IPL 2014: Smith, Faulkner steal thunder from Yuvraj's superlative show

By B D Narayankar 

Bangalore, May 11 (PTI) In an incredible power-hitting show, Steven Smith and James Faulkner rattled up a match-winning 85-run stand from no where as Rajasthan Royals pulled off a stunning five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore.


Chasing a daunting 191 to win, Rajasthan were staring down the barrel after losing five wickets for 106 runs in the 14th over but Smith (48 off 21) and Faulkner (41 off 17) combined well to find boundary after boundary.

In complete mayhem, the Australian duo scored the last 65 runs off just 17 balls to not only secure the win with seven balls to spare but also steal the thunder from Yuvraj Singh, who had roared back to form with a strokeful 83 and followed it up with four wickets.

It all started in the 17th over as Faulkner creamed two fours and a six off fellow Australian Mitchel Starc. Smith began the next over, bowled by Ashoke Dinda, with a six and two shots to the fence. Faulkner then finished it off quickly in the 19th over, punishing Varun Aaron with two sixes and a four, stunning the RCB camp and the home fans.

With this win, Rajasthan have strengthened their position in the top-four although they remained in third position with 10 points. RCB are still at sixth place with six points. Bangalore owed their big total to Yuvraj and AB de Villiers (58) as they shared a magnificent 132-run stand, which powered RCB to 190 for five after electing to bat.

Yuvraj, who was dropped on 47 by Sanju Samson, and de Villiers put up a gallant fight as RCB scored 84 runs in the last five overs to snatch the momentum from their rivals, who were well in command till 12 overs. Sending the Rajasthan bowlers on a leather-hunt, the hosts belted 120 runs in the last eight overs.

Rajasthan too had to endure a bad start as Yuvraj rocked the visitors' middle-order with his spin, starting the rot with the important wicket of skipper Shane Watson (1). The left-armer also scalped Rajasthan's top scorer Karun Nair (56), Stuart Binny (1) and the talented Sanju Samson (13) to end with figures of 4-0-35-4. Rajasthan were reeling at 106 for five in the 14th over but what followed was complete mayhem.

From nowhere, Smith with Faulkner, changed the game with their amazing ability to bat under pressure. Smith played a blinder, scoring 48 off 21 balls with four sixes and as many fours while Faulkner hit three sixes and three fours in his 17-ball knock.

Yuvraj, who received criticism for his slow batting and failures in this IPL, punished the bowlers with seven fours and seven sixes in 38-ball knock.

De Villiers, who has been the most consistent batsman for RCB this season, continued with his splendid form and hit five sixes and a four. Yuvraj and de Villiers tried to outdo each other in hitting fours and sixes towards the end of the innings after RCB had a disastrous start, losing three wickets for 40 runs in 8.1 overs.



The RCB innings was off to a disastrous start after their captain Virat Kohli, who opened the innings instead of Parthiv Patel, returned to the dugout cheaply in the third over. Kohli tried to smash the ball over extra-cover but got a thick edge that went into the hands of Rajat Bhatia stationed at third man off Kane Richardson.

Chris Gayle, who is yet to get a big score under his belt in this IPL, started his innings sedately but shifted gears by smashing two boundaries in Pravin Tambe's first over, which went for nine runs. However, in the next over, the oldest IPL player had the last laugh, snaring Gayle with a googly after he had made 19 off 25 balls with three boundaries.

Vijay Zol, who played his first match of the season, made 16 runs off 14 balls with three boundaries, before he thick edged right-arm legbreak bowler Rahul Tewatia's wrong one to Watson standing in first slip.

RCB's top six batsmen have to convert the starts: Albie Morkel

By B D Narayankar

Bangalore: Royal Challengers Bangalore allrounder Albie Morkel has said that at least one of their top six batsmen would need to score a big one in Friday's match if they are keen to get the better of indomitable Kings XI Punjab.
"Most of our batsmen got good starts. But we didn't convert. The best innings was of AB (de Villiers) who hit 89. And if you want to win T20 games, out of the top 5-6 batsmen, one has to go out and score a big one.
"30s and 40s can win you games on occasions. From our batting point of view, we are aiming that somebody should score a big one," Morkel told reporters on the eve of the match.

