Miked as much as the commentators within the second over of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL match at dwelling to Punjab Kings, Glenn Maxwell mentioned of strategies he would possibly flip his arm over, “I’d rather not bowl, I quite enjoying just being a batter.
“That’s why we have paid for Cam Green, to be the allrounder,” the Australian added with a smile.
Six overs later, after Green had been hit for 10 in his first over, Maxwell was thrown the ball. His first delivery went for four and his fourth for six, but his fifth brought the breakthrough RCB needed as Prabhsimran Singh top-edged into the Bengaluru night sky to be caught by wicketkeeper Rawat for a 17-ball 25.
Maxwell, who’d complained that wearing the tech meant he felt like he was “carrying a corset for the primary time enjoying cricket – and it was horrible”, subsequently dismissed Kings’ skipper Shikhar Dawan for a 37-ball 45, again putting the brakes on the visitors.
Ultimately, Kings scrapped and slogged their way to 6-176. Maxwell finished with 2-29 off his three overs and Green 0-19 off two. Mohammed Siraj,with 2-26 off four was RCB’s best bowler.
RCB made surprisingly heavy weather of their modest target. They looked on course for victory while Virat Kohli was still in, but were up against it when Harshal Patel had him caught by Harpreet Brar for 77, leaving RCB 5-130.
There was an Ashes aspect to this contest with three Englishmen in the Kings XI, but Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone and Sam Curran managed 48 between them.
It didn’t get better for the Englishmen on the field as Bairstow dropped Kohli at slip off Curran second ball. That went for four and so did three of Curran’s next four deliveries as Kohli took full advantage.
Green, in his second match since being traded from Mumbai Indians, came in at No.3 when Kagiso Rabada dismissed Faf du Plessis cheaply, but soon departed, caught behind swinging at Rabada for a six-ball three.
It was an unnecessary exit as Kohli was sending the ball to all parts of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and Green could simply have given him the strike. That was not so much the case when Maxwell also went for three, chopping on, as by then the rate had begun to climb to ten-an-over.
RCB, who had lost their opening match to Chennai Super Kings, were indebted to veteran Dinesh Karthik for some violent hitting to get them over the line.
The 38-year-old is a regular commentator on Indian TV but he showed he is able to more than just to talk a good game, thumping 28 off 10 balls, including two sixes as RCB reached 6-178, to win by four wickets.
Mahipal Lomror was also there at the close, unbeaten on 17 off just eight balls, including one six.
Punjab Kings also have one win and one defeat from their two matches.
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Source: www.perthnow.com.au
