Moody sees room for improvement

“We have started performing and the results are there to see,” was how Tom Moody, coach of Kings XI Punjab, chose to describe the team’s resurgence in the Indian Premier League.
Speaking to the media on the eve of Kings XI’s match against Kolkata Knight Riders, Moody said the spirit was high after three consecutive wins. “As a team, we have got better. We are positive but there is still room for improvement,” he said.
“There is no hidden mystery,” he said, while referring to the reasons for losing to Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals in the first two matches. “The individual brilliance of Mike Hussey and Shane Watson in these matches saw us end up on the losing side.”
Asked whether Knight Riders’ three successive losses make things more comfortable for the host, Moody said, “We are not concerned about Knight Riders and their problems. We are looking at our preparations. But, we have respect for Knight Riders like we have for all teams in the IPL.”
Exciting prospect
About Shaun Marsh, whose match-winning performance against Hyderabad added to Kings XI’s momentum, Moody said, “I always knew that he was an exciting prospect. I recommended his name since Shaun is also from Western Australia where I am involved in coaching. I am aware of his game and talent.”
Moody’s counterpart John Buchanan chose to talk about the “positives” and the way each individual had contributed to the team that was showing “improvement as a group and as a team. It has been very challenging for us. It is a new format and everyone is learning to deal with it. As coach, captain or player, we are all part of the process of learning to excel in this format.”
Making progress
On Sourav Ganguly’s captaincy, Buchanan said, “It is easier to captain a team when you are winning. But, like anyone else in the team, he is also scratching his head for the right answers. But he is making progress. We will soon get evidence, if not tomorrow, then in the next match.”
He described the issue involving Ganguly and Shane Warne as “closed.”
Buchanan said the biggest problem facing the team was that the top-order had not settled down. “In the last three matches, we lost three wickets during Power- Play.”