The team needs to win at least five out of the seven remaining games, and the South African allrounder said, "We have seven games to play and have to win five to qualify for semifinals. Certainly, our goal is to play well in the next seven games."

Morkel said RCB would try to take advantage of the home conditions and win three consecutive matches in Bangalore.
"It is a blessing in disguise to play three matches (in Bangalore). If you want to qualify, you have to win home matches. We will go out and try to win all three. We are proud of our record here," said Morkel.
"We are playing Punjab tomorrow. It is going to be a tough contest. They have a few dangerous batsmen. But we are taking things game by game. We haven't yet peaked. Hopefully, that happens tomorrow.
"We all know Virat Kohli is a feisty character and he will be up for it (to win five out of seven games). I think the team will respond very well. It is going to be a good contest. We are prepared like any other game. Hopefully, we recharge ourselves," he said.
Morkel said his team is a very competitive but the batting hasn't clicked as expected.
"We have been doing so many things right and were close to winning games. I think our batting unit probably has not done well as expected," he said.
Replying to a query, Morkel said quite a few niggles were
there, but nothing to worry.
     "There are few niggles. Those are not new injuries. They
have been carrying for a while now. They can play with it.
Just they have to manage it well. For tomorrow's game, I think
everyone is fit. The physio is working overtime. We would
entertain the people and 'Gaylestorm' is around," he said.
     On Mitchell Starc and Kieron Pollard's ugly on-field
spat, Morkel said "both players went wrong and from RCB's
point of view, we don't want this to be repeated".
     "It should not have happened," he said.
     Morkel also said that such incidents always happen in
Mumbai as the crowd gets behind the opposition teams.
     "It always happens when you play in Mumbai. The games I
played for Chennai, the matches in Mumbai were always heated.
The crowd gets behind them," he pointed out. 

