LSG vs RCB Ball by Ball Commentary

Lucknow Super Giants finally manage to hold on and win a game. The six-game drought is over and they win by 9 runs (DLS method). Very full and outside off, hit away along the turf and down to long off for a single.

That should do it for LSG and Digvesh Singh has already started celebrating. A bit shorter again, angled into the batter, Shepherd doesn't get a hold of the slog and hits it aerially to the left of deep square leg. Mayank Yadav mops things up and keeps it down to two runs.

FOUR! A couple of sixes to tie the game. Shortish length at the batter, swung away towards deep backward square leg for a boundary. 13 needed now off 2 balls.

WIDE! Way too short and wide outside off, Shepherd reaches out to hit but fails to connect. Rishabh Pant is lightning quick to dislodge the bails but Shepherd is well in. Just a wide then.

Digvesh Singh might just have bowled LSG to a win here, but he needs to hold on for one more ball. Slower through the air again, a bit full and angled into the legs. Shepherd sits down to slog sweep but misses. 18 needed now off 3.

Digvesh goes wide outside off, bowling it a bit short. Pandya reaches out and slaps it to deep point. Nicholas Pooran fumbles it a touch but it will only be a single. 18 needed now off 4 balls.

Slower through the air, on a fullish length and angled into the pads. It is the googly that spins in and Shepherd swings across the line, but misses. The ball goes off the pads to backward point and they get a leg bye.

Yadav holds his nerve and closes out the over well. 13 runs off it, 20 needed now off the final over. A wide yorker, outside off, Shepherd drags it across to wide long on for a single.

SIX! You miss your mark even by an inch, and you get punished. Low full toss around middle, Romario Shepherd powers it across and gets it over cow corner for a biggie.

That's gone through. Bowled on a good length and around off, the ball just skids through without bouncing much and Shepherd is taken aback. He swings across the line but is beaten past the inside edge.

Much better from Prince. Full and just outside off, Pandya backs away a bit and jams it to the right of cover for a single.

FOUR! Pandya is punishing the short balls right now. Dug in short over middle, KP goes deep in the crease again and forces the pull just behind square leg for a boundary.

That should have been put away. A full toss aimed at the pads, Shepherd fails to swing it away leg side. The ball thuds his pads and rolls to the left of the keeper for a leg bye.

SIX! KP gets it away again, and RCB now need 33 off 12 balls. A short ball, aimed right at the batter. Pandya swivels back and swings with everything he's got, nailing it over deep square leg for a biggie.

SIX! Krunal Pandya provides just what RCB needed, keeping them in the hunt. Shami misses his mark and serves a full toss on off, Pandya gets a hold of it and hits it flat over long on for a six.

Goes full and straight now, does Shami. Shepherd pushes it down to long on for one. Just 2 runs off the first 4 balls, RCB need something to give here.

A touch slower at 127.8 kph, dug in short again and around off. Shepherd waits and hops up to uppercut but misses.

Oh, that's well bowled. A bit of a snorter this one, dug in short and around off, moves away a bit as well. Romario Shepherd leans back and sways his head away from the line of the ball.

Back of a length and outside off, Pandya taps it away through the point region and picks up a single.

Fired in quicker and wide outside off, just inside the tramline. Romario Shepherd leaves it alone in hopes of a wide, but won't get it. 47 needed now off 18 balls.

FOUR MORE! Short and wide outside off yet again, Shepherd rocks back and cuts it hard behind poit for another boundary.

FOUR! Nicely done. Way too short and outside off, Romario Shepherd hangs back in the crease and just angles it nicely between backward point and short third for a boundary.

OUT! CAUGHT! Shahbaz Ahamad gets the big fish now. This is bowled short and wide outside off, Tim David reaches out and goes after it, but ends up hitting it straight to the fielder. It was there to be hit, but David snatched at it and hit it straight to Digvesh Singh at point, who makes no mistake, and RCB lose their 6th wicket.

