Bangalore disheartened; Ganguly-led KKR triumph

This was the opening match of the inaugural IPL.

On winning the toss, Rahul Dravid, RCB’s skipper, chose to field.

The first Powerplay of KKR’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 61, and lost a wicket.

KKR’s openers put on 50 off four overs (24 balls). RCB had conceded 10 extras at that point. While Sourav Ganguly, their skipper, had scored five, Brendon McCullum, the player of the match, was batting on 35.

Ganguly, whose 12-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, eventually scored 10. Thirty-two balls into the match, he was caught by Jacques Kallis. Zaheer Khan broke the 61-run partnership.

The New Zealander’s half-century – which included five boundaries and three sixes – came off 32 balls.

KKR scored 100 off 11 overs (66 balls). RCB had conceded 14 extras at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 38 balls. While McCullum’s contribution to the partnership was 27, Ricky Ponting’s contribution to it was 19. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was four.

Ponting, whose run-a-ball innings included a boundary and a six, eventually scored 20. Forty-one balls after Ganguly’s dismissal, he was caught by Praveen Kumar. Jacques Kallis broke the 51-run partnership.

KKR scored 150 off 15 overs (90 balls). RCB had conceded 17 extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

McCullum’s ton – which included eight boundaries and seven sixes – came off 53 balls.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 26 balls. While McCullum’s contribution to the partnership was 35, the contribution of the younger of the Hussey brothers to it was a dozen. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was three.

The Australian, whose run-a-ball innings included a boundary, D(av)idn’t add to the aforementioned score. Thirty balls after Ponting’s dismissal, he was caught by Cameron White. Ashley Noffke broke the 60-run partnership.

KKR scored 200 off 19 overs (114 balls).

McCullum’s 150 – which included 10 boundaries and a dozen sixes – came off 70 balls.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 17 balls. While McCullum’s contribution to the partnership was 45, Mohammad Hafeez’s contribution to it was five. Extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

McCullum, whose 73-ball innings included the aforementioned number of boundaries, in addition to 13 sixes, eventually scored 158. He was unbeaten, as was the Pakistani, who didn’t add to the aforementioned score. His three-ball innings included a boundary.

KKR scored 222 for the loss of three wickets off 20 overs.

White, who bowled a wicketless over, conceded 24.

Sunil Joshi, who bowled three wicketless overs, conceded 26.

Kumar, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 38.

Kallis, Khan and Noffke bowled four overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. They conceded 48, 40 and 38, respectively.

The first Powerplay of RCB’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 26, and lost four wickets.

Dravid, who faced three balls, scored a couple. Ishant Sharma had a reason to be in seventh heaven – he broke the four-run stand.

Virat Kohli, who faced five balls, scored a run. Twenty20 debutant Ashok Dinda had a reason to be in seventh heaven – he broke the five-run stand.

Although his innings included a six, Kallis had no reason to be in seventh heaven – he scored eight. Fifteen balls later, he was caught by Murali Kartik. Ajit Agarkar broke the run-a-ball stand.

The fourth-wicket pair failed to get off the mark. Wasim Jaffer, who faced 16 balls, scored half-a-dozen. Three balls later, he was caught by Ponting off the bowling of Dinda.

Although his nine-ball innings included a boundary, Mark Boucher had no reason to be in seventh heaven – 15 balls later, he was caught by Kartik. Ganguly broke the 14-run stand.

The sixth-wicket pair failed to get off the mark. Balachandra Akhil, who faced a couple of balls, didn’t open his account. Three balls later, he was caught by Ponting off the bowling of Agarkar.

White, who faced 10 balls, scored Saha. Four balls later, he was caught by Wriddhiman. Agarkar broke the five-run stand.

RCB scored 50 off 9.5 overs (59 balls). KKR had conceded 14 extras at that point.

The eighth-wicket pair put on 14. Noffke, whose 10-ball innings included a boundary, scored nine. Thirteen balls after White’s dismissal, Agarkar and Saha ran him out.

Kumar, whose 15-ball innings included a boundary and a couple of sixes, scored 18. He was unbeaten.

Khan faced eight balls, scoring just three. Twelve balls after Noffke’s dismissal, Ganguly broke the 13-run stand.

The 16^th over of RCB’s innings was a one-ball over, called by South African umpire Rudi Koertzen. Laxmi Ratan Shukla was the bowler.

Joshi, who faced half-a-dozen balls, scored three. Twelve balls after Khan’s dismissal, he was caught by McCullum. Shukla broke the run-a-ball stand.

KKR eventually conceded 19 extras. RCB were bundled out for 82 off 15.1 overs, lost by 140 runs.

Shukla had a reason to be in seventh heaven – he conceded a dozen, picking up a wicket.

Sharma, who bowled three overs, conceded seven. He picked up a wicket.

Dinda, who bowled three overs, conceded nine. He picked up two wickets, as did Ganguly, who bowled four overs, conceding 21.

Agarkar, who bowled four overs, conceded 25. He picked up three scalps.