Punjab back to drawing board with IPL hopes alive despite thrashing
Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer said it was "back to the drawing board" after their big loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first IPL qualifier.
League toppers Punjab will get another crack at reaching the June 3 final.
But they will have to perform an awful lot better than they did in going down by eight wickets to Bengaluru after being bowled out for 101 at Mullanpur in New Chandigarh on Thursday.
The Punjab batting fell like a pack of cards in 14.1 overs on a seamer-friendly pitch, where Bengaluru's bowlers including Josh Hazlewood wreaked havoc.
Punjab can still meet Bengaluru in the title clash if they beat the winner of the eliminator in the second qualifier in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
"Not a day to forget, but we have to go back to the drawing board," Iyer said. "We were befuddled and lost a lot of wickets. Something to go back and study."
He added: "We have lost the battle, but not the war."
Punjab ended the league stage top of the 10-team table with nine wins and four defeats ahead of Bengaluru, who also had 19 points but missed being number one on net run-rate.
Punjab's fast bowling coach James Hopes is confident the team will show what they are all about when they face the winner of the eliminator between Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians.
"We have worked two and a bit months to earn the right to have a second chance and we are going to cash that second chance hopefully," Hopes said.
Punjab lost an early wicket with left-handed opener Priyansh Arya caught out off left-arm pace bowler Yash Dayal for seven.
In their attempt to hit out of trouble, Punjab lost more wickets as Hazlewood struck two key blows including Iyer out for two.
Punjab's attacking play was blunted as Hazlewood and leg-spinner Suyash Sharma claimed three wickets apiece.
"While our batters were a little bit reckless, we have counter-attacked the whole year and it's worked the majority of the time, it didn't work tonight," former Australia medium-pace bowler Hopes said.
"We do need to talk about it (the batting) but we also understand we're going to a pitch that's going to be completely different to what we just played on.
"So the aggressive nature should return in Ahmedabad."
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