IPL 2020, Match 19: Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Capitals – DC retain top spot with 59-run win
The clash between momentary 2020 IPL table-toppers Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) ended with DC comfortably retaining their top spot with a major boost to their Net Run Rate by beating their opposition for tonight by 59 runs.
Once again, a toss-winning captain opted to chase, and once again, the opening duo of Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan got off to a flier, with Shaw yet again playing some really eye-catching strokes to help DC get to 63 by the end of the powerplay. Shaw’s dismissal in the following over stagnated the run rate for a while, which resulted in Dhawan, who was unable to accelerate at all today, being dismissed in the 10th over, holing out to Moeen Ali off Udana. Iyer followed a couple of overs later, caught brilliantly by Devdutt Padikkal at the deep mid-wicket boundary off Ali.
Marcus Stoinis looked like he had a point to prove, having walked in after Iyer’s dismissal. He smashed Ali right out of the attack in the off-spinner’s second over, and then went on to clear and cross the ropes off consecutive deliveries from Saini. A beamer from the RCB pacer further fired him up, and he went on to register a half-century off 24 deliveries. His partner, Pant was looking good all this while, keeping his head at the right place and timing the ball well, but as the innings kept drawing towards the end, his blind slogs started to unravel, and he was bowled by Siraj trying to do the same eventually. A 12-run last over propelled DC to 196, which seemed 10-15 runs below a par score, particularly after what happened on this track last night.
Marcus Stoinis’ unbeaten knock of 53 off 26 deliveries helped DC register 196 on the board
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In contrast to DC, RCB’s start to their innings was nothing short of dismal. Both the openers, Padikkal and Finch fell within four overs, and RCB suffered a body blow when one of their two best batsmen in the XI, AB de Villiers, departed after playing a nothing shot to a pacy short delivery from Anrich Nortje, his countryman. As if the three wickets weren’t damaging enough, the slowness of the scoring rate from RCB after that was agonizing to watch. Moeen Ali, who never looked promising with the bat tonight, fell to the left-arm spin of Axar Patel, of all bowlers, trying to clear the mid-wicket boundary. The departure of skipper Virat Kohli two overs later, caught behind off Rabada, practically spelled the end of the run-chase for RCB with a number of overs left, similar to what took place in the game against Kings XI Punjab. RCB eventually whimpered to a total of 137 by batting out the 20 overs, falling a street short of their target.
What went wrong for RCB today?
Wayward start with the ball
Yes, offering width to Prithvi Shaw with the kind of form he is in is equivalent to voluntarily asking for a left-hook from Anthony Joshua, but Isuru Udana, trying to cut the width down to a minimum, ended up overcompensating in his first over, bowling short and at the DC opener’s pads and was subsequently dispatched to the fence thrice. That helped Shaw in settling in nicely, and he ended up giving the Delhi Capitals yet another ideal start to their innings, scoring a 23-ball 42 and stitching a 68-run opening partnership with Dhawan within 7 overs.
Navdeep Saini not bowling his natural length in the middle-overs
Navdeep Saini has always come across as a bowler who would hit the pitch hard and bowl at good pace, quite similar to South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada during his initial years. But today, bowling to Stoinis and Pant in the middle-overs, he tried to bowl a lot fuller, presumably aiming for the blockhole more often. As a result, he ended up landing a lot of deliveries in the slot or was guilty of bowling full tosses, one of which almost took Stoinis out, eventually leading to a heated atmosphere. Saini went for 48 in three overs tonight and was not summoned to bowl at the death.
On the plus side, the fact that he is trying something out of his comfort zone, trying to bowl fuller and aim for that yorker more often is assuring. It might cost him a few expensive spells, but if he keeps at it and works hard in the nets along with maintaining the pace at which he bowls, he will be able to increase his versatility and become a complete fast bowler.
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Aaron Finch not kicking on despite receiving multiple let-offs
So far, it has been Devdutt Padikkal who has accumulated the runs at the top with support from Aaron Finch. But today, the attractive left-hander fell prey to the Capitals’ ploy of having Ashwin bowl at him in the powerplay. Therefore, it was Finch’s turn to step up and play the role of the aggressor today. It seemed like it was his day as well after Kagiso Rabada dropped an absolute sitter off his own bowling second ball of the innings, Dhawan was slow to react to an edge from the Australian limited-overs captain at first slip, and Ashwin let him off with a warning after he strayed out of his crease at the non-striker’s end before the ball was bowled. Disappointingly, he could not make the most of his chances, nicking a loopy off-break from Axar Patel to Pant behind the sticks and leaving the field with his side in a perilious position.
Playing an off-form Moeen Ali at 5
Moeen Ali has possibly had his worst summer in an England shirt this year. Barring the third T20I against Pakistan and a quick cameo in the second T20I against Australia, there were no significant contributions from the spin-bowling all-rounder with the bat. To expect him to walk in at 5 and take on the bowling straightaway in his first 2020 IPL game is folly in itself, but with Kohli playing the anchoring role at the other end, he could have at least tried to free his arms every once in a while, with the run rate already creeping towards 11 an over. Instead, it took him 13 balls to get 11 runs, in which he did attempt to go big on a few instances, but failed miserably.
By the time he was dismissed in the 11th over, the required rate was well over 15, and it was a bit too much for Kohli to do, and the relatively meek lower order, all of whom who could hit a long ball though, especially Dube, but were definitely not capable of going hammer and tongs from the outset, did not help the RCB skipper’s cause either.