Delhi Daredevils head back to India on the right track

Delhi Daredevil’s desert safari came to an end on a winning note much to the delight of DD’s devotees. Johann Wolfgang once said that daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten but may start a winning game. That is exactly what transpired when DD decided to field the right set of players at the cost of some uneven recitals and balance the team in a way that it would be difficult to spot a flimsy opening in a finely knit squad. Murali Vijay, Quinton De Kock at the top, JP Duminy at a floating position and KP/Dinesh Karthik in the middle provided a strong base for DD to streamline the chase. One thing that stood out for DD is that they earned the victory against MI the hard way. The surface was tough to bat on and not suitable for power hitting. A small total to chase was tough to decipher because it needed a lot of application each over and Zen-like focus every ball. For a team lacking in experience, DD won by sheer will and determination on the pitch. [caption id=“attachment_1501883” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] JP Duminy is turning out to be a key player for DD. BCCI[/caption] The bowling lineup shaped up beautifully against MI and it would have been much better had Nathan Coulter-Nile not been sent back to nurse his hamstring. Against the struggling MI batting line-up, both Mohammad Shami and Jaydev Unadkat looked good but one cannot measure the intensity of the attack against a stressed squad. Its real test would be to contain opponents at Ferozshah Kotla which is a much smaller ground and averse to pacers. DD will start with their home leg in a week’s time and we can expect some good crowds to build up after a long time as the team looks set for dispatch. Another feature of DD’s win against MI was the level headed captaincy of KP, as hinted by Parnell. A good captain like a good chef has to be a man manager, a good strategic thinker to cut the dead inventory as and when required and most of all an inspirational personality so that people around him pick up these traits. KP demonstrated all these mannerisms when he utilized the bowling resources judicially, dropped Manoj Tiwary from the Playing XI and then batted with poise. Delhi’s UAE trip started on a dismal note but they have emerged with a stronger playing eleven and sorted out most of their issues. The ground work done in the first fifteen days is starting to show on the field and DD should take heart in their performances. The next phase in India is going to be critical and execution of plans methodically would take the team where it rightfully belongs.