‘Visitor’ Kohli silences Delhi

For a few moments before he ran out to the middle, it was all a little too hurried for Virat Kohli. Soon after Tillakaratne Dilshan skied the second ball of the chase to get out for a golden duck, the Royal Challengers Bangalore had to make a quick dash down the twisted flight of stairs from the first floor dressing room, twist his body superstitiously at the boundary ropes, and adjust his pads while running in to take the crease. Virat, though, looked in even greater rush to chase the target down, beginning with a series of classy boundaries that required little effort from his side. 

Virat hit Ashok Dinda for two boundaries and doubled the dose against Irfan Pathan in the next over to score 25 runs in just 9 balls, that had just one single and two dot balls. At the other end, Chris Gayle watched in awe, having faced just one ball for no runs. Virat wasn’t going to stop there, and he hooked Dinda for a six over fine-leg which went over even an outstretched Morne Morkel fielding at the ropes and cut the other quick Umesh Yadav for his second six as the Delhi boy in RCB colours scored his half-century in just 36 balls and celebrated in wild fashion. 


Yet, the most interesting phase of the game came after Virat made his exit, getting an inside edge to his stumps while looking to place Morkel. His dismissal provided the perfect platform for Delhi to crawl back in front of their home fans, a wicket that occured soon after Gayle and AB de Villiers — the latter run out by a brilliant direct throw from David Warner in the deep while attempting a second run. With a flurry of Bangalore’s top and middle order wickets, the match had once again oscillated back in Delhi’s direction. But skipper Daniel Vettori and Saurabh Tiwary, who has hardly had a bat since his big money move to Bangalore from Mumbai, stopped the seesawing game with their combined weight, but not at the cost of a dramatic finish. 

Bangalore eventually chased down the 161 target with three wickets and three balls to spare for their second straight win in a row, points that has taken them to second on the points table. At the other end, Delhi’s fourth loss of the season has seen them slip to the second last place of the ten-team table. 

Discounting the Gayle factor and his marauding hits off Morkel, Tuesday night’s game was more about subtlety, placements and crazy running between the wickets that proved a contrasting but equally riveting contest at the Ferozeshah Kotla. With little-known Syed Mohammed, Vettori worked hard to bring the equation to 12 runs from 12 balls, before further reducing the required runs to three runs in the final over. 

Morkel once again lacked the support from other fast bowlers and his three-wicket haul and economical figures didn’t count for anything because Irfan Pathan returned to his expensive ways, while Yadav and Dinda didn’t make any impression on their comeback. It was left to Hopes to lend some help, and although he was decent with the ball, the all-rounder had a much better day with the bat. 

Promoted to No. 3, Hopes provided some relief, soon after David Warner and Virender Sehwag flattered to deceive. Although the Aussie was out on 43 — caught at gully — Abhimanyu Mithun had given him a reprieve by bowling a no ball. Hopes was eventually dismissed for a good 54 to set a target of 161. But on a day when Virat scored an excellent 56, good was not good enough.