SIX! Up, up and away! Dragged length on middle, Tim David pivots onto the back foot and launches it straight down the ground for a biggie.

WIDE! Oh, that's actually spun a bit. Fullish length, wide outside off, turns away and stays a bit low. David looks to cut but misses.

Wide! Pushed through but this goes just beyond the tramline. David lets it be.

Keeps the line wide outside off, and bowls it on a good length. David reaches out to hit it through the off side but ends up jamming it off the inner half of the blade.

150 comes up for RCB. Mayank takes pace off and bowls it on a shortish length. David tries to flay it away but it goes off an outside edge to deep third. Single taken. 63 runs needed off 24 balls.

SIX! Tim David repeats the dose! Mayank Yadav sticks to the short ball, but once again, this sits up to be hit, over off and middle. David stays on the back foot and nails the pull flat to the right of deep mid-wicket for half a dozen.

SIX! Outta here! Mayank Yadav digs it in short, over middle. The height does not trouble the batter as it comes around his shoulder. Tim takes a step back and pummels it over square leg for a biggie.

Bashes the deck, near the tramline. Tim David shuffles across and throws his hands at the ball. It kicks up to go past the flailing blade.

At 144.2 kph, similar length but this time, Mayank tucks the batter up for room. David is beaten for pace as he swings across and wears it high on the thigh pad.

FOUR! Stand and deliver! Mayank hits the back of a length, on off. David hangs deep in the crease and plays it on the rise by getting on top of the bounce. He hits it firmly to the right of the man at cover and it races away.

FOUR! Gets it through! A bit too short whilst staying wide, Pandya takes a step across and hammers it to the right of the diving cover-point fielder for a boundary. RCB need 80 runs in 30 balls.

Bowled into the surface and quicker too, Pandya chops it down to backward point from the crease.

Floated up, fuller and on middle. Krunal Pandya goes for the reverse and connects but can't beat backward point.

Drops it short now and outside off. David slaps it to deep extra cover and crosses over.

Wide! This is quicker but beyond the tramline on off. Tim lets it be.

FOUR! One bounce and over the ropes! A bit of turn, on a length, sticks to the wide line. Tim David brings his long levers into play and powers it down the ground to the right of long off.

Top work! That was destined for a boundary. Short and wide on off. Krunal Pandya picks the bones out of it as he slaps it hard to cover-point. Arshin Kulkarni flings himself to his right and lays a hand on it, saving a certain boundary. Just a single.

Loopy ball, on off, Pandya advances and hits it hard to long off for just a single. 91 runs needed from 36 balls.

Shorter and wider on off, David spanks it from the crease to deep cover for another single.

Tossed up, on off, driven to long off for a single.

Keeps it short, on middle, David mistimes the pull to long on for one more.

FOUR! Edgy! Sliding onto the pads, on a length. David hops back to whip it away. Gets an inside edge through short fine leg for a boundary.

A mix-up but they get away with it. Sliding across, short and near the tramline. Pandya cuts it wide of point, where Mitchell Marsh dives to his right to cut it off. Pandya is caught ball watching as David sets off for the run. Krunal eventually gets across and makes his ground as Marsh misses the stumps and Digvesh is not up to the stumps to collect the throw.

Slows it down a bit, on a good length, closer to the off stump. This is punched to long off for one.

Fired across, short and wide, Pandya flashes but the ball goes under the blade.

Wide on off, on the shorter side, this is guided to backward point.

OUT! CAUGHT! A couple of overs back, LSG seem to have no answers to stop the onslaught, and all of a sudden, three wickets in quick succession, and they are right on top. Shahbaz keeps the line near the tramline and on a nagging length. Patidar reaches out, looking to go down the ground with a horizontal bat. Hits it flat down to long off, where Aiden Markram moves across to his left and snaffles it around his waist. 104/2 becomes 112/5 for RCB.