A B de Villiers sensational blitz helps RCB beat SRH

By B D Narayankar
   
Bangalore, May 4 (PTI) A B de Villiers produced one of
the most devastating Twenty20 innings as he smashed an
unbeaten 89 from just 42 balls as Royal Challengers Bangalore
pulled off a sensational four-wicket victory over Sunrisers
Hyderabad in a dramatic IPL match here today.
     De Villiers butchered Hyderabad bowlers with six fours
and eight sixes as he single-handedly took Bangalore to
victory after Bangalore suffered early jolts after fine
bowling show by Karn Sharma (3/17) and  Bhuvneshwar Kumar
(2/16).
     Chasing 156 for six, Bangalore seemingly lost the plot as
they were reduced to 59 for four in the 11th over and then
were down 95 for five when Yuvraj Singh (14) was out, needing
61 from 5.3 overs.
     But de Villiers took on from there and played a memorable
innings to take Bangalore to 158 for six with one ball to
spare. He stitched 57 runs for the sixth wicket with Mitchell
Starc who could score just five.
     In the process, de Villiers dented the reputation of his
South African compatriot fast bowler Dale Steyn who bled 39
runs without a wicket in his four overs.
     Bangalore needed 28 runs runs off last two overs and de
Villiers came into the act and hammered Steyn for 24 runs in
the 19th over with three scintillating sixes and a four, which
turned the tables against Hyderabad, leaving the home side
just four runs to score in the last over bowled Pathan.
     Fittingly, de Villiers hit the winning runs, a four off
Pathan, to take Bangalore to their first victory at home in
IPL 7 in front of wildly cheering crowd at the Chinnaswamy
Stadium.
     This was Bangalore's third win in IPL 7 and they are now
at the fourth spot with six points from six matches.
     The only blemish in de Villiers' incredible innings was
when Karn Sharma failed to hold onto a tough chance in the
14th over off the bowling of Irfan Pathan when the batsman was
on 32.
     After restricting Hyderabad for 155 for six in 20 overs,
Bangalore top order, however, could not click as per
expectations as they were reduced to 38 for three 6.4 overs.
     Opener Parthiv Patel, who had a good start in couple of
matches, failed yet again as he was castled by Bhuvneshwar
Kumar for just three in the second over.
     Captain Virat Kohli, who was a bit low in confidence in
this year's IPL, did not bother the scorers, as he
irresponsibly flashed at Kumar to give a simple catch to Naman
Ojha behind the stumps.
     Chris Gayle (27) showed the glimpse of his batting
prowess for a short while by hammering India pacer Ishant
Sharma for two sixes and a boundary in the fifth over, but
threw his wicket away when he tried to slog Karn Sharma.
     The West Indian batsman scored an entertaining 27 off 19
balls with three fours and two massive sixes, but failed to
shore up Bangalore's chase from troubled waters. When he left
the scene, the home side was deep in trouble, struggling 38
for three.
     South African Rilee Rossouw, a replacement for the Nick
Maddinson, looked out of sorts playing on the Indian
conditions. He scored a laborious 14 runs off 23 balls with
one boundary, before he was trapped by leggie Karn Sharma in
11th over, leaving the home side tottering at 59 for four.
     Left to steady the ship forward, Yuvraj, with de
Villiers, added valuable 36 runs for fifth wicket before he
fell to Karn Sharma.
     Earlier, David Warner's fighting knock of 61 off 49 balls
helped Hyderabad post a challenging 155 for six after being
put into bat.
     Warner hit four boundaries and three sixes as he steadied
Hyderabad innings, along with captain Shikhar Dhawan (37 off
36 balls) with a 62-run partnership for third wicket.
     Put into bat, Hyderabad lost their in-form opener Aaron
Finch (13) and Lokesh Rahul (6) early as they were reduced to
29 for two in four overs. Mitchel Starc and Ashoke Dinda
(1/39) accounted for both the batsmen.
     Australian pacer Starc (2/21) had Finch caught behind by
Parthiv Patel and then Dinda sent back local lad Rahul as he
fished at an out-going bowl to Chris Gayle at first slip.
     Warner, who survived a scare while on six when he played
an uppish shot, and Dhawan provided stability for the visitors
by adding 62 runs for third wicket in the next nine overs.
     Both played some effective shots during their partnership
and prominent among those were the boundaries scored off Varun
Aaron (2/33) and Harshel Patel (1/29).
     A moment of indiscretion cost Dhawan his wicket as he
pulled one off Aaron straight into the hands of A B de
Villiers who was standing at deep mid-wicket after making 37
off 36 balls with four hits to the fence.
     But Warner continued to fight as he smashed Yuzvendra
Chahal for a six over the bowler's head and followed it up by
accumulating seven more runs. He was ultimately castled by
Starc in the last over of the innings.
     Darren Sammy then smashed a flat over long-off for a six
to prop up Hyderabad's innings but was holed out by Starc off
Harshal Patel in deep mid-wicket for eight in as many balls in
16th over.
     Naman Ojha looked in good nick and contributed 15 runs
off 11 balls, which included a gentle guide into the Hyderabad
dug-out for a boundary and a six, before he was caught by
Starc at third-man fence off Aaron. 

IPL 7: AB de Villers calmed the procedure down, says Parthiv Patel

B D Narayankar writes

Sharjah, April 20 (PTI) Parthiv Patel, who won Man of the Match award for his half-century against Mumbai Indians, showered encomiums on AB de Villiers for calming the roughed up proceedings and guide Rajasthan Royals to a convincing seven-wicket victory.

“I think I couldn’t have asked for any better person to come in at that time (when RCB was struggling at 17 for three). You know AB expectedly is one of the best batsmen in the world. He calmed the procedure down,” Parthiv said in an interview to RCB’s official website.

Parthiv said De Villiers took his time to settle down and asked him to take his time.

“We were in a bit of trouble initially but AB came in and he handled the ship and I just had to take singles and after that I took over,” he said.

“I said (to AB) that we just need to bat 20 overs, and if we can do that we will win. We needn’t worry about the runs, just play 20 overs and that exactly what we did,” he said.

