IPL 6: Match 21 - RCB vs DD - Flops of the day

Daredevils captain Mahela Jayawardene’s struggles cost the team

The thriller in Bangalore, RCB vs DD could not have had a better finish. After the fortunes fluctuated from one side to the other, it was finally the Royal Challengers who backed themselves and held their nerve to win the nail-biter. In one of the most thrilling finishes ever, the Delhi batsman Rohrer needed to score a six off the final delivery, but he could not score more than a dot as the stumps went for a toss thanks to Rampaul’s swinging-in delivery. Here are some of the players who failed in this game:

1) RP Singh: (4-0-48-0)

It was yet another day to forget for the Indian fast bowler. He was looking completely clueless about the lengths to bowl. This might be mainly due to the lack of confidence, which can be attributed to that worst match he had in Chennai couple of days ago. This match was a wonderful opportunity for him to make a comeback and prove his worth, but unfortunately he could not. RCB need him to strike big in the future to have an effective bowling attack.

2) David Warner: (15 off 14 balls and 0 in the Super Over)

The Australian opener definitely broke millions of hearts back in Delhi. With the pitch excellent for stroke-making, anyone would have backed him to get some quick runs initially and score a big knock. Bangaloreans can never forget how effective he can be once he gets his eye in (Flashback : RCB vs NSW, CLT20 2011 semifinals). He did get a rocking start, but failed to capitalise on it. In addition to this, he got out on the first ball in the Super Over, which cancelled out half of Delhi’s chances of winning the contest.

3) Ben Rohrer: (14 off 14 balls and 0 in the Super Over)

The Aussie did not stand up to his reputation which he built in the Big Bash League. He gave away his wicket cheaply after taking quite some time to get his eye in. Delhi could have definitely got some additional runs if he struck some Yes Bank maximums and avoided that Super Over. Also, he failed to strike big in the Super Over when a six was needed off the last delivery. With his innings hardly making any impact on the game, Delhi might now think of trying another player in that middle order. Andre Russel would definitely be a better choice.

4) Mahela Jayawardene: (28 off 31 balls)

The Delhi skipper might be among the top scorers in the Delhi innings, but I personally feel he could have definitely got a lot more. The reason being his strike rate, as he consumed a lot of deliveries and never got going. Had he managed to score at a strike rate of 100 at least, the Daredevils would have managed to reach the winning shores safely. He seemed to be over cautious today, and waited a lot to push the attack button which has also costed Delhi the match eventually.

5) Andrew McDonald: (2-0-17-1 and 0 off 2 balls)

He might have picked up Sehwag’s wicket on his very first delivery, but he did not live up to the expectation and the reason which gave him a spot in the team. His role was that of an all-rounder, and he got out cheaply for an nothing-shot. When the required rate is below 6, you expect your all-rounders, who normally bat at number 4 or 5, to take you beyond the line safely. Unfortunately, he was not able to do that, and I personally feel Moises Henriques is the best choice Kohli can have in that position.

6) Irfan Pathan: (4-0-39-0)

This game was a mixed bag for the Delhi all-rounder. He finds place in this list only because of his bowling figures. When the required rate was about 7.6, he leaked crucial runs at a rate of 9.8 per over. He did bat brilliantly at death, but in the end, he gave away more than he contributed. His bowling looked completely off target and Kohli and De Villiers toyed him around easily with their superfluous strokes. At his pace and considering the help Chinnaswamy offers the batsmen in the second innings, his only option was to bowl wicket to wicket. Also, he gave away 12 runs in the last over, with Ravi Rampaul playing a surprise cameo, hitting him outside the park off the very first delivery. This was the most important shift in the match that gave RCB the game.