There are days when you turn up, do your best, make sensible choices and still end up on the losing side. That's just how the Royal Challengers Bangalore would have felt on Thursday, losing a thriller they could have won. The bowlers can expect a stern talking-to from their captain, for 184 is a score they should have defended in conditions they know so well and clearly love.
Put in to bat, the Royal Challenges began badly, losing opener Manish Pandey before he could set the tone. Rahul Dravid looked to be bedding down at No. 3 when he departed without quite doing enough. Robin Uthappa glided one to the keeper,
Ross Taylor was nailed in front of the stumps by Pragyan Ojha and Bangalore were firmly on the back foot at 68 for 4.
They stayed that way for far too long, and reached just 107 at the end of 15 overs. The game looked as good as dead for the home team, but the fans kept the faith, bellowing in one voice every time attacking intent was shown.
Virat Kohli repaid the faith, taking Andrew Symonds apart, hitting a six onto the roof over long-on, driving over extra cover, drilling a boundary past point and sealing the 23-run 17th over with a clout for maximum over midwicket. The floodgates opened, and 52 runs came from the last three overs, powering Bangalore to 184 thanks to Jacques Kallis' steadying 68 and Kohli's quickfire 58.
There's no such thing as a safe total in T20 cricket, especially with Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds in the opposition line-up.
{{/usCountry}}There's no such thing as a safe total in T20 cricket, especially with Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds in the opposition line-up.
{{/usCountry}}Still, Bangalore's bowling will be disappointed that they could not do the job, allowing the Chargers to end a five-match losing streak on the back of an initially chancy yet eventually audacious innings from T Suman.
When the chase began, the on-field tension was palpable. Every passing over with Gilchrist still at the crease, occasionally sending one into orbit, meant mounting pressure on Bangalore. A perfectly pitched Kumble googly took care of Gilchrist (32) and Rohit Sharma drilled Vinay Kumar to mid-off, leaving the chase hanging in the balance.
Symonds redeemed himself with a levelheaded finish, but the unlikely hero was Suman, whose long, swirling blade repeatedly made good contact. Suman's 78 didn't merely deflate the crowd, it cost the Royal Challengers a game they were desperate to win.