Specialists in processionAt Eden Gardens, Royal Challengers Bangalore were blown away by pace. At their home turf of Chinnaswamy on Thursday, they were done in by a medium pacer who took the pace off the ball. Andrew Tye bowled cross-seamers, maintained a Test match line and length, and occasionally threw down knucklers to return with 3 for 12 from four overs. Batting first on a dry-looking Chinnaswamy pitch, Bangalore were all out for 134 in 20 overs; a significant improvement on their Eden Gardens meltdown, when they had been bundled out for a paltry 49 in 9.4 overs. The sarcasm, of course, is intended. That Bangalore batting, with all their galacticos, has become a specialist in procession is the biggest let-down of this IPL.
It’s surprising that this star-studded unit struggles to get out of Virat Kohli’s shadow. If the skipper fires at the top, Bangalore move like a Ferrari. Circa 2016 was a case in point, when Kohli had scored 973 runs in 16 matches. But back from a shoulder injury, the world’s best limited-overs batsman is yet to hit his straps this term. And his team has now become a luxury car, parked without fuel.
Kohli had started off brilliantly on Thursday, with an audacious flick off paceman Basil Thampi over square leg for a six. But he got out to a loose shot, picking the short fine leg to a Thampi delivery that pitched around the leg stump and could have been dispatched anywhere around the cow corner. Nine times out of ten, Kohli would belt it over the fence. Just that it didn’t happen today.
Chris Gayle was undone by Tye’s line, poked at the away-goer and was caught behind. On form and solidity, maybe Shane Watson is a better option at the top than the big Jamaican. Tye took out Travis Head next ball with a beauty. The off stump line and back-of-a-length – everything about the delivery was copybook. Head nicked it to Suresh Raina at slip.
Kedar Jadhav came and tried to hit his way out of trouble. Thampi had been clobbered for three consecutive fours. Ravindra Jadeja was superbly lofted over cover and leg-spinner Ankit Soni was swept over deep mid-wicket for a six. Better batsmen than Jadhav, however, mix caution with aggression, especially when the team is in trouble. Late cutting Jadeja, who is impeccably accurate, is high risk and Jadhav paid for his indiscretion. How badly are Bangalore missing KL Rahul.
At 58/4, the hosts’ chances of putting up a fighting total depended on AB de Villiers. The South African master decided to play according to the situation. The initial slow-going wouldn’t have mattered if de Villiers stayed till the end. But Mandeep Singh was iffy about responding to call for a sharp single from de Villiers and the eventuality was the latter’s departure, thanks to a direct hit from Jadeja. That was that in terms of Bangalore’s batting.
Pawan Negi used the long handle, hit three fours and a couple of sixes, but he was never going to take the game away from the opposition.
Tye topped the Gujarat bowling chart, but every bowler contributed. Jadeja was brilliant in the middle overs with two wickets and James Faulkner kept it tight at the death.
A Finch of aggression
Defending a modest total, Bangalore needed early wickets. Samuel Badree trapped Ishan Kishan leg before in the third over and then dismissed Brendon McCullum a couple of overs hence. At 23 for 2, things became exciting. But Aaron Finch came out all guns blazing. From Gujarat’s point of view, it was important to put the pressure back on Badree. Finch slog-swept him to the roof of the stadium followed by another maximum over deep mid-wicket.
The in-form Yuzvendra Chahal, too, posed a threat. Once again, Finch imposed himself on the bowler. A big six off Chahal’s second ball gave the Aussie and his team a big psychological advantage. Then, Finch laid into Aniket Choudhary with two fours and a six to reach a 22-ball half-century. It was a decisive over in the context of the game as also Chahal’s no ball that allowed Suresh Raina a reprieve. The Gujarat skipper had picked the deep mid-wicket, but the leggie overstepped.
Raina’s dismissal could have left the door ajar for Bangalore. But they suffered for their bowling indiscipline. Finch ensured that there was no second opportunity for the hosts, hammering Negi for back-to-back sixes and taking two fours off Chahal’s penultimate over. Finch’s 34-ball 72 secured a very comfortable seven-wicket win for Gujarat with 37 balls to spare.
A very flat Bangalore went deeper in the mire. Not for nothing Kohli spoke about a lack of intent post-match.
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