Match Review Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Chennai Super Kings

Indian Premier League - Match review
Date : 22nd May 2011 Match No. : 69
Teams : Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Chennai Super Kings
Venue : M. Chinnaswamy, Bangalore.
Umpires : Rudi Koertzen and K. Hariharan Third Umpire: K. Dharamsena
Toss : Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and elected to field

Playing XI

Chennai Super Kings Murali Vijay Mike Hussy Suresh Raina S. Badrinath W. Saha M.S. Dhoni © D. Bravo Albie Morkel R. Ashwin Shadab Jakati Doug Bollinger

Royal Challengers Bangalore AB de Villiers Chris Gayle Virat Kohli Saurabh Tiwary M.Kaif Mayank Aggarwal L.Pomersbach D. Vettori © S. Arvind Abhimanyu Mithun Zaheer Khan

Two top teams of the IPL standings would come face to face in the penultimate league clash of IPL season 4. Royal Challengers Bangalore to host Chennai Super Kings in the 69th match of this season. A massive clash between two teams who have set some statistical records this season. The home side registering seven consecutive victories, something that has not happened so far in any IPL. The visitors have been invincible on their home ground winning all their 7 encounters.

The home side were little skeptical at the beginning of this season but never looked back since the time the devastating Chris Gayle joined them. They definitely had an upper edge of playing this crucial match in their home ground with a massive support of the crowd which has been very loud and encouraging. The Super Kings a team lead by a super cool skipper Dhoni has a great depth in the batting and all the players have been amongst runs at various crucial stages. Though some of their victories have been hard earned but they have the potential to snatch the match from the clutches of the opposition as well. A win here would take the team to the top spot.

The home side skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and put opposition to bat. Batting has always been the Challengers strength but with Vettori and Zaheer Khan back, the team composition looked completely balanced. The Super Kings innings was opened by Mike Hussey and Murali Vijay. Both the openers were very slow to start with and were not able to adjust well to the pace of Challengers opening bowling attack. Zaheer Khan and Arvind kept things very tight creating lot of pressure on the visitors in the opening overs itself.

As the pressure was mounting, while trying to connect the shot, Hussey got out "Played on" off the bowling of Zaheer Khan in the 3rd over of the innings. Hussey was soon followed by the other opener Vijay who was brilliantly caught by the keeper AB de Villiers. Chennai were 2 wickets down for 16 runs in the 4th over.

With some disciplined bowling from the duo Zaheer and Sreenath and poor shot selection from the top batsmen the visitors were in deep trouble with 4 wickets down for just 23 runs at the end of the 1st power-play. Though they have struggled with their batting on few occasions earlier, but this was their worst performance of this season. Saha and Dhoni were the two men at the crease facing a tough challenge. They both were watchful to start with but soon Dhoni picked up on the young pacer Mithun and started smashing his bowling. The two put together a good fifth wicket partnership of 42 runs in 47 balls until Saha got out to Virat Kohli after scoring 22 runs.

Though Dhoni held the fort at one end, but wickets kept falling on the other hand. Chennai has lot of depth in the batting but all the batsmen failed to deliver under pressure. Both Morkel and Bravo's wickets fell in quick succession.

While wickets kept falling at the other end, Dhoni kept hitting the ball hard and scored 17 runs of the last over. The skipper's unbeaten knock of 70 runs of 40 deliveries helped the Super Kings post a modest total of 128 runs. Except Saha and Dhoni no other Chennai batsmen could reach the double figure.

Considering the fact that the opposition had the brutal Chris Gayle, 129 looked too small a total to defend. The Super Kings would have hoped and prayed that that they get the Jamaican early to put pressure on the rest of the batting. The great spin attack of the visitors had the potential of turning things their team's way.

The home side innings was opened by AB de Villiers & Christ Gayle. Ashwin got his team an early and crucial breakthrough when he got the opener A B de Villiers on the 3rd ball of the innings. AB returned to the pavilion without scoring and the Challenger's 1st wicket was down without any runs on the scoreboard.

Gayle was joined by Kohli at the crease. Gayle was impressive once again kept the momentum going for the home side despite an early wicket. Though he did not swing every ball but ensured to punish the ball that asked for punishment. He picked up some effortless sixes of the bowling of Bollinger and Raina. Kohli on the other hand played a very mature innings trying to pass most of the strike to Gayle.

They both put up a 80 runs partnership until Kohli was caught by Ashwin off the bowling of Morkel. He scored 31 runs of 29 deliveries hitting five 4s. At no stage the mighty Gayle looked under any sort of pressure. The hosts needed just 48 runs of the last 10 overs. Tiwary came in to bat at No. 4.

Gayle scored an unbeaten 75 of 50 deliveries hitting four 4s and six 6s taking his series total to 511. He once again became the highest run scorer of this season and was awarded the orange cap. Tiwary contributed 13 runs and posted an unbeaten partnership of 49 runs for the 3rd wicket. He along with Gayle ensured that the team completed the chase without any fuss. The home side managed an eight wicket victory with 2 overs to spare.

Result: Royal Challengers Bangalore won by 8 wickets.

The Awards

Man of the match
Chris Gayle for his outstanding inning of 75 in 50 balls with 4 boundaries and 6 sixes.

Maximum Sixes
Chris Gayle for hitting 6 huge sixes.

Kingfisher Fair Play Award
Chennai Super Kings tops the chart.

Orange Cap (The leading run scorer)
Chris Gayle- Royal Challengers Bangalore

Purple Cap (The leading wicket taker)
Lasith Mallinga- Mumbai Indians

Question of the day
Would this inning make Chris Gayle a strong contender of Man of the Series?



Last Updated on 24 May 2011