IPL 11, RCB vs MI as it happened: RCB’s bowling takes them to a vital win over MI

Kohli: “Geez, we needed that win. Very important win. We believed in the change room that this is exactly the push we needed. This time we just told the bowlers to back their gut feel and take ownership of what they want to do. We didn’t want to confuse them too much.”

McCullum: “Siraj and Southee were very good and Umesh was brilliant early on as well. The structure of our bowling is starting to come together now.”

RCB now climb to the fifth spot in points table.

“We can’t keep making silly mistakes”

Rohit Sharma: “Disappointing to be on the losing side but we have ourselves to blame for this. You can’t be losing that many wickets in the Powerplay overs. We could have restricted for 10-15 runs less. We have to learn from our mistakes. We can’t keep making silly mistakes. We can’t lose hope, we have to win all our games from now.”

MI 153-7 after 20 overs (Cutting 12, McClenaghan 0)

RCB have won by 14 runs. They were brilliant. Not an easy track but RCB took their chances well. They did just about enough with the bat but gave nothing away with the ball. By the end, Kohli couldn’t hold back the smile. They needed this.

MI 143-7 after 19.1 overs (Cutting 2)

WICKET! Now Hardik is walking back after a well made 50 but some might argue he needed to do more after he was set. RCB have been superb though. They have fielded well and they have bowled well too.

HH Pandya c Kohli b Southee 50 (42b 5x4 1x6)

MI 140-6 after 18.3 overs (Hardik 48)

WICKET! That is it for Krunal. He wanted to play that fine on the leg side, but got a leading edge which was easily caught. Great bowling by Siraj.

KH Pandya c Mandeep Singh b Mohammed Siraj 23 (19b 1x4 1x6)

MI 138-5 after 18 overs (Hardik 48, Krunal 22)

Superb over from Southee and he was well back by the fielding in the deep.

MI 133-5 after 17 overs (Hardik 46, Krunal 19)

Brilliant over given the circumstances. A four off the last ball spoiled it a bit, still MI under intense pressure now. RCB, though, will know that Hardik and Krunal are both more than capable of changing the complexion of this match in a matter of a few balls.

MI 123-5 after 16 overs (Hardik 40, Krunal 16)

17 runs. The biggest over from the innings. Finally, a big over for Mumbai, they need 45 off 24 balls. Here we go.

MI 106-5 after 15 overs (Hardik 30, Krunal 9)

Just six runs from the over. They need a big over quickly. That is the end of Umesh’s overs – he finished with 2-29. 62 runs to get from 30 balls now. Can the Pandya brother take Mumbai home?

MI 100-5 after 14 overs (Hardik 28, Krunal 5)

6 overs to go, 68 runs to get. One big over could change things very quickly. How much will that poor last over come back to haunt Mumbai? Time for another strategic timeout.

MI 92-5 after 13 overs (Hardik 26, Krunal 5)

MI are doing just enough to stay in the game. Cutting can hit big as well. But Hardik and Krunal need to stick together for a few more overs.

MI 84-5 after 12 overs (Hardik 25)

WICKET! A run-out. Duminy wanted the two but Umesh’s wonderful throw caught him out. Big wicket in the context of the game.

JP Duminy run out (Yadav/de Kock) 23 (29b 3x4)

MI 80-4 after 11 overs (Duminy 21, Hardik 23)

Just three from the Chahal over but Kohli would have loved a few wickets from the leggie. MI have played him cautiously though. Chahal’s bowling figures at this point are 3-0-16-0.

MI 77-4 after 10 overs (Duminy 20, Hardik 21)

Degree of spin at Chinaswamy stadium is 3.1. All other venues: 1.9. That is a huge difference. Sundar into the attack but he let’s himself and his team down with some very ordinary deliveries. Hardik helps himself to a four and a six. 91 runs required from 60 balls.

MI 62-4 after 9 overs (Duminy 19, Hardik 7)

Duminy needs to bat through this innings. The other batsmen need to do the big-hitting. That is how Mumbai need to play this. They need to get a partnership going here. Chahal continues to get a lot of turn.

MI 47-4 after 7.1 overs (Duminy 13)

WICKET! Pollard trying to dab it down to third man and managed to dab it straight to the keeper. This was him showing why he was dropped. Just isn’t on his game. Where is the real Pollard? Big wicket for Siraj and poor tactical approach by Mumbai. At least give RCB a chance to get nervous.

KA Pollard c de Kock b Mohammed Siraj 13 (13b, 1x4)

MI 47-3 after 7 overs (Duminy 13, Pollard 13)

Chahal into the attack and he is getting big turn. He even got an edge from Pollard’s bat but it was a big deflection and de Kock failed to catch it. MI’s result might come down to how they tackle this guy.

