Knight Riders is a well balanced side: Wessels
GETTING READY: Knight Riders’s Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting at a training session ahead of the big clash against Super Kings.
CHENNAI: Sourav Ganguly was typically frank while talking to the media here on Friday.
He called Twenty20 cricket “a hit-or-miss brand of cricket” where “anything can happen.”
The captain of Kolkata Knight Riders added that a cricketer did not require “the skill level and the talent needed to succeed in Tests and ODIs for the Twenty20 matches.” This format is more about quick runs and entertainment, he said.
Asked about great Test bowlers such as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan bowling extremely well in a format loaded in favour of the batsmen, the Dada replied, “A good Test cricketer will do well in all forms of the game, whether it is Twenty20 or ODIs.”
He was pleased about leading the Knight Riders, but said “it is not the same as leading the country.”
Pat for bowlers
Ganguly said all the eight teams in the competition were strong and it was difficult to predict the winner.
He was all praise for his bowlers Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda, Ajit Agarkar and Murali Kartik for their performances in the first two games. “Our bowling is good for all conditions,” he said.
The former Indian captain was conscious of the fact that Super Kings had a strong batting line-up.
“They have Hayden, Hussey, Raina, Dhoni and Badrinath, who has done well in the domestic competitions. But, in Twenty20, every match will be different. In Tests or ODIs, you can fight back from a bad session or an hour, but here the game can get away from you very quickly.”
Enjoyable
He said it was enjoyable captaining a side with Ricky Ponting in it. Ponting had been forthcoming with his ideas, Ganguly said.
Super Kings coach Kepler Wessels said Saturday’s clash was the best match-up of the IPL league stages. “These are early days yet in the tournament, but the match will be between the two top sides,” he said.
He called the Knight Riders a “well balanced and dangerous side.”
Biggest threat
Wessels was conscious of the threat from paceman Ishant Sharma and said, “how we play him would depend on the conditions and the situation.” He said the Super Kings bowlers were putting in the effort at the nets and improving with every match.
Asked what a safe score in this format was, he replied, “Two hundred is a good score to defend and anything over that is a bonus.”
Super Kings batsman Badrinath said he was enjoying Twenty20 cricket and its challenges. “I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses,” he said.
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