BENGALURU: While two Bengaluru boys — KL Rahul (20) and Devdutt Padikkal (6) — struggled in their backyard, their teammates Quinton de Kock (81; 56b; 8x4; 5x6) and
Mayank Yadav
(3-14) made themselves at home as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) outplayed hosts
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
(RCB) by 28 runs in the Indian Premier League here on Tuesday.
Chasing LSG’s competitive 181-5, RCB folded up for 153 in 19.4 overs.
If de Kock wore his dancing shoes throughout his blistering knock, Mayank made the RCB batters dance to his pace and precision. The 21-year-old, who clocked upwards of 150kmph regularly, tormented the RCB batters who were beaten by pace and struggled to read Mayank’s lengths.
Spinner M Siddharth, who came in as impact player for Quinton de Kock, made it count as Virat Kohli became the rookie’s maiden IPL wicket. Kohli went for an expansive shot which barely connected and Padikkal got under the skier at backward point.
Padikkal had an off day with the bat, but was in electrifying form as a fielder. A sharp throw from Padikkal from midwicket sent back skipper Faf du Plessis, who was short of the crease while trying to steal a non-existent single off Mayank.
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On the M Chinnaswamy Stadium surface that was on the slower side, RCB found Mayank unplayable. He gave the batters no room and Glenn Maxwell felt the taste of it when he top-edged to Nicholas Pooran at midon. Cameron Green followed soon, flattened by Mayank’s pace and losing his off stump in the process.
The procession of batters followed and it was only Impact player Mahipal Lamror (33 off 13 balls), who managed to make an impression.
Invited to bat on a testing surface, LSG were off to a blazing start. Left-arm pacer Reece Topley, who came in for Alzarri Joseph, opened the bowling and was greeted by de Kock with a flurry of boundaries. The 31-year-old opener displayed calmness and confidence in equal measures as he countered Topley with a cheeky punch and delectable drives.
After the pacers failed to curtail De Kock’s rampaging form, Maxwell (2/23) was brought into the attack in the fourth over. The off-spinner, who has been underutilised in the competition thus far bowling just eight overs in three matches, struck in his second over.
Rahul, after dispatching a fuller one from the Australian over deep backward point, chased a short ball but didn’t anticipate the bounce. He miscued a short delivery and was taken by Mayank Dagar at covers.
Padikkal, who had a splendid season, has been struggling in the IPL; and Tuesday was no different. In the 11 deliveries the left-handed batter faced, he looked ill at ease and Mohammed Siraj ended his misery. A short ball and Padikkal went for the predictable pull short and managed only a thick edge, which wicketkeeper Anuj Rawat called and collected a good catch at short third-man.
Maxwell got Marcus Stoinis’ (24) number and then the RCB bowlers tightened their bowling as well, until they ran into Pooran, who has an enviable strike rate of 217.4 at the venue.
The West Indian was dropped on two by Anuj Rawat off Topley and he punished them with an unbeaten 40 (21b; 1x4; 5x6). De Kock fell to Topley with Dagar taking the catch inches away from the long-off boundary.
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