Dharamsala: While hailing Punjab Kings for taking the decision to retire out Atharva Taide during their 15-run loss to Delhi Capitals, former West Indies fast-bowler Ian Bishop believes that call could have come earlier in the innings.
Chasing 214 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala, Punjab were at 128/3 and needed 86 runs in 30 balls, when they made a tactical move to retire out Taide, who made a 42-ball 55, in the 15th over, bringing an end to a 50-ball 78-run second-wicket partnership with Liam Livingstone, who would go on to make a scintillating 94 off 48 balls.
“The over before, I was getting ready to put on social media – retired out, but I was reluctant in case he did a Rahul Tewatia, and that kind of opprobrium being thrown back at me.”
“But I want to give them credit for actually making the decision, whoever made it, because it’s not an easy decision to make, even though Ashwin did it and we’re going to see it more and more, it still takes some guts.”
“So that’s another opening of that pathway now for teams to make that call, but yes, it could have been done a little earlier,” Bishop was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Taide also became only the second batter to retire out in the IPL after Ravichandran Ashwin, with this instance happening during Rajasthan Royals-Lucknow Super Giants game last season. After he was retired out, none of the followed batters got going and despite Livingstone’s efforts, Punjab were unable to avoid defeat.
Former India wicketkeeper-batter Deep Dasgupta agreed with Bishop’s view that Taide should have been retired out way earlier in the innings. “Well, to be honest, (the decision) should have come a little earlier, because (Taide) was going at (a strike rate of) about 130 if I’m not wrong, in a 200-plus game, 214 to be precise.”
“You’ve got to go quicker than that. That middle phase is, I think, where it hurt Punjab a lot … Those middle overs, especially those six overs of spin, I think that really, in the end, hurt Punjab quite a bit. A few more runs there, it would have been a very interesting last over – and it was (laughs).”
With their playoffs hopes hanging by a thread, Punjab will play their last league game against Rajasthan Royals in Dharamsala on May 19.
–IANS