It is the opening batsman’s nightmare – a first ball dismissal. No matter how mentally strong batsmen are, they all have butterflies in the stomach when facing the opening delivery of the innings. There is a sense of relief when that delivery is negotiated safely, either by blocking it or hitting it or even leaving it alone.
Chennai Super Kings opener S Badrinath cut the first delivery of the match from Kings XI Punjab left-arm fastmedium bowler Irfan Pathan fiercely and was caught on the square third man boundary at SuperSport Park in Centurion near Pretoria on Thursday – and promptly became the ninth to be dismissed off the first delivery of an innings in the DLF Indian Premier League 2009.
Deccan Chargers paceman Fidel Edward started the trend when he bowled Royal Challenger Bangalore’s Jesse Ryder in the eighth match of the season. In the following game Delhi Daredevils opener Gautam Gambhir edged Chennai Super Kings paceman Laxmipathi Balaji to be caught by wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off the first ball.
Then, the opening batsman’s nightmare came true when Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Jacques Kallis was castled by Delhi Daredevils’ left-arm paceman Dirk Nannes in Port Elizabeth. And in the very next game, Karan Goel was handed a more cruel fate. The Kings XI Punjab opener had not even taken strike but was run out in going for a single off the first ball.
The beleaguered Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Brendon McCullum became the first captain to be inflicted a first ball dismissal when he slashed his Royal Challengers Bangalore counterpart Kevin Pietersen’s off-spin straight to Virat Kohli at point at Kingsmead in Durban.
The vastly experienced Sanath Jayasuriya (Mumbai Indians) and Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers) were not spared of the horrific nightmare either. Jayasurya was caught by Kings XI Punjab skipper Yuvraj Singh off Irfan Pathan while Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist was trapped leg before wicket by Chennai Super Kings paceman Albie Morkel in East London.
Kings XI Punjab’s dashing opener Sunny Sohal was trying to shoulder arms to a ball pitched outside the off-stump but Rajasthan Royals paceman Amit Singh had generated extra bounce and that found the bottom off the bat and flew to Shane Warne at slip in Durban.
Of course, it is not just the opening batsmen who can be nervous when facing first deliveries. From the time Royal Challengers Bangalore’s one-drop batsman Ross Taylor was bowled by Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Dimitri Mascarenhas in the second match of the tournament, there have been as many as 25 first balls dismissals.
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