IPL 2011 Playoffs: RCB storms into the final

Gayle’s blitzkrieg ensured the Royal Challengers Bangalore a place in the final and knocked Mumbai Indians which was once the most formidable team in the Indian Premier League out of the tournament.

Yet another big game that wasn’t good enough to fill the stands at the Chepauk and here I was sitting before the TV carrying a personal agony of missing out on the opportunity to witness the match from the stadium.

The toss was nothing but formality at the Chepauk stadium as both the captains getting what they wanted, the only difference being one chose it and the other didn’t. Tendulkar’s success at the toss was accompanied by a jubilant cheer and the master preferred chasing a target set by the Bangalore or rather the openers as it happened to be.

“Gayle makes it a lot easier for those who bat with him,” said Agarwal after the first innings and if it had any unintended inferences, it was the fact that ‘RCB without Gayle looked ordinary’.

The very first over produced 27 runs thanks to the misfield by Tendulkar and the bouncer that evaded the hands of the keeper’s hands which gave the Bangalore side just the momentum a big match needed. Mumbai’s go-to bowler Malinga’s services were called for (only) in the third over and it didn’t help either.

Harbhajan’s off color shone bright as the young Agarwal established complete control over the off-spinner and the 50 came in just 3.2 overs with a big six over long-on. Meanwhile, Agarwal unraveled the shackles from the other end as he dominated what is considered as Gayle’s weaker link – spin.

The decimation meant that the Royal Challengers got to the Shepherd’s favorite 111 in 10 overs. Two drop catches and muffed run out opportunities summed up Mumbai’s first fifteen overs.

For all his self-confessed indolence, he was impetuous in treating bowlers. He thumped the cricket ball twice in the 14^th over (bowler – Harbhajan) without even getting to the pitch of the ball.

Eventually Mumbai breathed as Gayle’s miscue surprisingly landed into Franklin’s hand not before he scored a hurtling 89 from 47.

The momentum-shift finally occurred as the in-form Kohli and Pomersbac departed in quick successions with a latter getting out after Malinga effected a one-hand blinder at gully.

Suddenly the run flow choked, making the bowlers look deservingly better with the old ball – the grant they never really got when they ran into Gayle.

They ended up scoring 185 for 4 when 225 once appeared a cinch for them.

The Mumbai openers started off blazing as the target required them to. However the introduction of Gayle hampered their scoring rate and soon Blizzard was enticed into committing a mistake as he dragged a slower one from Aravind to the Agarwal at long on.

Harbhajan was sent in at No.3 which meant the message was clear – ‘do a cameo’. He did it briefly than expected; struck a six and a boundary along the V of the ground. He got out trying to clear Arvind over deep square leg – granting Arvind his second wicket.

Tendulkar paced his innings so well for his 24 ball 40 before getting out as the young Syed Mohammad deceived him with the flight. The master walked down the track with his bat held straight and close to his body.

As the pitch got slow, Vettori got Rohit Sharma as his uppish drive landed into the hands off Pomerbac. He then trapped Rayudu in front in the same over making it a no contest.

Pollard was taken in the deep by Mithun effecting a stunning one-hand catch and deficiency against slow bowlers once again got exposed. In the context of the game MI ran themselves into nadir as their score was down to 89 for 6.

Zaheer priced out Franklin with the old ball by bringing it back into him and called it curtains for MI. The rest was merely a formality.

Yet another day belonged to Gayle and the Royal Challengers Bangalore emerged as the winning side. And yet another day Bangalore declared itself as a Gayle-dependent variable.

The RCB script their names in the finals for the first time. It will be Chennai Super Kings vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore on a grand IPL finale at the Chepauk stadium.

Which of these will be the most decisive factor: Chennai at home or Bangalore with Gayle?