On this day in 2010: RCB thump KKR at the Chinnaswamy
The 2010 season was a season of hope for RCB fans. If the first season was one of learning, the second season was based around coming up with solutions to the failures of the first. The confidence was high with a smooth blend of experience and youth providing the team a winning outlook. The team looked like it was living up to the billing. Four wins in four games after a slip up on the opening day reassured the belief that RCB was going to be a team to watch in the 2010 season. However, the next five games brought only one victory and doubts had started to creep in. When RCB took on KKR at home, there were two things on RCB’s agenda - avenge the opening day debacle and in the process get back to winning ways.
Having elected to field first, RCB bowlers were put under the pump right away as future RCB legend Chris Gayle threatened to blow them away. RCB would have feared the worst when KKR reached the 50 mark by the end of five overs; Gayle smashing Praveen Kumar for four, six, four to bring up the fifty for KKR. The experience of Jacques Kallis brought the team back, as a charging Chris Gayle only managed to find Rahul Dravid on the edge of the 30-yard circle, trying to clear covers, bringing an end to the ominous-looking innings.
Dravid, and Uthappa scored half-centuries in contrasting styles to ace the chase
Ganguly and Brendon McCullum put together another fifty stand for the second wicket, but the partnership was broken by a Vinay Kumar slower delivery, which Ganguly could not muscle away. The wicket allowed RCB to wrestle back to control as two more wickets - that of Manoj Tiwary and Angelo Mathews - put RCB firmly in the driver’s seat. But RCB could not rest easy as long as McCullum was still firing. The Kiwi took 18 off a Sridharan Sriram over which would’ve brought back scathing memories among RCB fans. But, the captain Anil Kumble, like he invariably did, had McCullum miscuing a pull straight to Vinay Kumar at deep mid-wicket. The KKR innings could not gather any further momentum, and ended with a less-than-desirable 160, even more so considering 61 of them had come in the first 6 overs.
The early wicket of Jacques Kallis in the chase would’ve caused a few jitters, especially given Kallis had been the man in form. But in Rahul Dravid, RCB had a wall to depend on. Dravid caressed the ball with utmost grace and skill, his scoring rate never showing that there wasn’t a shot in anger. When Sriram was dismissed for a less than a run-a-ball 27, RCB still needed 78 runs off 50 balls; the game still wasn’t over. When Rahul Dravid also followed in the 14th over for a 35-ball 52, KKR would have fancied a comeback.
However, Dravid’s departure brought together Ross Taylor and Robin Uthappa, and the duo ensured there weren’t any hiccups. Such was the brutality of the attack that, a game that looked like it would go down to the wire ended with nearly three overs to spare. The partnership was worth 60 runs, but more importantly, it came in 23 balls. Robin Uthappa finished on 50 off 22, which included 4 boundaries and as many sixers. RCB had easily upstaged the Knight Riders and solidified their position in the top 4. Vinay Kumar was declared the Man of the Match for his three wickets for 23 on a batting paradise.
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