Gayle's celebration and his version of VVS
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the Day from the IPL game between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab in Bangalore
Abhishek Purohit
06-May-2011
No bird, no plane, it's CH Gayle • AFP
The celebration
It was Chris Gayle's night at the Chinnaswamy. After dismantling the Punjab attack with nine sixes, he deadpanned his way to three wickets. There was more coming from the big Jamaican. Each time he got a wicket, he celebrated with what he later said was his version of the 'tuk-tuk train'. He flapped his arms, boxed the air, chugged around like a locomotive and charmed an already-delirious Bangalore crowd. "Things will happen when I am out there," Gayle said. "I am unpredictable." You are right, Chris. Never a dull moment.
It was Chris Gayle's night at the Chinnaswamy. After dismantling the Punjab attack with nine sixes, he deadpanned his way to three wickets. There was more coming from the big Jamaican. Each time he got a wicket, he celebrated with what he later said was his version of the 'tuk-tuk train'. He flapped his arms, boxed the air, chugged around like a locomotive and charmed an already-delirious Bangalore crowd. "Things will happen when I am out there," Gayle said. "I am unpredictable." You are right, Chris. Never a dull moment.
Gayle does a Laxman
Gayle was already clobbering them in to the stands when he played a stroke that VVS Laxman has made a living out of. Ryan McLaren bowled a length delivery outside off stump. Instead of carving it over extra cover, Gayle showed that he could use his wrists as well. He brought down the bat at an angle slightly outside the line, and whipped the ball past a bemused mid-on fielder. He quickly went back to being Gayle though, slicing McLaren hard over point in the same over.
Gayle was already clobbering them in to the stands when he played a stroke that VVS Laxman has made a living out of. Ryan McLaren bowled a length delivery outside off stump. Instead of carving it over extra cover, Gayle showed that he could use his wrists as well. He brought down the bat at an angle slightly outside the line, and whipped the ball past a bemused mid-on fielder. He quickly went back to being Gayle though, slicing McLaren hard over point in the same over.
The face-off
After Adam Gilchrist went first ball, Paul Valthaty's was the wicket Bangalore needed next. Right after Gilchrist's dismissal, Zaheer Khan beat Valthaty outside off stump, and launched a torrent of abuse to unsettle the batsman. Valthaty managed to survive that over, and gave it back in Zaheer's next. He pulled a short delivery on one leg, cracked the next one past midwicket and punched the third on the up past extra cover. Valthaty soon got out to Gayle, but he had replied to Zaheer with those three boundaries.
After Adam Gilchrist went first ball, Paul Valthaty's was the wicket Bangalore needed next. Right after Gilchrist's dismissal, Zaheer Khan beat Valthaty outside off stump, and launched a torrent of abuse to unsettle the batsman. Valthaty managed to survive that over, and gave it back in Zaheer's next. He pulled a short delivery on one leg, cracked the next one past midwicket and punched the third on the up past extra cover. Valthaty soon got out to Gayle, but he had replied to Zaheer with those three boundaries.
The unusual field
At the start of Bangalore's innings, Gilchrist set a field that is rarely seen in the shorter formats. There was no one at short fine leg, long leg, square leg and deep square leg. It was clear where Praveen Kumar could not bowl. But soon, a length delivery arrived on Tillakaratne Dilshan's pads, and he happily flicked it to the deep square leg boundary. Gilchrist persisted with the field. Dilshan swivelled and pulled Ryan Harris for another boundary through deep square leg. This time, Gilchrist relented and some normalcy was restored to the field placings.
At the start of Bangalore's innings, Gilchrist set a field that is rarely seen in the shorter formats. There was no one at short fine leg, long leg, square leg and deep square leg. It was clear where Praveen Kumar could not bowl. But soon, a length delivery arrived on Tillakaratne Dilshan's pads, and he happily flicked it to the deep square leg boundary. Gilchrist persisted with the field. Dilshan swivelled and pulled Ryan Harris for another boundary through deep square leg. This time, Gilchrist relented and some normalcy was restored to the field placings.
Abhishek Purohit is an editorial assistant at ESPNcricinfo