RCB vs CSK: Finally, Bangalore defeats Chennai, and what a crucial victory this may be in the context of their season!
Normally, it is their hitters who win games, but Bangalore’s bowling unit stepped up this evening to help the team return to the top four. Chennai got off to the perfect start, but Ruturaj Gaikwad and Robin Uthappa were both dismissed in rapid succession.
Devon Conway kept going, timing the ball beautifully, but the wickets kept falling. Devon Conway made it to fifty before exiting. After then, Moeen Ali, who was already set, couldn’t stay long.
MS Dhoni had too much on his plate on his own, and he couldn’t reverse the tide in his favor this time. The tailenders landed a few lusty blows, but it was too much for them. This defeat could be the final nail in the coffin for Chennai.
After this victory, Bangalore may have turned a new leaf. They scored runs but struggled with the ball at first, but Shahbaz Ahmed and Glenn Maxwell stepped up and drew Bangalore back into the game by scooping up wickets.
The runs kept coming, but crucial wickets from Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel, particularly near the end, kept them in the game. Patel bowled a nervous penultimate over, but luckily for him, the opposition needed too many runs in the last over.
Hazelwood & Harshal Destructive bowler
Harshal was kept back until the 13th over, when du Plessis threw the ball to Hasaranga for the 15th over, ensuring he would bowl three of the last five.
Du Plessis’ bet paid off: he was smacked for three sixes in his opening two overs, but he was pricey. Conway was unable to clear Shahbaz at deep backward square leg after Hasaranga went full.
When Moeen lofted Hasaranga’s penultimate ball down the ground for six, it appeared that he had rediscovered his groove, but Super Kings capitulated following the time-out.
Harshal had Jadeja cleanly caught by Kohli off a skier and Moeen pouched at extra cover, the ball after swiping him for six over the leg side, bowling his variations from around the wicket.
When Hazlewood caught Dhoni at deep midwicket with the first ball of the 19th over, the game was effectively over; his four overs had been crucial: he had gone for only 19 runs, bowling his hard lengths in the powerplay and at the death; Pretorius’ top-edged pull off his penultimate ball was his only boundary.
Rebuild of Innings
After bouncing the ball around with Patidar, Lomror was promoted to No. 4 after a cameo closing the innings at No. 7 against Gujarat Titans. He started brightly, smashing Moeen back over his head for four and slog-sweeping Theekshana for six.
With 4.5 overs remaining, Choudhary’s superb catch at deep square leg brought in Karthik, but Dhoni had planned accordingly. Knowing Karthik’s strength against pace and relative weakness against spin, as well as his seamers’ inexperience at the death, Dhoni saved Theekshana’s final two overs for the 17th and 19th overs.
He only gave up eight runs in his final over, six of them coming off seven balls, and struck three times, removing Lomror, Wanindu Hasaranga, and Shahbaz Ahmed.
Source: Hindustan Times
