0, 1, 0, 0…
Andre Russell’s innings got off to a sedate start. He played and missed a couple. Then, on the third ball of the 18th over, Mohammad Siraj bowled a beamer at the West Indian — it was high above the waist but the batsman somehow powered it over the straight boundary.
At the start of the over, KKR required 54 runs off 18 balls. A daunting challenge at the best of times. Most teams would give it a go but few would believe in their ability to chase it down. But Russell not just had the belief but also the ability to make it look easy.
Starting with the beamer, Russell tore into Royal Challengers Bangalore attack with a ferocity that has rarely if ever been witnessed on the cricket field.
The next nine balls witnessed carnage: 6, 6, 6, 1, 6, 6, 6, 4, 6.
9 balls, 7 sixes, 1 fours, 1 single. RCB’s bowlers, including Tim Southee — a death over and yorker specialist, wilted under pressure. Unlike Delhi Capitals’ Kagiso Rabada, in the Super Over a few days ago, RCB’s bowlers chose to bowl length and Russell gave them what they deserved by dispatching delivery after delivery into the stands.
Russell has a wide arc and he does not premeditate. He even has the presence of mind to let a few wide deliveries go. From 54 off 18 to needed 1 run off the final six balls, this was an assault of incredible proportions.
For RCB skipper Virat Kohli, though, his team’s performance was unacceptable.
“There is no guessing there (about where they lost), the last 4 four overs that we bowled was just unacceptable. We needed to be more clever, nothing came off and we just cracked under pressure. That’s been our story this season so far. If you bowl with not enough bravery in the crucial overs, it’s always going to be difficult against power-hitters like Russell,” said Kohli.
“I thought the runs were enough on the board, we didn’t have enough composure. If you can’t defend 75 in the last four overs, then I don’t know if you can defend 100,” he added.
But clearly, the idea of bowling to Russell can’t be very appealing to any bowler.
In this edition of the IPL, he has scored 207 runs in 77 balls. Further in these 77 balls, he has hit 22 sixes and 12 fours. That’s a six every 3.5 balls and a boundary (4 or 6) every 2.3 balls. On an average, all that big-hitting translates to 16.12 runs per 6 balls he faces.
Andre Russell in 2019 IPL:
Game 1: 4 Sixes
Game 2: 5 Sixes
Game 3: 6 Sixes
Game 4: 7 Sixes
Those numbers are intimidating on their own but more so when they mix with Russell’s belief.
“I was confident when I went out to bat. DK was telling me to take a few balls to see how the pitch is behaving. I was watching in the dugout on TV and had a fair idea. When you need 68 off 20-odd balls, it doesn’t happen everyday. Need to put your body on the line.
“The nature of T20 is such that one over can change the momentum. That’s why I never give up. A part of me was saying that the runs needed were too much but I wanted to fight and eventually, we won with five balls spare. The support is good from the boys and I am in a good space so that I can express myself. No ground is big enough for me I guess, I just trust my power.”
Now, Russell has always been an impact player but this year has been special even by his standards. He has already hit more sixes than he did in the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons. One might imagine that it will be hard to continue this kind of hitting through the course of the season but with Russell one never knows.
The key for the bowlers now will be figuring out his weakness and then being brave enough to execute the plan. But that is easier said than done. Chris Gayle, even at his best, wasn’t as mobile as Russell and it was possible to attack him on his legs to keep him quiet. But Russell has kept it very simple so far. He hits straight and he hits it long. So if the bowlers don’t get him, Russell will. It is a game of Russian Roulette and so far the West Indies player has been winning.
While KKR must be feeling blessed to have him around, it will be interesting to see how this influences West Indies’ World Cup chances. If their top order can keep their wits about them and allow Russell to come in at the right time, there might be a few upsets waiting to happen in England too. For when Russell starts hitting, the opposition simply starts thinking about taking cover.
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