IPL 6: RCB vs PWI - Quick flicks

In one of the most memorable cricket matches in recent memory, a certain Chris Gayle will find his name in many record books, scoring an unimaginable 175* of just 66 deliveries, with seventeen towering sixes, as RCB reached a massive total of 263-5, a record that will remain unbroken for a long, long time. In reply, a deflated Pune Warriors could only reach a total of 133/9, losing the match by a comprehensive 130 runs. Here is a quick look at this historical game, which has jolted the IPL back to life.

‘It was just one of those days’

When Chris Gayle was asked what he thought of his stay at the crease after the RCB innings ended, all he could say was, ‘It was just one of those days.’ And what a day it was. The city of Bangalore welcomed the rains in the middle of summer, after which the city was treated to one of the most violet, brutal and beautiful Gayle-storms – the kind that comes once in a lifetime. Chris Gayle treated the Chinnaswamy Stadium to a knock that will go down in folklore as one of the the greatest innings of all time, in all formats of the game. Words will never do justice to one of the most emphatic knocks by one of the most imposing batsmen of our generation. Chris Gayle, in a single innings, has changed the way people will look at cricket forever. It was just one of those days.

An unbreachable fortress

The crowd at the Chinnaswamy has always enjoyed its cricket. But the kind of cricket they were treated to tonight turned the stadium into a colosseum with the vociferous crowd egging its favourite West Indian gladiator on. The ‘twelfth man’ has definitely played his role, as RCB find themselves unbeaten in their den so far in the tournament. The warning bell has rung. Visiting teams have their work cut out for them.

Is this the year?

Despite being criticised for lacking depth, RCB have silenced all their critics with telling performances, barring a couple of games. Their top order has been nothing short of extraordinary, with the big three (Gayle, Kohli, AB) ably sharing the responsibility and taking the pressure off each other. Even today, Kohli played sensibly and rotated the strike expertly to give Gayle the majority of the strike, while AB came in and played one of the most explosive cameos you will ever see. And despite not boasting of the best bowling attacks, their bowlers too have come through at the right times, for the most part. All Bangalore need now is to be consistent. If they can manage that, we could very well see brand new champions in this edition of the IPL.

A rude awakening

Spare a thought for the Pune Warriors squad. Having been made to suffer through what must have felt like eternity for the bowlers, their batsmen too seemed helpless out in the middle, knowing full well that they were fighting a losing cause. PWI has always struggled in the tournament ever since the team made its debut, but a defeat of this magnitude begs some serious questions. The IPL may be nothing more than a money-making venture for the wealthy owners, but the value of a team is zero without positive results. Time for the management to wake up and figure out what the problem is as soon as possible.

A silver lining

Among the ruins of PWI bowlers’ figures, only two men managed to hold their own and save the Warriors more blushes – Luke Wright and, more notably, Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4-0-23-0). Kumar has been PWI’s best player, without a doubt. In the chaos around him, he is the only bowler who has managed to pick up regular wickets and quell the scoring rate of the opposition. Bhuvi has lived up to the promise he showed in his first few games against Pakistan, and hopefully will continue to do so. The 23-year-old has displayed great maturity for his age, and could very well be the missing spearhead in the Indian bowling attack. But for now, his teammates could take a cue from him in a bid to redeem themselves, as the season continues to get worse for the Pune outfit.