RCB’s Dream Start to IPL 2026

Few sporting teams in the world excite the entire world with the way that they play as much as Royal Challengers Bangalore does. They have done it year in and year out, and the opening game of this season’s IPL was no different. They often start their seasons with the hopes of finally clinching the trophy and ending the long-standing drought, but this year’s opening encounter started with a slightly different hope of defending the trophy.

Fielding a well-balanced XI against SRH at the electrifying Chinnaswamy Stadium, with every stand reathed in red, RCB got off to a rollicking start. Jacob Duffy bowled one of the finest T20 spells with the new ball, bowling four on the trot and hitting hard, test match lengths up-front. His smart use of the bouncers got him the massive wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, and Nitish Kumar Reddy. The orange army was already tattering in the powerplay after losing three key wickets.

Then began the consolidation phase. Heinrich Klaasen joined the man-in-form Ishan Kishan at the crease. The South African impressed with a couple of uncharacteristic off drives, while Kishan carried his red-hot form that was on display in the World T20 just a few weeks ago. When his teammates were struggling against the short balls, he was dispatching them deep into the stands.

He pulled and cut the ball with ease and drove the ball through the covers to perfection. There being no turn on the flat Chinnaswamy wicket allowed him to play through the line and get value for his shots. The duo allowed SRH to go from 30/3 to 126/3. Klaasen had also started to open his arms against the spinners, and it took something special from Phil Salt to break the partnership.

Phil Salt takes a one-handed stunner to dismiss Ishan Kishan. ©BCCI

Phil Salt continued plucking blinders at the deep as he dismissed Ishan Kishan with a one-handed, full-length dive. The momentum that SRH had built looked to be crumbling as SRH’s middle order was decimated. 200, which is an extremely chasable total at Bangalore, looked like it was slightly out of reach. But in came Aniket Verma, bludgeoning his way to an 18-ball 43. It was ball-striking of the highest order. Strong base, staying low, beautiful sync of the shoulders and hips, and a still head allowed him to get power and distance through the ball.

SRH’s Aniket Verma was clobbering them as clean as they come. ©BCCI

His cameo took Hyderabad to a respectable 201/9 in their 20 overs. RCB began the run chase in the way that they know best. Salt and Kohli started coming at the SRH bowlers, driving them through the off side with authority and class. Salt sliced one to Klaasen’s hands, but RCB’s number three Devdutt Paddikal showed why he is rated so highly. A clip off his legs for six off the very first delivery, and the Bangalore boy was underway.

Paddikal continued his onslaught as he took apart SRH’s bowling attack. Neither spin nor pace bothered him. His head positions, balance at the crease, and timing were all magnificent. His understanding of the conditions meant that he didn’t have to manufacture boundaries, but instead timed the ball and let the outfield do the rest. He went to a swashbuckling fifty and was finally caught in the deep for 61 (26).

Hometown boy Devdutt Paddikal raises his bat after reaching a brilliant fifty. ©AFP/Getty Images

Virat Kohli played second fiddle, but accelerated after getting to his fifty. His innings of 69 off 38 included some beautifully timed sixes, excellent use of the feet, and a few hard hits. Even at 37, he continues to show why he is known as the chase master as he took RCB home yet again, with over 4 overs to spare.

Defending champions RCB lit the Chinnaswamy Stadium on fire in the opening game of the 19th edition of the IPL. They will be mighty pleased with this performance, especially given the absence of Josh Hazlewood. It might just be the first game, but the men in red look well on course to lift the trophy for the second time.

-Vibhor Dubey

Chase master Virat Kohli gets the job done yet again. ©BCCI

BGT Second Test: Australia Crawls Back

Day One:

After a comprehensive thrashing in the first test at Perth, the Australians had much to prove to themselves as well as to the world watching. The day-night test set to begin at Adelaide was an extremely crucial one for the Aussies. A loss here would rattle them as a side.

