'Worst thing PBKS batters can do now is blink and jump at shadows'

PBKS we're bowled out for 101. © BCCI/IPL
Punjab Kings' world came crashing down in the first qualifier as Royal Challengers Bengaluru botched their batting blueprint. Almost all through the season, Shreyas Iyer's side batted without a care in the world and smashed their way to a first playoffs appearance since 2014. But wings were severely clipped in the first instance of a high-stakes game, offering them much food for thought. Even in the aftermath of getting bowled out for 101, PBKS bowling coach James Hopes doesn't expect the team to go off-script with the bat.

"We played the first over okay with the bat and then it sort of just snowballed from there. It's necessary that we digest it and move on from it by the end of tonight because we have to travel tomorrow [Friday] and we've got to get up to play another game on Sunday and we're going to do it the hard way now. But I hope we meet RCB again on Tuesday night [in the final]," Hopes offered optimistically, after an early finish on Thursday.

"The worst thing our batters can do now is blink and start jumping at shadows and second-guessing themselves," he strongly opined. PBKS went into the first qualifier with the second best scoring rate (10.02) and a battalion of consistent uncapped batters, sourced through expert scouting and adequate allocation of the auction budget. Ricky Ponting and Shreyas then backed them to remain carefree irrespective of the adversity ahead, and they delivered. Q1 was one of the few times when the heavy metal approach backfired, but Hopes remained adamant that they don't need to 'go back to the drawing board'.

Punjab's procession on the night started with Priyansh Arya finding the cover fielder in the second over off Yash Dayal. A couple of poor shot selection ended Prabhsimran Singh and Shreyas, before Josh Inglis fell to Josh Hazlewood's hard length. Marcus Stoinis's attempts to push back didn't last long enough as Suyash Sharma's googly ended the Australian's short burst. PBKS's crisis man from last season - Shashank Singh - was also undone by the same variation, while Musheer Khan, a forced impact substitute in the first innings, departed for a three-ball duck.

"To be honest we didn't have a great night with the bat but we have a two-day turnaround now to play another final, to earn the right. We've worked for two and a bit months to earn the right to have a second chance and we're going to cash that second chance in hopefully.

"Historically, it [Ahmedabad] is a very good pitch and we know we're going to have to go quite hard and score quite quickly. It's not back to the drawing board by any means. We've worked two and a half months to get into a position where we get a second opportunity and we're going to have to use that second opportunity now," Hopes said.

There remained a steadfast belief, per Hopes, that counter-attacking, even against the best bowlers and plans, had brought the team this far. He did, however, concede that recaliberation should've been better timed against RCB.

"I made the comment that if I saw Bhuvi's first over, I would have given Josh the second over and seeing the ball just nipping around a little bit... They're two world-class bowlers in those kinds of conditions. Our batters were a little bit reckless, but they have counter-attacked the whole year and it's worked the majority of the time. It didn't work tonight."

As Hopes revealed, PBKS will be on an Ahmedabad-bound flight out of Chandigarh on Friday where they will face the winner of the Eliminator between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians, on Sunday.