belted down the ground and Lions win! And Bravo brings out the Champion dance. That's the exclamation point to finish the game. He was able to get underneath a length ball on middle and the full swing of a very straight bat made sure the hosts more or less cruised the chase
RCB vs Guj Lions, 19th match at Rajkot, Apr 24 2016 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Guj Lions won by 6 wickets (with 3 balls remaining)
And that about wraps it up here. The IPL rolls on with the second match of the day, where Kolkata Knight Riders have won the toss and opted to chase against Rising Pune Supergiants. Do join the fellas in that scorecard and keep going nuts.
Virat Kohli is the Man of the Match, comes up expressionless. Smiles only for the camera. "Doesn't really feel good right now. Would have liked to cross the line on the right side of the result. Missed a coupled of hundreds before. Not at any stage was I think about ab out a hundred. Just looking for 170. The opportunity came in the end. [Gayle] should be back in the next game. Batting is not a concern. We are planning a lot of things [with the ball] We want to pull our socks up. Even today, it was slow pitch, we shouldn't have given so many balls close to the batsman that he could hit. Should have kept it away from his reach. Personal performances are good, but not having a win is difficult"
"Good win, when Virat got a hundred I thought it was going away from us. But Baz and Smith got us off to a great start. We didn't lose focus, we had good partnerships in the chase," says Suresh Raina, "Smithy has been batting really well up the order with CSK, he had a really good PSL. Not sure about Finchy's fitness"
7.30 pm It seemed, during Gujarat Lions' only loss, they hadn't paced their innings well. Here they were perfect. Even after losing one of their major run-scorers early. Finch did not bat at all tonight, not sure if it was an injury. But McCullum, and Dwayne Smith who replaced Dale Steyn, took Lions to the best score in the Powerplay this season. With 72 runs in six overs, they had the perfect base to exploit a big outfield. Raina and Dinesh Karthik strung a half-century stand simply by running twos. The pressure of the chase is no longer as strong as it once was. So it is that Virat Kohli's maiden T20 century ends up in a losing cause. (Showing disturbingly similar shades of Sachin Tendulkar, eh?)
Mustafa Moudi: "Sachin & Virat - Both Scored their MAIDEN IPL TON in their own captaincy while opening against a New Franchisee, Wearing Orange Outfits, Having Mccullum as Opener and Still both LOST the Match. Mother of Co-incidence !!!!"
nishu: "RCB's bowling attack is weak. They should trade one of their batsmen with SRH bolwer.s So that the SRH batting gets stronger and RCB's bowling gets better. " ---- What? No credit to a beautiful chase from the Lions?
Lecs: "Kohli might get his first MoM this season alas in loosing cause. Once again bowler let him down even though they were 25 run above par as per Kohli."
Yuba Raj Kalath: "Noone is talking about D Karthik's contribution for GL yet. May be he is not high profile like others... :("
DJ Bravo walks out, with four balls left and three runs to get
sensational catch from Rahul! Low to his left. Jaddu was simply trying to run the back of a length ball to third man, but the keeper saw him shaping for the shot, kept low and moved nicely towards the ball to take it one-handed
he's called it! That's very very difficult to do. The wide yorker, and put the ball beyond the batsman's reach. Fair call again from Bharatan. Quite far outside that guide line
goes full on off stump, Karthik lifts it to long-off to complete a very important half-century
shortish and outside off, Jadeja slices it to deep third man. Oh boy, he has overstepped! The next one is a free hit. Checking with the umpire, planting his leg on the line and he doesn't believe it. Fine call though from the umpire, as the replay indicates.
Riaz Shaikh: "Looks like the Lions will win it with Karthik stuck in the 40s; probably quite rare that the losing side has a centurion and nobody has even a 50 for the victors." ---- On 49 now, so you'd think he'd get there. Big meeting within the RCB camp. Watson has the ball in hand. He has six runs to defend.
beats AB at long-on! Raina is up on his feet in the dugout! DK has played a superb innings today. Held himself back in the partnership with his captain, now he's taking over against bowling he likes. Runs down the track, takes it on the full and thumps it straight. The fielder had too far to run to his left
Muneer: "Big Mistake by Virat not giving Watson the penultimate over!!!!! i dont think he will have to last over either!!!!" --- Who then? It has to be Watson.
swept away over the infield to deep square leg, Jadhav can't send in a flat through and the two becomes easy
swept in front of the wicket, and I think that's the second time Jaddu beats AB's arm from long-on
low full toss on middle, picked away to deep midwicket. This partnership is becoming more crucial by the ball
into the blockhole on middle, picked away through midwicket
right-hander can do it as well. DK is so good against spin - especially with fine leg up. Shuffled across, goes for the lap sweep, gets under the ball and gets the boundary he wanted
Lions need 21 off 12. Abdulla to bowl, and a left-hander is in the middle. This could become ugly.
that's his escape shot. The lap sweep, but Richardson had read him well and bowled it quick and back of a length. Came at him too quickly, struck on the body
de Villiers saves the boundary at extra cover! Beautiful shot from DK, came down the track, took it on the full and sliced it past the extra cover fielder's left. AB is rapid enough, puts in a dive and does well
lovely hit to long-off, but that actually works against him. Kohli hares in from the boundary and it is only one
shortish and outside off, Karhik backed away and dabs it to short third man. Shamsi there dives to his left and keeps it to a single.
dropped by the bowler! It's the back-of-the-hand slower ball, deceived Karthik who was driving on the up and did not time it at all. Came at a decent height, but just didn't stick
low full toss, pushed to cover for a single
punit: "I don't understand why still Jadeja hasn't been able to develop his batting credentials yet. I always thought its lack of opportunity with the bat but he has enough innings now and not even a single fifty in 170 T20 matches. Average of high 40 in domestic cricket can't be a fluke surely? Anyone have any explanation?" ---- He doesn't do well against pace. And here's Richardson, who has gone for 48 runs in three overs...
flicked to long-on and they pinch a second again! Jaddu is freakishly quick
picked away to deep midwicket for a couple. Raina claps with gusto from the dressing room
perhaps he preempted the batsman running down at him. Fires in a wide delivery and Karthik does not play a shot
Over 20 • GL 182/4