Mitchell Starc, though, had other plans. From the very first ball of the game, the fiery-left hander showed why he is rated so highly, with a beautiful delivery pitching on leg stump and straightening after pitching, sending the centurion from the last innings back for a golden duck.

Shubman Gill joined KL Rahul, and they were both showing intent from ball one, while also being solid in defense and leaving with precision. Shortly after notching up a 50-run partnership though, Rahul fell to a sharp back-of-the-length delivery from Starc, and an even sharper catch from McSweeney at gully.

One brings two, as the cliche goes. India never really recovered from there, as wickets fell in heaps as the floodgates opened. The late swing on display was too much for the Indian batters, and the Aussie pacers were breathing fire with the pink ball. Four big wickets fell in the next 40 runs as Kohli, Gill, Rohit and Pant were sent back by the pace of the Australian quicks.

Australia’s Mitchell Starc celebrates after sending back Shubman Gill.
©Getty Images

Nitish Kumar Reddy seemed to continue his form from the last game, playing extravagant shots, reverse sweeping pacers and hitting clean inside-outs on his way to a quickfire 42 off 54 balls.

Indian number eight Nitish Kumar Reddy confidently ramps Scott Boland over third man.
©Getty Images

But he was dismissed by Starc too, and India’s tail got swept away with the team getting bowled out for 180, and Mitchell Starc ending with figures of 14.1-2-48-6. Australia looked at ease under lights. Despite loosing Khawaja early, McSweeney and Labuschagne played out the day, with Australia cruising at 86-1 at stumps. Day one was well and truly dominated by the hosts.

Day Two:

The second day began with the set McSweeney being dismissed by Indian vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah. Smith went back cheaply too, caught down the leg-side with his horror series continuing. Out came the man who is known for giving the Indians plenty of headaches. Travis Head at his home ground went at it straightaway as he took to the Indian quicks and thrashed them all around the ground. When they went full he would flay them through the off side with his trademark drives with the follow-through over the shoulders, and when he got anything short, he was quick to pounce on it with belligerent cuts and pulls.

Labuschagne on the other end quietly went about his business and got a well-made fifty. Not his best, but one that he desperately needed given his abhorrent form in the recent past. Soon after his fifty, he was dismissed by an incredible catch at gully by Yashasvi Jaiswal. Mitchell Marsh got out quickly as well with a straight-one from Ashwin.

Marnus Labuschagne raises his bat after getting to a much-needed 50.
©Associated Press

Head, however, was treating him differently as he pounded Ashwin down the ground and through the covers. With a soft glance on the leg-side, Head brought up his 8th test ton. It wasn’t until he got to 140 that he was finally sent back by a searing yorker from Siraj, with the bowler giving Head an ugly send-off.

Home-town hero Travis Head raises his arms in delight after getting to a 111 ball hundred in front of over 50,000 people at the Adelaide Oval.
©Getty Images

Australia were finally bowled out for 337, with a match-winning lead of 157. The Indians had a massive task on their hands, with Jaiswal and Rahul coming to bat against Starc under lights. Jaiswal looked like he had put his golden duck behind him as he looked comfortable against the swing. His partner, however, was cramped for room and gloved one to Alex Carey behind the stumps. Nobody was able to solidify the innings for India or provide the much needed partnership that they required. This time around it was skipper Pat Cummins & Scott Boland who were making dents in the Indian lineup.

Some brave batting from Pant (including some ridiculous shots) took India to 128-5, but it looked bleak for them as day three approached.

Outrageous: Rishabh Pant ramps a back of the length delivery by Boland over the slips late on day 2.
©Associated Press

Day Three:

Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rishabh Pant came out with an enormous work set in front of them. The pair wouldn’t last as Pant was sent back early on the third day. Young Reddy tried to consolidate with the veteran Ashwin at the other end, getting to another well made 42. His 40s in this series have given his test career a great start. The Australians started bowling bodyline, coming around the wicket and making it extremely difficult for the Indians to negate. After a few blows on the helmet and copping a few on the gloves, the Indians were all-out for 175, with Australia needing 19 to win. Khawaja and McSweeney got the job done easily and Australia won the pink-ball test with 10 wickets.