Pushed through, short and flat, David swings hard at it. Chops it down in front of cover and crosses over.

FOUR! Hit hard and wide enough! Floated up, on off. David presses onto the front foot and drills it all along the ground wide of long off. Aiden Markram sprints to his left and puts in a dive but his effort goes in vain.

Hurls it on a length, on middle and leg. That is flicked off the back foot through mid-wicket for a run.

OUT! CAUGHT BEHIND! A double strike for Prince Yadav. Build a castle for the Prince, quips Alan Wilkins on air, and the LSG fans will certainly be in agreement. A well-directed short ball, around the right shoulder. Jitesh tries to take on the short ball but he is not in a position to do so. He swivels but is rushed and the ball gets big on him too. It goes straight up off a top edge behind the wickets. Rishabh Pant turns around and takes a couple of steps over his right shoulder to take a safe catch. Another low score for Jitesh this season. RCB are now 4 down for 106.

Bashes the surface, on off. Rajat Patidar gets his hands high to unleash the pull but toe-ends it to long on for a run.

Very full, on leg. Sharma wrists it wide of mid-wicket and gets off the mark with a single.

Honing in at the stumps, on a good length. This skids through and keeps a shade low too but Jitesh keeps it out.

OUT! CAUGHT AND BOWLED! Prince Yadav answers the skipper's call as he breaks this blossoming stand. At 134.7 kph, bowled on a good length, on off and middle. Padikkal hangs back and looks to force it down the ground with an angled bat. He looks to play it more towards long on but ends up chipping it back towards the bowler. Prince reacts well on his follow-through as he takes the catch at head height to his left. The 95-run stand has been broken. RCB are 104/3, needing 109 runs in 53 balls.

Back of a length this time, Patidar stays upright and slaps it down between long on and deep mid-wicket for a couple of runs. 109 needed now off 54 balls.

Slower one into the pitch, Padikkal looks to pull but is early into his shot and cue-ends it into the off side for another single.

Short of a good length, angled into the batter. Patidar gets rushed a bit and ends up getting a top edge around the vacant mid-wicket region for a single.

SIX! Wow, that's even better. Good-length delivery, around the top of off and middle, this time Rajat Patidar holds his shape and just smashes it over mid-wicket for a 101-meter maximum. 100 UP FOR RCB.

SIX! Rajat Patidar has gone berserk here and he brings up his FIFTY in 26 balls. Fractionally short and angled in from around off, Patidar just walks inside the line of the ball and clobbers it deep over the square leg fence for a biggie, his fifth of this innings.

WIDE! Too high. Banged in halfway down the pitch, over off and middle and this one flies over the batter's head.

Slower ball, full and angled across off, Padikkal stays leg side of the ball and reaches out, guiding it down to deep third for a single.

SIX! What a sound off the bat! A googly now, on middle and angling in. Rajat Patidar walks inside the line and thwacks it across the line, well over the square leg fence for another biggie. 17 off the over, 32 in total for Digvesh Singh in his 2 overs so far.

Angled into the pads, Patidar tries to play a cute shot, fine of short fine leg but misses out.

SIX! Rajat Patidar is known as a spin basher for a reason. Length ball attacking the stumps, Patidar rocks back a touch and just lays into it, launching it down the ground and just over the ropes for a six.

Flatter delivery around middle and leg, jammed away from the crease towards cow corner for a single.

Gets away with this one, does Digvesh. Quicker and shorter, down leg, Padikkal looks to pull it fine but fails to get a bat on it and the ball just clips his pads.

FOUR! Stroked away for a boundary. Floated up, wide outside off, DDP leans on and times it superbly, hitting it over covers for a boundary.

Yadav goes back to bowling short and bowls it just outside off, angling it in. Patidar leans back to ramp it away but misses. 9 off the over.

SIX! Now, that's an excellent shot from the RCB skipper. Good length at nearly 146 kph, Patidar walks inside the line of the ball and uses those quick hands to short-arm jab it wide of long on for a six.

