So it was the first match for RCB at IPL-5 and fireworks were flying all around the place!Everyone at Bangalore was looking forward to welcoming the home team back onto the field and of course, Chris Gayle!But alas came the news that Gayle is out of the first game due to a groin injury..even the most unbiased of RCB loyalists like myself felt a tinge sad on hearing this news, but as they all that happens happens for the best and so it did as it was a chance for the other players in the team to prove their mettle including the new signings McDonald and Murli. Sehwag won the toss for the DD and put RCB in as Vettori then said he would have batted first anyways and also dropped the bomb that Gayle was out for this game due to a groin injury. So the team looked like this and I was pleasantly surprised at the inclusion of Harshal Patel..
McDonald
Mayank
Virat
AB
Saurabh
Pujara
Danny
Vinay
Zak
Harshal
Murli
Then came another bomb..McD and Pujara opening!Though I did expect some shuffle at the top quite obviously but had no clue that Mayank would NOT open as he had opened for most part of the last season..quite a shock atleast to me. Well maybe they should have gone in with Pujara and Mayank at the top to leave some experience towards the end but by sending McD right up I was nervous. The move paid off however as after struggling initially McD came into his own and starting plundering Irfan P all over the park!The partnership eventually came to an end with Pujara falling to Morkel off a shortish ball pulling into the hands of Irfan. In comes the big Superstar Virat K as he gets off the mark with a single towards square. Eventually McD goes for one too many as he topedges Morkel after getting a boundary of him in the same over as Doug Bracewell takes a brilliant catch! AB now comes in but the wickets continue to tumble as Kohli plays one in the air straight to point fielder Y Nagar!!RCB tumbling suddenly as in comes Mr.Big boy Tiwary..he doesn't stay long either as he pays the price for playing from the crease and edges on onto his pads from Maxwell and the umpire gives a shocker..OUT!Mayank eventually comes in at no.6 as he stays at the wicket with AB for some time as RCB try to rebuild. Just when things are looking alright Mayank reprises his school-boy days and plays a silly immature school-boy shot high up in the air into the hands of Nagar at Long-off..quite unnecessary to say the least!Captain Dan has to walk in himself and steady the innings now. AB at the other end keeps the innings ticking with a trademark innings of his own piercing the gaps all around..however Dan is run out as Bracewell gets him at the bowler's end with a sharp throw to Maxwell. Vinay now comes in as I get even more nervous but little did I know that he had come out to play the innings of his life!They play through till the 19th over when AB takes Irfan on and smashes him all over the park including a reverse-sweep 6 off the first ball,a full-toss!6,4,4,1,2,1 reads the penultimate over for RCB, the defining moment in the match as RCB is inching towards a decent total. Last over by Bracewell as Vinay takes a single and bang,the next ball disappears for a four straight down the ground Next ball AB tries another reverse-sweep but it only goes one bounce to short third man. Vinay takes strike and surprise surprise, reprises the AB Dilscoop and puts away a full-toss for a four towards fine leg falling off his stance!Way to go VINAY!Next ball he falls as he plays a lofted cover drive to Morne at covers. I n comes the debutant Harshal Patel dont no y Zaheer wasnt sent in with all his experience as he is clean bowled trying to slog to a superb yorker on the off stump by Bracewell right on the money!RCB fold up on 157/8 in 20. We have a match on our hands folks and what a match it turned out to be!
The first over by Zak was the most eventful one as Finch taking strike put away Zak for three boundaries off similar balls in the covers region. 4th ball eventually he only manages a single to bring the dangerous Viru on strike. And guess what Viru does?Plays straight into the hands of Pujara at covers..Typical Sehwag!Naman Ojha comes in and things look dangerous as both Finch and he take it on and get to 46 for 1 at the end of the powerplay of 6 overs. The score moves to 55 for 1 as Murli is brought into the attack in the 8th over..I dont know y but I could sense he was going to be the game-changer for RCB and do the magic and magic he did as he removed Ojha who edged to Kohli at first slip!The run rate was coming down with the fall of wickets as Murli comes back in the 10th over to remove Finch this time plum LBW!Murli was doing the magic for us as Maxwell came in at 5. Murli again strikes in the 12th over as Maxwell tries to go over square leg but takes the leading edge straight to Zak at Short fine leg!RCB is on top as in comes Y Nagar. Murli is given a breather as McDonald bowls the 14th and gets Venu who tries to loft it down the ground but Mayank takes a blinder running in from long-off!He had made up for the silly shot earlier in the evening. DD is reeling at 83 for 5 as there lost hope Irfan comes to the crease. He and Nagar forge a partenership as he wields the long handle and and Harshal Patel looks impressive in his spell. Pathan takes Murli to the cleaners in the 16th over as he gets one four and a six each. 14 runs DD are still in the hunt. Captain Dan bowls the 17th over and gives away a boundary to Nagar off the 5th ball but he gets him off the last ball caught at backward pont by Harshal Patel! 18th over Vinay Kumar to Bracewell as he gets one four in the over. Doesnt hurt much as its only 8 runs off the 18th over while DD require almost 15 an over. Zak bowls the 19th as he gives away 7 runs off the first five and last ball IPathan is run out as he goes for the second with Harshal throwing well from deep square leg and AB runs him out!Last over 27 required as Vinay comes in to ball again and it's only the 1s and 2s Morkel and Bracewell manage as RCB win the match!What a team effort after looking down in the dumps more most part of the match..go RCB!If this is the kind of fight we are going to put up each time with or without Gayle we are sure to be IPL 5 winners!Aye!