With the series in balance, the third-test at Brisbane is set to be a riveting encounter. The Indians will remember what they did at the Gabba the last time they were there, and the Australians will fight tooth and nail to go two-one up in the series.

-Vibhor Dubey

Mitchell Starc wraps R Ashwin on the pads.
©Getty Images

BGT First Test: Advantage India

The much anticipated Border-Gavaskar trophy went underway on Friday with the visitors batting first on a pacy Perth deck against the best bowling attack in test cricket. The green Western Australian wicket proved to be too much for the Indians as they got rattled out in under two sessions, with Hazlewood being the pick of the bowlers, getting 4-29 in just two spells.

Coming off a humiliating 3-0 defeat against the Blackcaps not too long ago, the first 2 sessions seemed like the beginning of a very long and arduous tour for the Indians. However, what unfolded in the third session completely turned the game on its head. The stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, wily Mohammad Siraj, and resilient Harshit Rana made massive dents in the Aussie line-up, perfectly exploiting the conditions. Be it Khawaja, McSweeney, Labuschagne, Smith, Head or Marsh, everyone was done by the sheer pace and hard lengths of the Indian quicks.

Australia’s Travis Head sways out of the way of a sharp bouncer. ©Getty Images

The life on the pitch brought life into the Indian pacers. It was reminiscent of the Indian team under the mighty Virat Kohli. By the end of day 1, Australia were 7 down for a meagre 67 on the board. And not long after the morning light hit Perth stadium on day 2, the hosts were sent packing at their own home. What looked like a lackluster Indian XI was turning the heat down under.

With a lead of 46 runs and 4 long days ahead of them, the Indian batting line-up had to ensure that they put their first innings behind them, and create a mammoth lead to secure an easy win. Much to their advantage, the wicket looked placid as the grass wore out. There was still time for the cracks to start opening up, and India could feast on the Aussie lineup. Senior KL Rahul and young-gun Yashasvi Jaiswal did just that. Playing sensible cricketing shots, sticking to the Defense-Drive-Leave template of textbook test match batting.

It was the purist’s delight as Jaiswal cut effortlessly, drove elegantly and flicked skillfully on his way to an incredible century. His innings also included a fair bit of flare as he took on Mitchell Starc, both verbally and with the bat. Delicate upper cuts, powerful pick-ups, and slogs down the ground made him look like the complete player ready for the occasion. And ready he was. These 161 runs will be the most memorable and cherished ones that he has scored in his short but incredible test career. The kid with the humblest of beginnings has well and truly arrived at the top-most level of the sport.

Young Yashasvi Jaiswal rejoices after getting to his first test century in Australia. ©Getty Images

KL Rahul was resolute in his defense and showed immense grit and temperament on his way to a KL-assy 77. The test looked all but gone from Australia’s hands. And to make matters worse for them, in came Virat Kohli. Despite scoring 60s and 70s in the recent past, Kohli was said to be out of form. Such is the reputation of the great man. His second innings of the match, to go with the drooping Australian shoulders, gave him a chance to capitalize and score big.

He looked like the Virat Kohli of the past as he was extremely compact in defense, putting the loose balls away with drives and flicks. He wasn’t afraid of sweeping, a shot which is quite uncharacteristic of him. With the lead over 500, shadows lengthening on the third day, India was looking to declare and put the home team in for 15 to 20 overs of fast-bowling barrage. However, the former skipper was nearing his 81st international ton.

Kohli proved the team man that he is by shifting gears and taking on the Australian bowlers, pumping Nathan Lyon over his head, pivoting and piercing the gaps while pulling against Labuschagne, and reversing the offie to get into his 90s. The 27,000 at Perth, along with millions watching in India held their breath with every run that brought Kohli close to his 100. And finally, sweeping Labuschagne from outside leg stump and beating the man at deep backward square, India’s biggest cricket sensation brought up his hundred. His celebration, quite subdued, mature, very different compared to the Kohli from a decade ago when he was still clobbering the Kangaroos in the BGT. A decade later, Kohli and India were feeling a 100 kgs lighter.

