A bit of everything’: Moeen Ali praises balanced Guwahati wicket

Guwahati, Mar 27: In a season dominated by towering totals, Kolkata Knight Riders proved that bowlers can still dictate terms, restricting Rajasthan Royals to a modest 151 at the ACA Stadium in Guwahati on Wednesday evening. The chase was clinical, with Quinton de Kock’s unbeaten 97 off 61 balls steering KKR to a dominant eight-wicket victory with 15 balls to spare.

While some IPL matches have seen totals cross 500 runs in 40 overs, Wednesday’s encounter was a refreshing contrast. KKR’s spin duo — Varun Chakravarthy and Moeen Ali — displayed remarkable control, stifling the Royals’ batting line up and ensuring the game remained in the bowlers’ hands.

Importance of balanced pitches:

Speaking about the match and the wicket, former England all-rounder Moeen Ali stressed the need for surfaces that offer a fair contest between bat and ball.

“Some of the wickets are amazing to bat on in India. And on wickets like this, you’re not gonna get 300. You probably won’t even get 200,” Moeen said when asked about the importance of balance. “And it’s great to have these kinds of games in between those big-scoring ones because while those big games are great to watch, there’s also a little bit of a false sense of security — it can be a bit too much.”

Moeen also pointed out that the evolving nature of the game demands bowlers to come up with innovative strategies to contain runs in T20 cricket.

“The game is developing. Cricket is getting quicker and faster, and people are just fearless at the moment. So, yeah, bowlers have to come up with something. Planning and all that kind of stuff is more important than ever before,” he added.

KKR’s spin duo stifles Royals’ batting.

Moeen, who finished with 2/23 in four overs, praised the Guwahati pitch, calling it a well-balanced surface with a bit of swing, seam, and just enough turn. His spin partner, Varun Chakravarthy, was even more economical, finishing with 2/17 in four overs.

“It was a good wicket. It had a bit of everything. A bit of swing and a bit of seam as well. Obviously, it spun nicely, but not massive spin. Just enough spin. A very nice ground to play. I played here in England warm-up games, and it was really nice,” Moeen said, analysing the conditions.

Bowling in tandem with Varun, Moeen played a key role in applying pressure on the Royals’ batters.

“I came on before him (to bowl), so my job was to try and bowl as tight as I could, and then maybe he could build a bit of pressure as well or get the wickets. I’m used to bowling with somebody who is better than me and has more mystery than me. So my job there is to bowl as tight as I can and hopefully build pressure for them. And for that person to then get wickets,” he said.

“Varun is bowling outstandingly well. He’s a brilliant, brilliant bowler. He’s improved so much over the last two, three years. So, yeah, it’s amazing to bowl with somebody like that.”

De Kock’s masterclass:

While KKR’s bowlers set up the victory, Quinton de Kock ensured there were no hiccups in the chase. The South African wicketkeeper-batter played a superb knock of an unbeaten 97 off 61 balls, making batting look effortless. Moeen was all praise for his teammate’s composure and execution.

“Quinton is an experienced player who has been around for a while now. It was an amazing innings, and he made the Rajasthan Royals bowlers, especially Jofra Archer, look like they were bowling quite slow,” he said.