The suicidal call
ESPNcricinfo presents the Plays of the day from the match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore
Abhishek Purohit
26-Apr-2014
Shane Watson responds in style • BCCI
The suicidal call
Virat Kohli walked in early, pushed his first ball to cover-point and waited. Even as the fielder was converging on the ball, he suddenly decided there was a single to be taken, and set off. Parthiv Patel was taken completely by surprise. He could have been forgiven if he had already started looking forward to the next ball. Instead, he was summoned for a suicidal dash. He is not the fastest between the wickets, and there was no way he was making it in time to beat the throw.
Virat Kohli walked in early, pushed his first ball to cover-point and waited. Even as the fielder was converging on the ball, he suddenly decided there was a single to be taken, and set off. Parthiv Patel was taken completely by surprise. He could have been forgiven if he had already started looking forward to the next ball. Instead, he was summoned for a suicidal dash. He is not the fastest between the wickets, and there was no way he was making it in time to beat the throw.
The gift
On an afternoon Royal Challengers showered a few on Rajasthan Royals, their captain delivered the final one himself. At 46 for 6 in the 11th over, Kohli was Royal Challengers' final hope. Pravin Tambe gave him a long hop. Kohli had just started to open up, and had hit a couple of fours in the preceding overs when he saw the half-tracker, and in a moment that summed up Royal Challengers' day, he mis-hit his big pull to midwicket.
On an afternoon Royal Challengers showered a few on Rajasthan Royals, their captain delivered the final one himself. At 46 for 6 in the 11th over, Kohli was Royal Challengers' final hope. Pravin Tambe gave him a long hop. Kohli had just started to open up, and had hit a couple of fours in the preceding overs when he saw the half-tracker, and in a moment that summed up Royal Challengers' day, he mis-hit his big pull to midwicket.
The milestone avoided
When Kohli fell, Royal Challengers were still 13 runs short of avoiding the lowest IPL total of 58, which Royals had made against them in 2009. It was Mitchell Starc who ensured they avoided that ignominy. Rajat Bhatia is difficult to get away anytime, and he bowled a slow cutter, but Starc guided it deftly between short third man and backward point for only the sixth four of the innings, in the 14th over, to take Royal Challengers past 58.
When Kohli fell, Royal Challengers were still 13 runs short of avoiding the lowest IPL total of 58, which Royals had made against them in 2009. It was Mitchell Starc who ensured they avoided that ignominy. Rajat Bhatia is difficult to get away anytime, and he bowled a slow cutter, but Starc guided it deftly between short third man and backward point for only the sixth four of the innings, in the 14th over, to take Royal Challengers past 58.
The response
Starc welcomed Shane Watson with a snorter that kicked from back of a length and zipped past the outside edge as a surprised batsman prodded at it. The keeper went up immediately but Starc did not. The next ball was pitched up for the drive, and Watson accepted the challenge, leaning forward and timing it down the ground for four.
Starc welcomed Shane Watson with a snorter that kicked from back of a length and zipped past the outside edge as a surprised batsman prodded at it. The keeper went up immediately but Starc did not. The next ball was pitched up for the drive, and Watson accepted the challenge, leaning forward and timing it down the ground for four.
Abhishek Purohit is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo