A day to forget for Punjab
Punjab's batting never imposed itself, the bowlers lacked the venom to stop Bangalore, and their fielding … well that was just deplorable
Sent up the order to open, Manvinder Bisla ate up 26 balls for 28 runs. Once Shaun Marsh was dismissed early, the pressure was on Bisla to justify the decision to open with him. Bisla scored the majority of his runs off the South African pair of Dale Steyn (eight off four balls) and Jacques Kallis (nine off eight balls), whom he seemed keen to charge and waft at. Watching him repeatedly charge or back away, it was evident how limited a player he is. Apart from the cut, when he made room, and the uncontrolled clip off the pads, a shot he appeared eager to play but couldn't pull off regularly, there was little to his stock. No matter what the line or length, Bisla wanted to jump out of the crease and put the ball over the infield. You couldn't help but contrast his methods with those of Virat Kolhli, who paced his innings with solidity while scoring at the frenetic pace required in this format.
This was the worst fielding effort I have seen this IPL and when - not if, as there is now virtually no chance - Punjab sit down and look at on-field reasons as to why they didn't reach the semi-finals, this match will return to haunt them. In the 14th over, Sreesanth put down what will rank as one of the easiest chances of the competition; Kohli hit a slower ball straight to Sreesanth at long-on but it went in and out at about shoulder height.
With 48 required from 24 balls, Punjab were still in with a shot. Enter Brett Lee, the team's strike bowler, their most expensive overseas name, and a figure they had been dying to have back in the side. Lee begins with a full toss, which Robin Uthappa dumps 15 rows behind the straight boundary. The next ball is also wretched - length - and is slammed for four. After two near-yorkers Lee reverts back to length and watches Uthappa send the ball over midwicket for the biggest six of the game. He then sprays five wides down the leg side. That horror over took Lee's IPL returns to three games, 63 deliveries, zero wickets, 111 runs, and an economy rate of 10.57. Lee has been short of match practice but there are no excuses - that 25-run over cost Punjab the match.
Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo