When Virat Kohli came out to open innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Sunrisers Hyderabad during the IPL 2020 tie on Friday, many were shocked, including former India captain Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli, who had hit No. 3 for most of the IPL, decided to promote himself to the top of the order alongside Devdutt Padikkal in hopes of giving RCB a good start. But his ploy didn’t work, as it came off cheap for SRH Jason Holder’s SUV.
Read also | Total IPL coverage 2020
Tendulkar credited Holder with throwing a tight line and length and reckoned that while Kohli looked determined to open, the rebound generated by Holder worked for the Sunrisers.
Read also | “ Removing Kohli as captain is not the solution, ” explains Sehwag how RCB can become a superior team next season
“Holder’s opening spell was really good and I was surprised to see Virat open the entrances. It was a different strategy that did not fit. Virat seemed optimistic, but when Holder was pitching him, he was trying to open the line. Try to cover Holder’s swing, walking towards the bowler to reduce the distance to cut the swing. But Holder has more rebound than other bowlers as he is so tall. And that’s what did the trick. Virat was hit by the rebound, ”Tendulkar said in his YouTube video.
“Right after that, he took Padikkal out, so he took out two main players, along with AB de Villiers. These three have been the mainstays of RCB this season and have contributed enormously. So it was the fact that Holder got these two fields that was a game changer for me. “
Read also | ‘You shouldn’t go near David Warner’, Sunil Gavaskar, others react to controversial firing of SRH captain
Besides Holder, Tendulkar was pleased with the bowling effort of left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, whose spell the great Indian said he “enjoyed watching.” Nadeem along with Rashid Khan tested AB de Villiers, and while the former South African captain made it half a century, left-arm spinner Nadeem in particular played a role in keeping De Villiers calm, Tendulkar felt.
“The spinners also played well. Rashid always plays well, but even [Shahbaz] Nadeem played very well with him. When he threw AB de Villiers, if you see footwork, when he (de Villiers) doesn’t have the freedom to attack, he tries to attack the spinners from the backhand. I was waiting to move a little towards the stump of the leg, ”Tendulkar noted.
“If Nadeem had played a little shorter, I would attack him from behind. But wisely, Nadeem didn’t give him room to release his arms and generate power. Whenever he moved toward the stump of his leg, Nadeem followed him. I really enjoyed watching that spell. “
.