MI 40-3 after 6 overs (Duminy 13, Pollard 12)

MI need to take this deep. This is not the kind of pitch where you can go nuts and win. A lot more planning needed on this wicket. It is already time for a strategic timeout.

MI 29-3 after 5 overs (Duminy 9, Pollard 1)

RCB will be smelling victory but MI have dangerous batsmen left in the line-up. The needed 3 big overs, Pollard can do that and so can Duminy. MI need 130 to win off 90 balls.

MI 21-3 after 3.2 overs (Duminy 9)

WICKET! Is that the match? Rohit Sharma is walking off, he is gone for a duck. Lovely delivery from Umesh, it came back in and it bounced on him. Took the inside edge and straight to the keeper. The umpire didn’t see it but the review caught him out.

RG Sharma c de Kock b Yadav 0 (1b)

MI 21-2 after 3.1 overs (Duminy 9)

WICKET! Umesh strikes with his first ball. Surya was trying to looking to play a cross-batted stroke. He went for the review but that would have hit the top of the off-stump. Mumbai in early trouble here. Rohit walks in.

SA Yadav lbw b Yadav 9 (9b 2x4 0x6)

MI 21-1 after 3 overs (Surya 9, Duminy 9)

Classy cover drive for four to start the over by Duminy. And then three absolute jaffers from Southee. What a contest!

MI 16-1 after 2 overs (Surya 9, Duminy 5)

Given that MI know this is not going to be an easy chase, they will need to make the most of the Powerplay over. They will need the buffer for when the spinners come on. And Surya is just the man for the job, he has been in good form too.

MI 5-1 after 1 over (Surya 4)

WICKET! Kishan beaten by Southee’s inswinging delivery. He was all over the place. Another duck for him. Duminy walking in – who knows... might just be a good thing for MI. But Rohit might have been better.

Southee getting some movement here and he got the edge from Surya’s bat too. It just eluded first slip. This is an odd track. Help for the seamers and the spinners too.

Ishan Kishan b Southee 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

Three big overs

That’s what the RCB innings was all about. The Duminy over early on that went for 22. The Hardik over in the middle of the innings that went for 20. And the last over that was smashed for 24. 66 runs in three overs. The rest of the time, MI has things well under control.

RCB 167-7 after 20 overs (de Grandhomme 23, Umesh 1)

24 runs off the last over! Best over of the innings. Three sixes by Grandhomme (23 off 10)! That was some massive hitting. This just might give RCB a very good chance. Not an easy wicket to bat on.

Bumrah: “The wicket is getting slower and slower. It is a little sticky. Difficult to play step-out shots.”

RCB 143-7 after 18.5 overs (de Grandhomme 2)

WICKET! Southee holes out to Cutting in the deep. It went really high, good catch. Another slower ball does the trick. Clearly seems to be the way to bowl here. Last 27 deliveries, 22 runs and 5 wickets.

TG Southee c Cutting b Bumrah 1 (2b 0x4 0x6)

RCB 141-6 after 18 overs (de Grandhomme 1)

WICKET! Make that three in the over from Hardik and just two runs conceded. This has knocked the stuffing out of RCB.

Washington Sundar c Sharma b HH Pandya 1 (3b 0x4 0x6)

RCB 139-5 after 17.2 overs (Sundar 0, de Grandhomme 0)

WICKETS! Two in two balls. Mandeep gone and then Kohli follows him back to the dugout. The worst possible thing that could have happened for RCB. Mandeep went for the big shot, caught at the boundary by Surya and then Virat hit it straight to Pollard.

V Kohli c Pollard b HH Pandya 32 (26b 2x4 1x6)

Mandeep Singh c Yadav b HH Pandya 14 (10b 1x4 1x6)

RCB 139-3 after 17 overs (Kohli 32, Mandeep 14)

Big six from Mandeep but they need big overs to get closer to 170. This won’t be an easy chase but they need the big runs.

RCB 129-3 after 16 overs (Kohli 30, Mandeep 6)

Hardik back into the attack and he is bowling a lot of cutters. That seems to the way to go on this wicket. Six runs off the over and time for a strategic break.

RCB 121-3 after 14.3 overs (Kohli 28)

WICKET! Direct hit by Hardik and the batsman had no chance. McCullum smashed it straight to mid-off and set off for a single. Hardik picked it up cleanly and hit the stumps on the full. MI needed this wicket badly.

