Kochi debut; Vettori-led RCB triumph

KTK was one of the two new teams in the IPL [the other being Pune Warriors India (PWI)].

Their playing (Pat)eleven comprised Brendon McCullum, V V S Laxman, Mahela Jayawardene (who was leading the team, and chose to bat on winning the toss), Brad Hodge, Ravindra Jadeja, Raiphi Gomez, Parthiv, Muttiah Muralitharan, Vinay Kumar, Rudra Pratap Singh and Sreesanth.

RCB made ten changes to their playing (Dani)eleven – Jacques Kallis, Rahul Dravid, Kevin Pietersen, Robin Uthappa, Cameron White, Balachandra Akhil, Praveen Kumar, Anil Kumble, Nayan Doshi and Dale Steyn made way for Mayank Agarwal, Tillakaratne Dilshan, A B de Villiers (the player of the match), Saurabh Tiwary, Asad Pathan, Cheteshwar Pujara, Zaheer Khan, Vettori (who was leading the team), Dirk Nannes and Abhimanyu Mithun.

The first Powerplay of KTK’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 61, without the loss of a wicket.

KTK’s openers put on 50 off 5.3 overs (34 balls). RCB had conceded three extras at that point. While McCullum’s contribution to the partnership was 24, Laxman’s contribution to it was 23.

Laxman, whose 29-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, eventually scored 36. Fifty-five balls into the match, he was caught by Pujara. Dilshan broke the 80-run partnership.

McCullum, whose 32-ball innings included four boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 45. Fifteen balls later, he was caught by Nannes. Virat Kohli broke the 13-run stand.  

KTK scored 100 off 12.1 overs (74 balls). RCB had conceded four extras at that point.

Jayawardene, whose run-a-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 18. Twenty-two balls after McCullum’s dismissal, he was stumped by de Villiers. Vettori broke the 31-run stand.

Hodge, whose 21-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 27. Seventeen balls later, Khan broke the 23-run stand.

Jadeja, whose 16-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and a six, scored 23. He was unbeaten.

KTK scored 150 off 18.2 overs (111 balls). RCB had conceded 10 extras at that point.

Gomez, who faced a ball, failed to get off the mark. Four balls later, he was caught by Tiwary. Nannes broke the five-run stand.

Patel, who faced four balls, scored a run. He was unbeaten.

RCB eventually conceded 11 extras. KTK scored 161 for the loss of five wickets off 20 overs.

Mithun, who bowled an over, conceded 19. He was wicketless, as was Pathan, who bowled a couple of overs, conceding 19.

Kohli, who bowled a couple of overs, conceded 14. He picked up a wicket.

Nannes, who bowled three overs, conceded 31. He picked up a wicket.

Dilshan, Khan and Vettori bowled four overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 30, 28, and 17, respectively.

The first Powerplay of RCB’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the sixth over. They scored 48, and lost a couple of wickets.

Dilshan, who faced four balls, scored a run. Eight balls into the chase, he was caught by McCullum. Sreesanth had a reason to be in seventh heaven.

Kohli, whose 18-ball innings included four boundaries, scored 23. Twenty-five balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Vinay, who broke the 41-run stand.

RCB scored 50 off 6.1 overs (37 balls). KTK had conceded eight extras at that point.

Agarwal, whose 24-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, scored 33. Twenty-nine balls after Kohli’s dismissal, he was caught by Vinay. Jadeja broke the 37-run stand.

RCB scored 100 off 13 overs (80 balls). KTK had conceded 11 extras at that point.

The fourth-wicket pair put on 50 off 44 balls. While de Villiers’ contribution to the partnership was 23, Tiwary’s contribution to it was 26. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a couple.

De Villiers’ half-century – which included a boundary and five sixes – came off 40 balls. He eventually scored 54, and was unbeaten.

Tiwary, whose 24-ball innings included a couple of boundaries, scored 26. Forty-six balls after Agarwal’s dismissal, he was caught by Jayawardene. Gomez broke the 52-run partnership.  

RCB scored 150 off 18.1 overs (111 balls). KTK had conceded a dozen extras at that point.

Pathan, whose four-ball innings included three boundaries, scored a dozen. He was unbeaten.

KTK eventually conceded 13 extras. RCB, who scored 162 for the loss of four wickets off 18.4 overs, lost by half-a-dozen wickets with eight balls to spare.

Rudra Pratap, who bowled three overs, conceded 29. He was wicketless, as was Muralitharan, who bowled four overs, conceding 27.

Gomez, who bowled an over, conceded 20. He picked up a wicket.

Sreesanth, who bowled three overs, conceded 28. He picked up a wicket.

Vinay, who bowled 3.4 overs, conceded 26. He picked up a wicket.

Jadeja, who bowled four overs, conceded 28. He picked up a wicket.