do the right things for the team but sometimes, the player’s ambition and the team’s goal don’t align. Stoinis, however, wanted this.
After the match against MI, Ponting had said: “Marcus has probably been slightly frustrated right...