Parthiv said the bowlers set the game for RCB by restricting Mumbai Indians to 115 on a difficult wicket.

“The bowlers set the game for us on that wicket. Obviously it wasn’t easier, but our bowlers did a good job and restricted them to 115,” he said.

After winning the second game against Mumbai Indians, Parthiv said, “It was all in all good start for us in the tournament and hopefully we can continue this.”

Asked what is the key to his success and confidence these days, Parthiv said he has had a good domestic season and is carrying the form into the IPL this year.

However, the Gujarat cricketer said he had worked hard on his game and is glad to get results from it.

“I have worked hard on my game and I am glad that whatever work I have put in, (I am) getting results for it,” he said.

RCB owner Mallya lauds Parthiv, De Villiers

B D Narayankar writes

Sharjah, April 20 (PTI) Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya today lauded Parthiv Patel and A B de Villiers for guiding the team to victory against arch-rivals Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.

"I have always said Parthiv is a gutsy, talented player - he showed it today. He was fantastic, and A B coming in there and calming things down - that was obviously expected from him - walking into a troubled situation. He did his role and performed it perfectly," he said in a post-match interview to RCB's official website.

Both Parthiv and A B stitched a 99-run unbeaten partnership for the fourth wicket after RCB were in a tricky situation, struggling at 17 for three with Nic Maddinson, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh back into the hut.

Patel mixed caution with aggression to score an unbeaten 57 off 45 deliveries, while hitting seven boundaries. A B played the sheet-anchor's role to perfection, making an unbeaten 48-ball 45 with the help of three fours and two sixes.

Mallya said the depth of RCB batting not only came to the team's rescue but also pulled them out of a hole, paving the way for a convincing victory against Mumbai Indians.

"The depth of Royal Challengers batting came not just to rescue but I think it proved a very, very important point that even if we lose early wickets upfront, as we did - 17 for three - we continue to win the match and didn't lose another wicket," he said.

Mallya also lavished praise on his bowlers for restricting Mumbai Indians to a modest score.

"It was great win. Our bowlers did an outstanding job by restricting Mumbai Indians to 115," he said.

World T20 final defeat still rankles Yuvraj

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, April 17 (PTI) Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh on Thursday said it was difficult to cope with the World Twenty20 final defeat against Sri Lanka but he was learning to take disappointments in his stride.

India had reached the summit clash of the tournament unbeaten but had failed to cap their brilliant campaign with a win.

“A match like the finals always left feelings of ‘so near yet so far’, but as sportsmen they need to overcome these emotions quickly and face next challenge,” he said in an interview published on the Royal Challenger Bangalore’s official website.

“As a team we played a fantastic tournament and displayed emphatic cricket all around. But in the finals thing didn’t go the way we planned and it’s not easy to overcome that disappointment,” he said.

Yuvraj said in his younger days, one of his coaches told him that sportsperson one should be able to handle both the success and the defeats alike.

“That’s what I want to do,” he said.

Yuvraj said he is thrilled to be a part of RCB and hoped it would a memorable season for the side. He said the most of the team-mates got a short but very refreshing break after the World T20 and they are ready for the next 50 days.

He added that the last few days have given the team ample time to be with each other and figure out combinations.

“We had some very useful practice sessions and that has given use fair idea about our strategies and game plans.”

The Punjab southpaw said the side boasts of a very good mix of experience and youth and positivity around the team is infectious and uplifting.

“This comes across as a group that is willing to back each other in good and bad times. It is an absolute privilege to share the dressing room with the likes of Chris Gayle, Muttiah Muralitharan, AB de Villiers, Daniel Vettori and Alan Donald,” Yuvraj said.

“It is equally pleasing to know that I would be bowling to Gayle in the nets only,” he added.

Yuvraj said the facilities and arrangements are top class and they expect full house in most of the games because this part of the world has loads of Indian and South Asians.

“I can imagine they won’t miss the chance to see this spectacle live. So I expect a full house in most of the games,” he said.