Slower ball, at 108.1 kph, and bowled full and outside off. Patidar goes after it but gets it off the toe end of the bat and down to long off for a couple of runs.

That's on the money from Yadav. Short again, at over 144 clicks and right at the batter. The ball jumps off the deck and so does Patidar, who does well to keep it down. That's hit the handle of the bat.

A proper short ball now, just outside off. Rajat Patidar expects it to be quicker than it actually is and ends up playing an awkward hook shot, failing to connect.

Mayank bashes a hard length and angles it across middle and leg, Padikkal hangs back and plays it late, guiding the ball down to deep third for a single.

FOUR! Excellent placement from Rajat Patidar and 15 runs come off the over. Fractionally short and outside off, Patidar waits back well and cuts it firmly behind backward point for a boundary. The 50-run stand is also up between these two.

Short ball around leg, bowled quicker at 99.5 kph. Padikkal pulls it off the back foot but straight to deep square leg for one.

Nagging length, angled well across the off stump. Padikkal stays low and punches it down past point and races back for the second run. Good, positive running.

Fuller this time, on middle and leg, clipped away through mid on for a single.

SIX! Rajat Patidar opens his arms now. A half-tracker on off, Patidar picks it early, rocks back and tonks it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie. 50 UP FOR RCB.

Well-fielded! Dragged length, wide outside off, Padikkal has to reach for it and he angles it wide of the short third fielder. Prince Yadav over there scampers to his left and stops it with an outstretched left hand, keeping it down to a single.

Dug in short again, but slower and around leg stump. DDP controls the pull well and gets it down to deep backward square leg for a single. 168 more needed off 78 balls.

FOUR! Hammered away. Prince goes short and digs it in just outside off, Devdutt Padikkal goes deep in the crease and leans back before flat-batting it over the mid-wicket region for a boundary.

A single to end the Powerplay, and RCB are 40/2 after 5.4 overs. Back of a length, in the channel outside off, Patidar hangs back and pushes it down behind point for a run.

Hard length, angled across off, Padikkal comes forward and glides it down to deep third for a single.

That's gone high and into the vacant spaces in the outfield. Fullish length on the pads, Padikkal flicks it off the legs but gets it off the inner half of the blade. The ball goes high but not long enough, landing well to the right of the long leg fielder. Two taken.

Good running. Good-length delivery at 138.8 kph, darting back into the stumps. Patidar taps it to mid off and pinches a quick single.

Into the surface, on off. DDP pats it to mid off from the crease.

FOUR! A shot of high quality. Bowled on a good length, on middle from around the wicket. Padikkal shimmies down the track a bit and also backs away to open up the off side. He slams it over wide mid off for a boundary.

Around the off stump, on the shorter side. Rajat steers it behind point and crosses over.

How did that miss the stumps? With an upright seam, on a nagging length, just outside the off stump. Patidar looks to play this one off the back foot but the ball shoots through to go under the vertical bat and sneaks past the off pole.

A loose shot but Patidar gets away with it. Shami drags the length back and this is outside off. A tentative prod by Rajat and he is lucky not to nick this one behind.

FOUR! Lovely shot! This is on a length, on off. Patidar leans into the shot and plays a punchy drive. He times it well and beats the cover-point fielder to his left to pick up a boundary.

Tight single! Hits the hard length, on off. Patidar drops it with soft hands in front of point and hurries to the other end. Nicholas Pooran picks it up and has a shy at the batting end. He misses the stumps but the ball catches Padikkal on the leg, who falls over after completing the run.

FOUR! Not in complete control, but Patidar will take it. Mayank serves the bumper, over the right shoulder. Patidar gets his hands high and just swings across ungainly, having taken his eyes off the ball. It is aerial for a moment but in the gap to the left of deep backward square leg.

Fuller and attacking the front pad, this is flicked to mid-wicket.

