Gayle's gamble and Dhawal's double
Plays of the day from the IPL Eliminator between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Pune
Abhishek Purohit
20-May-2015
Gayle's gamble
Chris Gayle is usually not the one to push for the second run, but in the second over of the match, he did, and barely survived. After nudging James Faulkner behind square, there was enough time for a second. So much that Gayle was two-thirds through it before he realised Virat Kohli was going nowhere. Even as Gayle turned back, Faulkner kept imploring for the ball without making much effort to rush to his end. The wicketkeeper Sanju Samson collected the throw, and with Gayle and Faulkner both around the middle of the pitch, he had no option but to go for the direct hit. He missed.
Chris Gayle is usually not the one to push for the second run, but in the second over of the match, he did, and barely survived. After nudging James Faulkner behind square, there was enough time for a second. So much that Gayle was two-thirds through it before he realised Virat Kohli was going nowhere. Even as Gayle turned back, Faulkner kept imploring for the ball without making much effort to rush to his end. The wicketkeeper Sanju Samson collected the throw, and with Gayle and Faulkner both around the middle of the pitch, he had no option but to go for the direct hit. He missed.
Dhawal's double
On the day he was picked in the India ODI side for the Bangladesh tour, Dhawal Kulkarni rewarded himself with the wickets of Gayle and Kohli in the space of four balls. Gayle dashed down the track, heaved, missed and found his middle stump pegged back. Kohli tried to whip a shortish ball from outside off to leg, and only popped it back to Kulkarni.
On the day he was picked in the India ODI side for the Bangladesh tour, Dhawal Kulkarni rewarded himself with the wickets of Gayle and Kohli in the space of four balls. Gayle dashed down the track, heaved, missed and found his middle stump pegged back. Kohli tried to whip a shortish ball from outside off to leg, and only popped it back to Kulkarni.
AB's artistry
Shane Watson got it spot on in the 11th over: the ball angling in, then bouncing and shaping away close to off stump, forcing AB de Villiers to play with a slip waiting for the edge. De Villiers calmly opened the face of the bat as he came forward, and steered the ball safely past the slip for a four.
Shane Watson got it spot on in the 11th over: the ball angling in, then bouncing and shaping away close to off stump, forcing AB de Villiers to play with a slip waiting for the edge. De Villiers calmly opened the face of the bat as he came forward, and steered the ball safely past the slip for a four.
Faulkner's foot fault
In the 15th over of the chase, Faulkner had a swipe at an S Aravind full toss but only managed a thick inside edge. The edge guided the ball right on to the inner side of Faulkner's left boot. The ball deflected off the boot straight into the hands of Aravind. Television replays only confirmed Faulkner's fate.
In the 15th over of the chase, Faulkner had a swipe at an S Aravind full toss but only managed a thick inside edge. The edge guided the ball right on to the inner side of Faulkner's left boot. The ball deflected off the boot straight into the hands of Aravind. Television replays only confirmed Faulkner's fate.
Abhishek Purohit is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo