Dilshan has scary memories of the last time he played at Kotla, but in Delhi colours, he will feel at home today
Dilshan has scary memories of the last time he played at Kotla, but in Delhi colours, he will feel at home today
What's Delhi Delight without a few dollops of Dilscoop?
The Daredevils have won two matches, pretty much at a canter, thanks to the present (Gambhir) and past (Sehwag) captains coming good in successive matches. But as the side begins their home campaign against Mumbai Indians at the Ferozshah Kotla here today, one would really love to see Tillakaratne Dilshan coming to the party, and for several reasons.
For one, he needs to get over the sickening blow he received while playing the last one-day international of the India-Sri Lanka series here, when the minefield of the track forced the match to be called off. But the plus side is that the chap who whacked him, Ashish Nehra, is in the same team, and isn't even playing!
Then, only someone completely ignorant or extremely optimistic would suggest that the Kotla pitch will keep its bounce for any extended period of time, and to play the Dilscoop, one needs to be able to get under the delivery. So ideally, sooner the better.
Also, though the Delhi batting hasn't really been tested, the middle-order consisting of AB de Villiers and Dilshan needs to come good in double-quick time -- it's not everyday that the openers are going to win it all.
Delhi's strength has been their bowling, which has enabled them to restrict the opposition to modest totals, but the batting, at least in the first game against Kings XI Punjab, was pretty ordinary, with the middle-order not working.
But that cannot last, not with the play-it over-the-wicketkeeper Dilshan around. Granted, he has played just four balls in the IPL this time around, aggregating a grand total of zero runs, it still doesn't seem to be a worry.
"One really can't say if he is in bad form," Daredevils' assistant coach Eric Simmons says, asked about the batsman's form. "If he were to play 30 balls and score 20, then there could be a cause for worry. But four balls over two games really doesn't give you an idea about his form."
Well, if form is the consideration, take a load of this: In the series against India, he scored 353 runs, averaging 70.60 with two centuries and a top score of 160. Though Sri Lanka lost the series, Dilshan did his job sensationally.
Dilshan's utility is incredible -- he bats (and how), bowls, is a livewire fielder and keeps wickets.u00a0 The man is a sensation, and too good to fail for too long. So be it the scoop, the paddle or the straight bat, we are ready for some fun.
