Match Review-Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Chennai Super Kings-Match No.44-Dream 11 IPL.

 Welcome to another match review and I apologise to everyone for my inconsistency in posting the IPL Match Reviews.  Let us expect for some consistency from now on.  So now let us get to the match review.  A funny fact is that in  the first half of the season, teams were keen on chasing and lost most of their games.  In the second half of the season, those teams have now woke up and the season is also curving in the way that it is supporting chasing every game.  The teams which were on a win streak are now starting to find difficulties as the teams in the bottom half look really motivated, especially Kings XI Punjab.  And I now personally get a thought that chasing is better in this second half of the IPL.  The Kings have defied the odds when they won against SRH defending a total.  That is not what we are talking about today, we are now analyzing the first match of the double header on Sunday that was held between RCB and CSK.  So let us get to the toss.

1.  The Toss:

           The toss was won by RCB and as I said the teams in the top half of the table are making mistakes by electing to bat first.

  RCB did the same mistake by opting to bat first on a slow and weary wicket that was used for the SRH Vs KXIP match.  RCB came in with only one change as they got in Moeen Ali instead of Isuru Udana.  Just for the reason that he is a spinner.  CSK though followed youngistan policy as they got in Monu Kumar and Santner in place of Shardul Thakur and Josh Hazlewood. 

 2.  First Innings:

           Obviously we had to expect a low scoring thriller today and that was justified with RCB's batting display.  RCB batsmen, especially Finch was not up to the task.  Padikkal threw his wicket very cheaply.  Then, Kohli and De Villiers were knocking the spinners here and there.

  Picking up the singles and twos.  They got the score up slowly, but were setting their innings up to blow up in the last 5 overs.  But That didn't happen, Virat got his fifty and also his 200th six in IPL Cricket, but overall he was a touch slow and so was the pitch.  Any target over 160 would've been really good with a good bowling line up.  But RCB stumbled and Crumbled in the last 5 overs.  Sam Curran was absolutely superb with his bowling display.  Monu Kumar was so rusty that he bowled poorer than Thakur.  Curran dismissed all the big guns in his three overs.  Finch, AB, Kohli.  He gave away just 19 runs.  Really he was the game changer.  After I saw this target, I really thought it would be a very easy chase.  Was that an easy chase?  Let us find out now.  

2.   Second Innings:

          The Second innings was not so entertaining because Ruturaj Gaikwad and Du Plessis were slowly moving the game into the winning path.  Ruturaj finally proved Dhoni that he has the spark that Dhoni found in Jadhav all these years.  Du Plessis batted like he always does, steady in his approach.  Saini was very economical, but that didn't help RCB because Ruturaj was not in the mood to go back to the dressing room.

  Morris was expensive but he took a wicket.  Mohammed Siraj bowled two maidens just because KKR batted like they were just learning how to hold a bat.  Siraj however was, fantastic today, he was poorer than that of Monu Kumar of CSK.  Siraj gave away 29 in his two overs.  Chahal and Sundar were brilliant yet again, but they could not do anything with economy with their Side.  Ruturaj was pin point on his shots and his timing.  He played very slowly, but that was what that was required at that point of the game.  Steady batting and clear mindset.  Rayudu joined him, and he was good as well.  Ruturaj and Rayudu took the game to a different level before Rayudu perished to Chahal.  The game was already over.  Then, Dhoni and Ruturaj finsihed the procedings.  Ruturaj then, stole away the man of the match award for his valuable 65 off 51.  Not the kind of a t20 innings, but just the kind of innings that they want while chasing 146.  RCB bowlers just could not replicate what  CSK did, and as a result, they lost pretty easily.  So here I give you the final summary.

Final Summary:   

         RCB: 145/6  20 Overs.

         V.Kohli: 50(43); A.De Villiers: 39(36)

         S.Curran: 3/19 (3)

         CSK: 150/2  18.4 Overs.

         R.Gaikwad: 65(51); A.Rayudu: 39(27)

         Y.Chahal: 1/21 (4)

Man Of The Match: Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK)