AGENCIES
PUNE
A second-wicket partnership of 155 between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers was the cornerstone of the Royal Challengers Bangalore's 13-run victory over the Rising Pune Supergiants in their Indian Premier League match, played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, on Friday.
RCB's win from the front was only the second time it has been achieved in 16 matches this season. The Pune-based side, in their quest to chase down the 186 runs they required for victory after RCB had posted 185 for three, were restricted to 172 for eight.
Their chase lost impetus in the second over of the innings, losing the all-important wicket of Faf du Plessis. Du Plessis tried to hit Kane Richardson over mid-off, but he misjudged the pace and Harshal Patel took an easy catch. Kevin Pietersen faced one delivery, which he tried to defend, took off for the single, then pulled up lame and eventually had to leave the field, retired hurt.
It was all going pear-shaped for the Supergiants. Steven Smith was deceived by a slower delivery from Patel and was rapped on the pad, but Smith had taken a few steps out of his crease and Virat Kohli picked up the deflection and threw down the stumps at the strikers end and Smith was run out.
The Supergiants had it all to do on 18 for two after 2.3 overs and a batsman back in the hut with what looked like a pulled hamstring. Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni began the restoration process. Rahane brought up his half-century in the 12th over off 37-balls with seven boundaries.
With the scoreboard pressure mounting, needing 77 off 32, something had to give and it was the new boy on the block, the Unlimited Titans' Tabraiz Shamsi who got the breakthrough. Rahane (60 off 46-balls, 8x4), failed to get to the pitch of the ball, swung, missed and was stumped by the keeper Lokesh Rahul.
Dhoni was next to go, Patel floated one up, which the Supergiants captain drilled and De Villiers patrolling the long-off boundary took the catch. But the pair had compiled 91 for the third-wicket. Perera, with a swashbuckling 13-ball 34, nearly took the game away from RCB, but Shane Watson with two wickets in the penultimate over restored the balance of power, and Richardson ensured victory with two more scalps in the final over.
Earlier, after losing the toss and being invited to bat, Kohli “ RCB's captain “ and Rahul got the Royal Challengers Bangalore's innings off to a so-so start putting on 27. But Rahul, looking to lift Thisara Perera over the covers in the fourth over, found the outside edge and was caught by Ishant Sharma on the third-man boundary.
De Villiers joined Kohli at the wicket and they instigated the recovery “ both batsmen in sublime form in recent matches “ continuing an all-out assault on the Supergiants attack. No bowler was spared from their onslaught. Ishant Sharma was taken for 47 off his four overs and Murugan Ashwin 29 off two overs.
De Villiers reached his half-century off 25-balls with four boundaries and three sixes. Kohli was a laggard, requiring 47-balls for his 50. The pair had now combined to compile their third century partnership in four matches this season. Perera got the breakthrough in the last over of the innings claiming the wickets of Kohli (80 off 63-balls with seven fours and two maximums) and De Villiers “ striking six boundaries and four sixes for his 46-ball 83 “ with successive deliveries.
Both batsman failed to read the slower deliveries and misjudged their shots and were caught at mid-wicket and in the covers respectively. Perera finished with three for 34.
Kohli 267 and De Villiers 249 are now the leading run scorers in the competition. The victory moves RCB up the ladder into third spot. Both teams are on two points and sit at sixth and seventh respectively on the log.