McDonald
Mayank
Virat
AB
Saurabh
Pujara
Danny
Vinay
Zak
Harshal
Murli
Then came another bomb..McD and Pujara opening!Though I did expect some shuffle at the top quite obviously but had no clue that Mayank would NOT open as he had opened for most part of the last season..quite a shock atleast to me. Well maybe they should have gone in with Pujara and Mayank at the top to leave some experience towards the end but by sending McD right up I was nervous. The move paid off however as after struggling initially McD came into his own and starting plundering Irfan P all over the park!The partnership eventually came to an end with Pujara falling to Morkel off a shortish ball pulling into the hands of Irfan. In comes the big Superstar Virat K as he gets off the mark with a single towards square. Eventually McD goes for one too many as he topedges Morkel after getting a boundary of him in the same over as Doug Bracewell takes a brilliant catch! AB now comes in but the wickets continue to tumble as Kohli plays one in the air straight to point fielder Y Nagar!!RCB tumbling suddenly as in comes Mr.Big boy Tiwary..he doesn't stay long either as he pays the price for playing from the crease and edges on onto his pads from Maxwell and the umpire gives a shocker..OUT!Mayank eventually comes in at no.6 as he stays at the wicket with AB for some time as RCB try to rebuild. Just when things are looking alright Mayank reprises his school-boy days and plays a silly immature school-boy shot high up in the air into the hands of Nagar at Long-off..quite unnecessary to say the least!Captain Dan has to walk in himself and steady the innings now. AB at the other end keeps the innings ticking with a trademark innings of his own piercing the gaps all around..however Dan is run out as Bracewell gets him at the bowler's end with a sharp throw to Maxwell. Vinay now comes in as I get even more nervous but little did I know that he had come out to play the innings of his life!They play through till the 19th over when AB takes Irfan on and smashes him all over the park including a reverse-sweep 6 off the first ball,a full-toss!6,4,4,1,2,1 reads the penultimate over for RCB, the defining moment in the match as RCB is inching towards a decent total. Last over by Bracewell as Vinay takes a single and bang,the next ball disappears for a four straight down the ground Next ball AB tries another reverse-sweep but it only goes one bounce to short third man. Vinay takes strike and surprise surprise, reprises the AB Dilscoop and puts away a full-toss for a four towards fine leg falling off his stance!Way to go VINAY!Next ball he falls as he plays a lofted cover drive to Morne at covers. I n comes the debutant Harshal Patel dont no y Zaheer wasnt sent in with all his experience as he is clean bowled trying to slog to a superb yorker on the off stump by Bracewell right on the money!RCB fold up on 157/8 in 20. We have a match on our hands folks and what a match it turned out to be!
The first over by Zak was the most eventful one as Finch taking strike put away Zak for three boundaries off similar balls in the covers region. 4th ball eventually he only manages a single to bring the dangerous Viru on strike. And guess what Viru does?Plays straight into the hands of Pujara at covers..Typical Sehwag!Naman Ojha comes in and things look dangerous as both Finch and he take it on and get to 46 for 1 at the end of the powerplay of 6 overs. The score moves to 55 for 1 as Murli is brought into the attack in the 8th over..I dont know y but I could sense he was going to be the game-changer for RCB and do the magic and magic he did as he removed Ojha who edged to Kohli at first slip!The run rate was coming down with the fall of wickets as Murli comes back in the 10th over to remove Finch this time plum LBW!Murli was doing the magic for us as Maxwell came in at 5. Murli again strikes in the 12th over as Maxwell tries to go over square leg but takes the leading edge straight to Zak at Short fine leg!RCB is on top as in comes Y Nagar. Murli is given a breather as McDonald bowls the 14th and gets Venu who tries to loft it down the ground but Mayank takes a blinder running in from long-off!He had made up for the silly shot earlier in the evening. DD is reeling at 83 for 5 as there lost hope Irfan comes to the crease. He and Nagar forge a partenership as he wields the long handle and and Harshal Patel looks impressive in his spell. Pathan takes Murli to the cleaners in the 16th over as he gets one four and a six each. 14 runs DD are still in the hunt. Captain Dan bowls the 17th over and gives away a boundary to Nagar off the 5th ball but he gets him off the last ball caught at backward pont by Harshal Patel! 18th over Vinay Kumar to Bracewell as he gets one four in the over. Doesnt hurt much as its only 8 runs off the 18th over while DD require almost 15 an over. Zak bowls the 19th as he gives away 7 runs off the first five and last ball IPathan is run out as he goes for the second with Harshal throwing well from deep square leg and AB runs him out!Last over 27 required as Vinay comes in to ball again and it's only the 1s and 2s Morkel and Bracewell manage as RCB win the match!What a team effort after looking down in the dumps more most part of the match..go RCB!If this is the kind of fight we are going to put up each time with or without Gayle we are sure to be IPL 5 winners!Aye!
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