Yesterday Rajasthan and Bangalore team clashed at Bengaluru Chinnaswamy Stadium. Focusing on environmental awareness, the Bangalore team sported the green jersey they wear once a year for this game.
Harshal, who was the villain of Bengaluru for a few days, has been promoted as a second hero, if not a hero among fans. But only Bangalore’s middle order is gradually changing from villains to comedians.
Rajasthan won the toss and elected to bowl. David Willey replaced Burnell in the Bengaluru team. There is no change in the Rajasthan team. Kohli captained Bengaluru just like last game as regular skipper du Plessis was injured. The first over was bowled by Rajasthan’s bolter. To the shock of many Bangalore fans, Kohli lost the game on the very first ball. That beautiful in-swinger by Bolt brought the 2019 World Cup semi-final to a close.
The highlight is that Kohli got out on the first ball even though he played in the green jersey last time.
Shabash Ahmed was dropped in the top order and got out for just two runs. As always, Du Plessis and Maxwell took over the game. 10 runs came after Maxwell came in the bolt over after giving just two runs in the first over. After that, the rain never stopped. Ashwin and Sahal’s overs flew to boundaries. Even Bolt bowled a 17-run over under the pressure given by them.
Both crossed their half-centuries with ease. Somehow Duplessis was run out at one point and was bowled by Maxwell Ashwin in the very next over. After that, the middle order of the Bangalore team started playing as if they did not know whether they were playing for Bangalore or Rajasthan. Bangalore team scored 189 runs at the end of 20 overs due to the fact that no one like Lomror, Prabhudesai, Dinesh Karthik added the expected amount of runs.
Although it seems like a big goal, everything is a small goal as far as Chinnaswamy Maidan is concerned. Siraj bowled Buttler, the backbone of the Rajasthan batting, as two out swingers and one in swinger. Rajasthan scored 92 runs in ten overs and lost only one wicket.
Whichever team it is at this time Chinnaswamy will try to score more runs using the size of the ground. But Rajasthan went into reverse and scored just 16 runs in the next four overs. Bengaluru took advantage of this very easily and took two wickets in this time. After that Samson hit a few shots but Bengaluru dominated the game till the end. Rajasthan’s young star Jural gave some hope at the last minute but it was not enough for Rajasthan.
Needing 20 runs off the last over for Rajasthan to win, Hetmyer was out early.
Ashwin came before Holder in the last over and hit two boundaries but it was not enough to win. Bengaluru won by 7 runs. Harshal, the run-wise bowler, bowled brilliantly yesterday and won the match for Bangalore in the last over.
With this win, Bengaluru has moved up to the fifth position in the points table. Kohli, Duplessis and Maxwell are the only three players who score consecutive runs for the Bangalore team. Not one of the other middle order players crossed 50 runs in the entire series. That and Duplessis has scored up to 400 runs regardless of the injury. Bengaluru’s middle order should add runs as a way of honoring their team captain. Otherwise the victories will not continue.
