Australian batsman Aaron Finch slams 72 off 34 balls in Lions' seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore to revive their play-off hopes
Aaron Finch
Gujarat Lions' Aaron Finch during his 72 against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore yesterday. Pic/AFP
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Bangalore: The Royal Challengers Bangalore have turned the corner. Bowled out inside 10 overs the last time they took to the field, it was a different RCB on view last night as they batted for the entire gamut of 20 overs, getting all out only off the last ball of their innings.
It's a different matter that despite their near-Herculean effort they made only 134, which visitors Gujarat Lions knocked off inside the 14th over to get themselves off the bottom of the points table, a position now beckoning the hosts.
No laughing matter for RCB
Ok, its no laughing matter but the fact is that it was the Lions who got everything right on the night while RCB were woefully off the mark.
Not only did Gujarat strengthen their bowling as was required, they used that strength well. Then they used their batting might to score the runs quickly and push their net run rate up.
Aaron Finch it was who led the run chase. Skipper Suresh Raina (34, 30b) kept Finch (72, 34b, 5x4, 6x6) able company as the latter slammed sixes at will at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where once again a near full house, watched quietly.
Earlier, put into bat by Raina, the RCB batsmen turned up for only two overs, once when Kedar Jadhav thumped pacer Basil Thampi all over the park and next when Pawan Negi spanked leggie Ankit Soni for two big sixes in the middle overs. Negi's dismissal was a perfect example of the rot that's set in the RCB camp.
It was the 14th over of the innings and RCB had already lost five wickets and off the first three balls bowled by Soni, Negi had two maximums which had taken RCB to 106 for 5.
In attempting a third six, Negi, who should have been looking to get his side close to around 150, gave an indication that he was looking at 180 instead. Greed never pays.
Desperate Virat
As doesn't desperation and that's what looked to have got to skipper Virat Kohli, who simply seemed too eager to perform.
But neither he nor his famed opening partner Chris Gayle did, nor did Travis Head, out first ball after being pencilled into the team list at the last minute in an attempt to strengthen the batting.
And when AB de Villiers was run out thanks to a terrific pick up and direct throw at the stumps by Ravindra Jadeja, RCB's fate in the match, and perhaps in the tournament, was sealed.
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