By CS Chiwanza.
Faf du Plessis and the Royal Challengers Bangalore secured a remarkable 18-run win in their low-scoring Tata India Premier League encounter against Lucknow Super Giants at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium on Monday.
RCB bowled out LSG with one ball to spare. LSG could only muster 108, which came in fits and starts. 126 is the lowest total that has been defended so far in the tournament. This is the second time this season that LSG has failed to chase a low score at home.
Du Plessis’ patient 44 off 40 on a treacherously slow pitch was a match-winning knock as it helped RCB reach what proved to be an unassailable 126 for nine. His innings earned him the Player of the Match award.
Du Plessis’ innings was uncharacteristically bereft of boundaries. The South African was forced to adopt a game plan different from what he was used to at the Chinnaswamy. The pitches at the Ekana are slower and the boundaries are bigger. The Ekana is the lowest-scoring ground in this year’s tournament. Du Plessis’ innings featured only a single four and a single six.
Du Plessis is once again the orange cap holder with 463 runs after he momentarily lost possession of it following Yashasvi Jaiswal’s sensational knock on Sunday.
Virat Kohli was RCB’s next-best batter with 31 runs. As they have done so well this season, Du Plessis and Kohli created a sturdy platform for RCB with a 62-run opening partnership. This was the fourth time they have scored 50 or more runs at the top of the order. However, unlike the previous three times, the pair had to be more circumspect. Du Plessis and Kohli’s partnership was the highest on both sides.
RCB collapsed after the fall of Kohli’s wicket. Only Dinesh Karthik (16) had a double-figures score after Du Plessis and Kohli. The rest of the RCB lineup recorded single-figure scores. LSG’s spinners made sure they never got going.
Mohammed Siraj has been outstanding for RCB in the PowerPlay this season. Faf du Plessis trusted him with the first over and he did what he has done all season so far, he took an early wicket. The fall of Kyle Mayers’ wicket was the beginning of a four-wicket collapse in the PowerPlay. RCB had LSG on 34 for four after the first six overs.
There was a marked difference in approach between the two sides. While RCB was watchful, the LSG batters were more attacking. Kyle Mayers (0), Krunal Pandya (14), Ayush Badoni (4), Nicholas Pooran (9) and Marcus Stoinis (13) all fell playing attacking shots. They just looked in a rush. The rushed approach is an overcorrection on LSG’s part. The last time they were asked to chase a low total, LSG were too slow and left too much to do at the death.
Krishnappa Gowtham was LSG’s top scorer with 23 off 13. Amit Mishra scored the second-most runs with a laboured 19 off 30.
RCB’s fielders backed the outstanding work of the bowlers. Two of the 10 LSG wickets that fell were run-outs.
Karn Sharma was RCB’s best bowler with two wickets for 20 runs in four overs. Josh Hazelwood marked his IPL return with two wickets for 15 runs in four overs. Mahipal Lomror was the only RCB bowler to not take a wicket. RCB used seven bowlers.
LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS: KL Rahul (capt), Kyle Mayers, Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Krunal Pandya, Naveen-ul-Haq, Ravi Bishnoi, K Gowtham, Yash Thakur, Amit Mishra.
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (capt), Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Suyash Prabhudessai, Wanindu Hasaranga, Karn Sharma, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj.