In the aftermath of the Delhi Capitals’ spectacular capitulation against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in New Delhi on Monday, skipper Axar Patel said that not just the franchise but the batters themselves should take responsibility for improving their technique. Axar’s comments came on a day when the Delhi batters were woefully exposed by a sensational new-ball spell by Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. The duo had DC reeling at eight for six and eventually left them at the lowest-ever powerplay score in a completed IPL game, 13 for six. They looked evidently technically deficient, as Hazlewood’s Test match lengths on pace, and Bhuvaneshwar’s ability to move it both ways, ripped through them. Delhi were eventually all out for the meagre total of 75. RCB cantered to an nine-wicket win within 6.3 overs. “You need personal preparation for this. You can say we need to train for this as a team but you need to take personal responsibility to prepare to bat on all kinds of surfaces, against top bowling,” Axar told reporters at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds on Monday when asked if the batters focused too much on range hitting and sixes in training, sacrificing time for development of defensive batting. Also Read | Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar reduce Delhi to IPL’s lowest powerplay score — and Kohli steals the show anyway “Any time I have to play, be it international, IPL or domestic, I don’t play without having enough personal preparation. And in any case, for the uncapped players, I don’t think they only practice range hitting. We have had camps all over India, in Dubai too. The team tries to keep them involved in cricket,” the Delhi skipper added. “They do work over the basics, too. Because range hitting is possible with strong basics. At the same time, it is a personal choice too. Players need to decide if they want to do those drills or not.” “The bowlers should get credit for how well they played. Hazlewood and Bumrah, both world-class bowlers. But yes, as professionals, we should have been prepared to play them,” he said.
Axar Patel after DC’s collapse against RCB: Batters must take ‘personal responsibility’ to improve technique