A 100 kgs lighter. Virat Kohli raises his arms in delight after getting to his 81st international ton. ©Getty Images

India finally declared, giving Aussies a humongous target of 534. It didn’t take long for India to start making inroads, catching McSweeney in-front, sending the nightwatchman back, and wrapping Labuschagne on the pads to end the third day on 12/3. The much awaited win was moments away.

Marnus Labuschagne cops one on the pads from Jasprit Bumrah late on day three. ©Getty Images

Come the 4th day, Bumrah and Siraj wreaked havoc on the Aussies, picking three each. The visitors somehow made it to lunch as Head and Marsh showed some resilience. However, India came back, courtesy debutant Nitish Kumar Reddy, who cleaned up Marsh with a peach. Wickets tumbled as Sundar and Rana cleaned up the tail, giving India the first test.

Hope in the midst of the hopeless is what test cricket is all about. And with games like this, the format is sure not just to survive, but to thrive in the years to come.

-Vibhor Dubey

The Indian team celebrates after skipper Jasprit Bumrah send Steve Smith back to the pavilion. ©Twitter

Long Live Test Cricket

The 28th of January turned out to become one of the most iconic days in the history of Test cricket. For a format that is thirsting for context and acknowledgement, riveting encounters bring it back to life.

In the Southern Hemisphere, an overlooked West Indies side crept their way to a phenomenal win over the number one test side in the world. Being 22 behind in the first innings, Australia declared to send a psychological message that the Windies aren’t good enough to beat them at their fortress. But they failed to take into account that this sport and this format is much more than skill. It’s about being resolute, putting up a fight and standing unwaveringly in front of challenges in conditions that require grit.

It is grit that brought Shamar Joseph up to the international level less than a year after being a security guard in some dead-beat village in the Caribbean. It is grit that allowed him to rip through the Australian batting line-up with an injured toe. It is grit that pushed him through the childhood filled with abject poverty and no contact with the external world. It is safe to say that the 24-year old has more than announced his arrival into Test Cricket, with a valiant 7-for to defend 215 and taking his team home.

West Indies’ Shamar Joseph announced his arrival in Test Cricket with a brilliant 7-for against the mighty Australian at the Gabba. ©Cricket Australia/Getty Images

On the other side of the globe, yet another Test match went right down to the wire. After trailing over 200 in the first innings, England’s Ollie Pope produced an innings poised with class. It was 196 runs of the highest order, showing confidence and defiance on a surface that was deteriorating by the hour. Pope came out with some incredible sweeps and innovative use of the feet, setting India a target of 230 to get with five sessions left in the game.

An incredible innings from Ollie Pope let the three-lions set a respectable fourth innings target for India. ©AFP

It was time for yet another come-back. Debutant Tom Hartley, who had been tonked by the Indian batsmen in the first innings, had some recovery to do. And boy did he deliver! It was almost as if it was a different bowler was bowling in the second innings, with the left-arm spinner hitting his areas with pin-point accuracy, turning the ball square on a deck that was suiting him a great deal. The Indians were found wanting against the turning ball, planting their foot and playing with their hands, unable to learn from Ollie Pope’s defiant innings. Another 7-for on the same day took England home, beating India by a kitten’s whisker of 28 runs in the last over of the fourth day.

England wicket-keeper Ben Foakes celebrates the final wicket of the match alongside debutant Tom Hartley and Joe Root. ©Getty Images

These two games are proof that there’s nothing that tests the character of a cricketer as much as Test cricket. There is a reason it is named like that. Be it technique, patience, grit, fitness, and above all, focus, this format of the sport is the pinnacle for all cricketers.

Long live Test Cricket.

