IPL 2021: “We should be taking every run” - Ponting reveals chat with DC bowling coach as Pant refused singles in last over

Delhi Capitals’ (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting has admitted he and bowling coach James Hopes were having a conversation over Rishabh Pant’s refused singles in the last over as the action unfolded.

Pant made an unbeaten 51 off 35 balls. However, he refused to take singles in the last over of DC’s innings bowled by Shardul Thakur. Only eight runs came off the over as DC posted 172 for 5 batting first.

CSK chased down the target with four wickets in hand in a tense clash that was decided in the last over.

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Asked for his views on Pant’s tactics, Ponting admitted that his moves were being discussed in the dugout. He, however, backed the youngster, stating it was up to him to take the crucial calls as leader.

“We were talking about that as it happened actually (Pant refusing singles). After the first run that he didn’t take, the bowling coach James Hopes looked at me and said, ‘I think we should be taking every run that we get now.’ I said let’s wait till the end of the over and we will make a judgment on it then,” Ponting said, while responding to a query by Sportskeeda.

The DC coach also pointed out that since Tom Curran was new to the crease, Pant decided to take complete responsibility of scoring runs in the last over.

“I think Rishabh’s going to back himself more often than not. Tom Curran had only faced one or two balls since he had been at the crease. He was probably going to find it harder to find the boundaries. Rishabh is the captain and he is out there making decisions on the run. That was the decision that he made tonight,” Ponting added.

After a blazing start by opener Prithvi Shaw (60 off 34), DC crumbled to 80 for 4. They recovered courtesy fine knocks from Pant and Shimron Hetmyer (37 off 24) to cross the 170 mark.

“Pant thought Tom was the right man to bowl the last over” - Ponting

DC pacer Tom Curran. Pic: IPLT20.COM

Another decision from Pant that backfired on the day was giving the last over to Tom Curran, even though Kagiso Rabada had one over left. Ponting, again, explained that it was a decision taken by the DC captain out on the field.

“Obviously, those calls are made on the field. I think he (Tom) bowled his first three overs for 16. He bowled really well and had done a good job. It’s down to the gut feel of the captain out in the middle at that time. Rishabh Pant thought Tom was the right man to bowl the last over on the back of how well he had bowled in the game,” Ponting said.

Admitting that the move did not pay off, the DC coach asserted that the experience would hopefully help Tom Curran become a better death bowler.

“It will be a good learning experience for Tom. He can work out how he can get better at closing that last over out,” Ponting concluded.

CSK needed 13 off the last over to overhaul DC’s target. Chennai skipper MS Dhoni smashed three fours to put the franchise in their ninth IPL final.