Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were at it, after they looked like they were not in it. This successful chase against the Punjab Kings, who looked like clinching it, should boost their morale and also, provide their campaign a shot in the arm. Let’s see what happened.
Karthik and Lomror
Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror, an impact sub in this game, are contrasting names in Indian cricket. The former is a celebrity and the latter not quite. The two combined to take RCB to a thrilling win against Punjab Kings. It did not look completely out of their reach. The required rate was not out of control. These two made sure that they made it. Karthik and Lomror both were responsible for pulling it off. They were brave and innovative. Some of the shots they played were outlandish.
Virat good, not enough
How can one keep Virat Kohli out? The master of chases was at it again and kept finding the boundaries when they were needed. He was immaculate with his timing and placement. His awareness of the situation was spot-on as well. Kohli didn’t always resort to big hits, yet maintained a strike rate of over 150. He got out after setting his team up for the chase. There was a touch of luck of course, as he was dropped on nought. Jonny Bairstow must be kicking himself.
Give it to Brar
One doesn’t always talk about Harpreet Brar. The left-arm spinner isn’t a huge turner of the ball but he knows where to pitch it. It was his accuracy and awareness of the situation which made it closer than it looked in the end. Go, pitch it straight and see what happens — it’s an old dictum and for Brar, it paid off. Alas, it wasn’t enough.
Punjab lose the plot
There were a lot of starts, but none of the Punjab batters went on to make it big. It hurt them in the end. Look at the comparison. The highest score for Punjab was Shikhar Dhawan’s 45. Four of them got into the twenties, but none went on to get a bigger one. That made the difference between a competitive total of 176 and not a bigger one.
Not taking wickets
Punjab were the favourites at one stage. Had they taken a few more wickets, the match would have been theirs. Then, the benign nature of their attack came to the fore. There were no wickets. Compare this with the way RCB kept plugging away with those late wickets. That made the difference between 176 and 190. That was decisive.
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