– Vibhor Dubey

Two incredible Test Matches in two different parts of the world, giving the format what it needs – relevance. ©AFP/Getty Images

Kohli & Co. Break Past the Kiwi Barrier to Make it Five on the Trot

India started off the 2023 World Cup with a dream run, winning all four out of their first four encounters. Be it Australia, Bangladesh, Afghanistan or Pakistan, India stamped their authority by comprehensively beating them by significant margins. The entire Indian squad has looked a class-apart this season, with the key players chipping in time and again.

However, New Zealand has been one team that India has had its fair-share of struggles with in World Cups. Be it ODI or T20Is, the Men in Blue have found it difficult to break past the Black-Caps. The wounds from the 2019 WC Semis were still rather fresh in the minds of the Indians. This game in Dharamsala was set up to be a riveting battle between the two heavyweights.

Winning the toss in conditions that are known for swing & seam, India rightfully opted to bowl first. Siraj & Shami made early inroads, sending back the pair cheaply. The third wicket, however, was hard to come by. In-form Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell took the attack to the Indian bowlers, peppering the boundaries and scoring at a healthy strike rate. Mitchell took apart Kuldeep and got to his hundred, his fifth in One Day Internationals.

New Zealand right-hander Daryl Mitchell slams yet another hundred. ©ICC/Getty Images

Shami broke the partnership, sending back the well-set Ravindra. India made a decent come-back, cleaning up the tail courtesy some pin-point yorkers from Mohammed Shami. New Zealand ended up with 273 on the board, a defendable total, but 20-25 short given the solid third-wicket partnership and also the form that team India have been in lately.

India were up against Trent Boult & Matt Henry with the new ball, a duo that have rattled the Indian line-up in the past. They hit their areas consistently, getting it to seam from a good-length. But the Indian openers were quick to pounce on anything full or wide. Rohit Sharma took on Matt Henry and stepped out to smoke two biggies over mid-off and mid-on. Shubman Gill looked at his elegant best as he drove through the covers and square on the off-side.

One for the cameras- Shubman Gill plays the most elegant shot of the day. ©ICC/Getty Images

India lost Rohit Sharma post the powerplay, with the skipper falling four short of yet another 50 in the WC. Shubman Gill followed soon after, sending one down third man’s throat. Virat Kohli continued his rich vein of form with some crisp drives. Him, alongside Shreyas Iyer looked to stabilize the Indian innings, before Iyer fell to a Boult bouncer. KL Rahul contributed with a handy 27 but was unable to take it deep as he was trapped in-front by an arm ball from Santner.

India lost yet another wicket as Suryakumar Yadav found himself in an awful mix-up resulting in a run-out. It looked as though India were due for an ugly collapse. But with 83 required off 16 overs, India believed. Reason: Virat Kohli.

One veteran walks in as another walks back. ©AFP/Getty Images

The run-machine looked anything but pressurized. His eyes had the same passion that has given him the tag of the chase-master. With every reason to falter under pressure, Kohli held his nerve and played one of the more sensible innings of his career. Despite being under a run-a-ball, he didn’t play a rash stroke. Ran between the wickets hard and waited for the poor delivery to put it away. Textbook Cricket.

Kohli sneaks another valuable single in to get India closer to glory. ©Getty Images

With every run, India’s hopes got stronger. Ravindra Jadeja at the other end was smart in rotating the strike and putting the odd ball away to release pressure. With a few emphatic blows to the fence, Virat Kohli got closer to that 49th ODI Hundred, with which he would equal his idol Sachin Tendulkar. But it was not to be. With 5 required both to win and for Kohli to get his hundred, Kohli mistimed one off Matt Henry and ended up skying it to Glenn Phillips at the midwicket fence.

A dejected & furious Kohli walked back to the dressing room, but not without the applause of 23,000 people around him. He had got the job done yet again. Pulling India out of a tough spot and getting them over the line. It isn’t the first time we’ve seen this, and it certainly isn’t the last. King Kohli is well and truly on his way to break that record, and the table toppers are well and truly on course to lifting this World Cup.