BB McCullum run out (Pandya) 37 (25b 4x4 2x6)

RCB 119-2 after 14 overs (McCullum 35, Kohli 28)

Bumrah comes in and settles things a little for MI. The bowler trouble Kohli no end in this over and a replay suggested that one of the balls that went past the bat might even have got a nibble. No one appealed though.

RCB 112-2 after 13 overs (McCullum 33, Kohli 23)

50 off the partnership comes up in just 24 balls. Just what RCB needed. Just what MI didn’t need. Bigger worry though is that if Kohli and MCCullum both get going, this is only going to get worse.

RCB 104-2 after 12 overs (McCullum 32, Kohli 16)

Here we go. The party has just started. McCullum and Kohli are striking it well and MI’s bowlers are suddenly under pressure.

RCB 91-2 after 11 overs (McCullum 24, Kohli 11)

9 off the Krunal over. The big Hardik over would have take the pressure off the RCB batsmen for now and it could not have come at a worse moment – given that Kohli had just come in to bat.

RCB 82-2 after 10 overs (McCullum 23, Kohli 3)

McCullum madness. No-ball for height, hit for a six over third man. The resulting free hit was scooped over the keeper’s head for another six. A dot ball followed by another four and a single. This innings has been about two overs – 22 runs off the Duminy over and now 20 runs off this over. That’s 42 runs off two overs and just 40 off the remaining seven!

RCB 61-2 after 8.4 overs (McCullum 6)

WICKET! One big six and then Markande traps Vohra LBW. The decision was reviewed but the umpire’s decision stands. Good innings bit Virat Kohli is in next and he has a lot to do.

M Vohra lbw b Markande 45 (31b 2x4 4x6) SR: 145.16

RCB 53-1 after 8 overs (Vohra 38, McCullum 5)

Just three runs off the over. MI have kept a tight leash on the proceedings. Current RPO is just 6.63 and the track is spinning. This is not the start RCB would have wanted.

RCB 50-1 after 7 overs (Vohra 37, McCullum 4)

Markande into the attack and he is also getting some turn and bounce. This is going to change the complexion of the game.

RCB 43-1 after 6 overs (Vohra 35, McCullum 0)

Krunal Pandya into the attack and he does a solid job as usual. He got good turn from the track too and that might interest the spinners in the RCB camp.

RCB 38-1 after 5 overs (Vohra 30)

Three dot balls, a thick outside edge for four in the third man region followed by another dot ball. A wide followed and then a wicket! De Kock’s pull went straight to Rohit, who took a low catch. Normal service resumed. McClenaghan takes the wicket. Rohit must now be thinking about that decision to give Duminy that over.

Q de Kock c Sharma b McClenaghan 7 (13b 1x4 0x6)

RCB 33-0 after 4 overs (Vohra 30, De Kock 2)

Another over for Duminy. A bit of a gamble given that RCB were struggling to score. One might have continued with the pacers. First ball, Vohra hits hit for four over long-on. Second ball, six over long-off. Third ball, cross-batted slog for another four. Fourth ball, classy six over cover. Two singles off the final two balls.

What an over: 4-6-4-6-1-1

RCB 11-0 after 3 overs (Vohra 9, De Kock 2)

In commentary, Harsha Bhogle talks about how spinners have had an ER of almost two runs less than the fast bowlers in this IPL. That is a big difference. RCB are already under the pump after just three overs. Something’s gotta give now. It is about time. One can imagine Kohli fuming in the dugout.

RCB 8-0 after 2 overs (Vohra 7, De Kock 1)

RCB just haven’t been able to get here. Two overs into the innings and we have just 8 on board.

TOSS: Rohit wins the toss and Mumbai Indians will field first.

Rohit Sharma: “Looks a good pitch and it becomes easier towards the end of the second half with the dew coming in.”

Virat Kohli: “We believe that we have the side and we are playing the cricket we want to play, just not for too long. We would have bowled up first. AB is still sick, he hasn’t recovered from viral fever.”

Washington Sundar is back in the RCB squad.

For MI, Lewis misses out and Pollard is back in the squad. Does that mean Rohit will open the innings?

Head to Head
Overall: Matches: 22, RCB won: 8, Mumbai Indians won: 14.

Trivia: Among all the IPL teams, the Mumbai Indians have the most wins against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Struggling sides Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore, sixth and seventh in the points table, will fight for survival at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday.

After the win against Chennai Super Kings, MI will be confident to take on the strong batting line-up of RCB, which has the likes of Virat Kohli and Brendon McCllum.

On the other hand, the heartbreaking back-to-back defeats to CSK and Kolkata Knight Riders at home would have devastated RCB’s confidence. They will have to play out of their skins to stay alive in the competition.

Whichever team loses on Tuesday night will find it difficult, almost impossible, to enter the play-offs.