IPL 6: RCB snatch sensational victory from the jaws of defeat against Mumbai

Loaded with legendary performers but light on success, two of the strongest franchises in the short format – Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians – locked horns in a heavyweight bout laced with lightning action under the bright lights of the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. The Royal Challengers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a thrilling performance at the climax from a seemingly hopeless position. Aided by an explosive 92* from the ever dependable Chris Gayle, RCB recovered from a grim situation to post 156-5. A blistering 60 from Dinesh Karthik took Mumbai Indians almost past the line before the modest Vinay Kumar bowled a nerveless last over to consign the Mumbai Indians to a painful defeat in the second match of the IPL tournament.

Chris Gayle was carrying the weight of expectation on his home ground, but it took a peach from Mitchell Johnson for the fiery Windies man to be introduced to the juicy green top. The miserly Aussie ran through the first over conceding just a scampered single to get the Ambani franchise off to an impressive start. The wicket was offering pace and bounce and the nocturnal air was aiding seam bowling – making batting difficult in the early stages.

Lasith Malinga was nursing a sore back, but with Johnson and Munaf Patel keeping the habitually explosive Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan quiet as mice Mumbai was in not strained by the absence of the slinger. Johnson relieved Dilshan from the middle when he slid one straight through the Lankan’s defenses for a laboured duck off eight wasted balls.

19 year old rookie, Jasprit Bumrah was a curious sight with his straight arm action but it was Virat Kohli who made an impression with three meaty boundaries off four balls. But the young lad walked straight into a dream when he short circuited the ambitious Kohli with one that angled in sharply to claim a wicket in his first over on debut.

With franchises looking constantly for that little bit of an advantage, the theory of mystery bowlers as surprise weapons has gained currency in the IPL. Bumrah added to the legend when he had Mayank Agarwal caught by Sachin Tendulkar at mid-off at the start of his second over to reduce Bengaluru to 31-3.

Meanwhile, it took eight overs – read that again – for an alter ego of Chris Gayle to reach double figures as the stuttering Challengers coiled into a royal shell at 44-3. A sea of red flags started to flutter furiously in the ninth over when Gayle struck a thunderous straight six, finally bringing his bottom hand to bear on a fuller delivery from Bumrah.

Harbhajan Singh threw a spanner in the works by calling time on a burgeoning 44 run partnership between Gayle and Dan Christian, when he had the later caught in the deep to halt the Royal Challengers from making a full recovery. The game was held up briefly when Harbhajan collided into Gayle at the non-strikers end leaving the big man writhing in pain. When play resumed, Gayle was clearly struggling to walk but the handicap only spurred on the Jamaican to unshackle his spirit and plunder some runs.

Barely able to run, Gayle decided it was time to unleash his raw power. The 33 year old moved his right leg out of the way to make space for himself and strike a couple of ferocious sixes giving much needed impetus to an otherwise sedate innings. Bumrah was four years from being conceived when Tendulkar was receiving his India colours. The Gujarati, who received his IPL cap from Sachin proved he earned it when he snagged a third wicket (3-32) by trapping Karun Nair with a delivery similar to the one that got rid of Kohli.

The hobbling Gayle started to turn on the final flourish, plundering 17 runs of the 18th over by Munaf. But Oram pulled it back for Mumbai with a disciplined effort in the next to concede just eight runs. Patel started the last over with a dot ball, but Gayle made amends by splitting mid-on and mid-wicket for a much needed boundary. Gayle underlined his value with a four and six of the last two balls as he took his team past the 150 mark, with a precious 92 off just 58 balls (11 x 4; 5 x 6).

It was a sight to watch when Ricky Ponting and Tendulkar walked out to the middle to lead the visitors chase. The Aussie gave Christian the charge to bring up the first six of the innings as he helped Mumbai off to a measured start. Tendulkar joined in the party when he offered Muttiah Muralidharan the treatment scoring two straight boundaries – the first straight as an arrow, followed by another over mid-on. Ponting took it as a cue to add two more off his blade in the next over.

Even as the two legendary veterans were threatening to run away with the game, Tendulkar took off for a single in the eighth over only to be turned down by his partner. The 38 year old scampered back, but was found marginally short by the third umpire to ignite the hopes of the red brigade. Mumbai Indians had 58 on the board for the loss of Tendulkar at the time of the first strategic time-out.

Murali Kartik drew Ponting just outside the crease immediately after resumption and Arun Karthik showed alacrity behind the stumps to whip off the bails just in time to send the Aussie back to the dugout. Mumbai Indians needed a shade over 10 from the second half of their innings and despite the double blow in the space of those three overs, there appeared to be enough in the bank to cause too much worry.

Rohit Sharma made a forceful start – a couple of furiously cut boundaries off Unadkat reminded his hosts of the rich experience and immense skills of this talented, young man. After helping his team to 88, Sharma departed in the fourteenth over playing all over a Vinay Kumar delivery that went on to disturb the woodwork. The recklessness of Rohit was in stark contrast to the workhorse like ethic of the disciplined Vinay.

Christian stuck to the basics, much like Kumar, to keep the Indians down to just five runs in the fifteenth over to build pressure. But Dinesh Karthik, playing patiently in the company of Ambati Rayudu decided to do the star turn devastating the Bangaloreans when Christian came around to bowl the 17th over. Karthik tore into the bowler – striking three sixes and a boundary to bring up his fifty and turn the contest decidedly in favour of the visitors. When Karthik launched into another six over midwicket off the first ball in the next over from Muralitharan, Mumbai seemed to have all but completed the final rites.

Ten runs were needed off the final over, when the ball was handed to an unpretentious Vinay Kumar. Rayudu played and missed the first ball, but the players scampered for a single. Vinay raised the spirits of an entire stadium when he got one to climb on Karthik, who skied a catch into the safe hands of Agarwal at midwicket off the second. The third delivery nipped back just a shade to knock back the off stump to dismiss a stunned Rayudu even as the crowd roared with visceral urgency.

Harbhajan managed to get Kieron Pollard on strike with eight needed off the last two balls. The West Indian took it on the full to get stuck into a fuller delivery before sending it soaring to the edge of the fence. After the third umpire reviewed the trajectory to confirm it was only a four, Vinay found the yorker he was looking for to cramp the towering Pollard. With only a single coming off that last ball, Bengaluru could finally celebrate its first ever victory over the Mumbai Indians at its home ground.

After the rather sedate opening game, which was all too predictable, tonight’s nail biting and unexpected finish will do nicely to bring the sixth edition of IPL to life. Chris Gayle was awarded the man of the match for his stellar effort that helped his team recover from a slow start. Gayle now has the most man of the match awards in the IPL, one more than Yusuf Pathan who has twelve medals.