Beaten! In the corridor of uncertainty, skidding through, on a nagging length. Patidar stays leg side and looks to run it down but misses.

Dug in short now under the right armpit. Padikkal gets on his toes and gets on top of the bounce to fend it beside the strip on the leg side for one.

Oh, that kept a bit low. 150.1 kph first up by Mayank, angling across, on a back of a length. Devdutt Padikkal flashes but the ball goes under the bat and surprisingly, does not carry to Rishabh Pant, who collects it on the bounce.

Nice and tight, bowled on a hard length, over off. Devdutt stands tall and works it to the right of backward point for another single.

Goes wide on the crease and serves it on a short of a length, outside off. DDP steers it straight to the man at short third.

Keeps it in and around the off stump. Patidar rides the bounce and guides it behind point for a single.

Fuller and coming back in, on middle. Rajat punches it to cover.

A jaffa from Shami! Bowled with an upright seam, slanting in, on a back of a length, over off. Patidar has a feel for the delivery and the ball holds its line to go past the outside edge.

Hurls it at 140.4 kph, on a short of a length, outside off. Padikkal gets on his toes and steers it to deep backward point for a run.

Going across the left-hander, DDP walks down the track and runs it down to deep third for a single.

SIX! Have some of that, says Devdutt. Fractionally short but the line is a bit too straight, at the hips. Fast hands from Padikkal as he hops and shovels it over backward square leg for a biggie.

Pulls the length back a bit, shaping back in, on middle and leg. Devdutt Padikkal clips it to mid-wicket.

Curving away a bit, on a length. Patidar taps it through point and gets off the mark with a single.

OUT! TIMBER! The off stump has been uprooted. Prince Yadav is thrilled to bits, and why wouldn't he be? He gets the prized scalp of the chase master. At 140.4 kph, on a good length, landing just outside the line of the off stump. Kohli hangs back to deal with it and looks to play the line by getting his hands out in front. The ball lands on the seam and nips back to beat Virat on the inside edge before clattering into the off stump. A two-ball duck for Kohli.

Right on the money! Hits the top of off first up, does Prince. Kohli covers the line and makes a watchful block.

Goes past the bat! Moving away, fractionally short. Padikkal has a waft away from his body and is beaten on the outside edge.

OUT! IN THE AIR AND GONE! Mohammad Shami strikes early. Not the best of catching technique, but it gets the job done for Prince Yadav and LSG. Seam-up ball, bowled on a good length, outside off. Bethell extends his hands and looks to go down the ground, more over mid on. He swings at it but ends up slicing it off the outer half. It is skied towards deep backward point, where Prince moves to his left and settles under it. Neither hands pointing upwards nor downwards, something in between but he manages to grab it close to his chest.

FOUR! Untidy by Prince Yadav. Shami delivers it on a short of a length, Bethell lets the ball come to him and gets on top of the bounce. He plays it late and dabs it with an open bat face behind point. Prince Yadav moves to his left and gets low to make the stop. The ball bursts through his hands and trickles behind into the fence.

Slightly too straight, on a good length. Bethell walks down the track to negate the swing. He misses out on the tickle and the ball goes off the pads to deep fine leg for a couple of leg byes.

Wide! Pushes the length up and finds a bit of away shape but this goes beyond the tramline. Bethell goes hard on the drive but fails to connect.

Closer to the off stump at 138.2 kph, on a back of a length. Bethell gets on his toes to punch it away but ends up bunting it beside the strip on the off side.

Wide! Shami errs again as this is well wide on off, on the shorter side. Jacob throws his hands at the ball but misses.

An absolute ripper from Shami! Goes wide on the crease on the around-the-wicket angle. Angled in on the off pole, on a nagging length. Bethell presents a straight bat for the block but the ball straightens enough to go past the outside edge.

Wide! RCB are on the board with this extra. Shami bashes the hard length, a bit too wide, Bethell flashes but fails to connect.