-Vibhor Dubey

A million gleaming eyes on Mr. Reliable – Virat Kohli gets the job done in yet another tense run-chase. ©ICC/Getty Images

What The Sacking Of The Lucknow Pitch Curator Tells Us About Cricket

One of the most beautiful aspects of Cricket is the diversity in playing conditions that are found all across the globe. International Cricket isn’t just fun to watch because of the variety in skill-levels of players from different countries, but also because of how differently surfaces react in different parts of the world. The pace & bounce of the hard soil of the Optus Stadium is juxtaposed with the sharp turn & bounce of the red soil in Wankhede. Both of these are incredible spectacles for someone who truly enjoys watching the sport.

However, there have been plenty of pseudo-enjoyers that have plagued Cricket in the recent years. The advent of T20 is what one would presume gave rise to the pseudo-enjoyers. This group is characterized by an incessant attachment for those aspects of the game that are filled with excitement, and they have a disdain for those aspects that makes, and have made the sport into what it actually is. Their obsession with high-scoring games and a flurry of big-hits, wickets & stunning catches tends to forget about the things that lead up to those events.

The pseudo-enjoyer can never find joy in the session-long toil of batters surviving, in the beating of the bat on numerous occasions by a spinner on a raging turner, in the grind of scoring runs on a slow, low wicket. The saddest part about this is that not only is the pseudo-enjoyer a part of the crowd, but he has managed to sneak into the administrative parts of our sport, poisoning & trading the sanctity of Cricket in the name of dopamine & eyeballs. This is what the sacking of the Lucknow pitch curator tells us, that in today’s context, a 99/8 in 20 overs will never be able to compete with a 230/3 in 20 overs. It should come as no surprise then that the longer versions of the sport are crying out loud for context, because the days of nuanced Cricket-watching have well and truly become a thing of the past.

-Vibhor Dubey

Longer Formats of the game fading in relevance as dopamine-driven Cricket watching takes over the planet.

Kuldeep & Co. Help India Clinch Series Win @ Delhi

After the series being level pegging in the 2nd ODI, the decider commenced at Delhi. India won the toss and elected to field first on a conventionally slow Delhi wicket. The South African innings had an underwhelming start with all of the top order struggling to get going. The Indian bowlers were on the money with their lengths and barely gave away any looseners in the first powerplay. Janneman Malan was looking impressive but then mistimed one straight to the deep square leg fence. The short ball seemed to be doing the job for the Indians as Hendricks fell soon after courtesy a Siraj bouncer.

The spinners then took advantage of the conditions as Shahbaz Ahmad chipped in with a peach of a delivery to Markram, pitching on middle and off, gripping and hitting the top of off, a spinners delight. Miller was then dismissed with a wonderfully executed arm-ball from Washington Sundar, beating the inside edge and cleaning Miller up, much to his bemusement. The spinners were on fire as Kuldeep Yadav’s wrong-un cramped Phehlukwayo for room and he chopped it onto the pegs. It was all downhill for South Africa from there as Klaasen, Fortuin, Nortje and Jansen fell in quick succession as the side bundled out for a measly 99. Kuldeep ended with figures of 4.1-1-18-4.

India in reply looked dominant and aggressive as they were going at seven an over in the first six overs. Dhawan and Gill were timing the ball with ease. It almost looked as if India were batting on a different strip as Gill was in complete control of his drives, cuts and pulls. A mix-up resulted in Dhawan being run out but Gill looked in sublime touch. Ishan Kishan was dismissed early as well. Iyer continued where he left off in Ranchi, with some authoritative blows against the Proteas spinners. Gill unfortunately fell one short of a fifty, but India cruised home with an incredible six over long off, with 7 wickets to spare.

India clinched the three match ODI series 2-1 and will be happy with the comeback after a sedate start. The fact that India’s second best One Day eleven is also capable of winning a series against a decent SA side is a good sign for India going into the Fifty Over World Cup next year.

-Vibhor Dubey

Kuldeep & Co. Help India Clinch Series Win @ Delhi

Destructive Iyer & Kishan Help Level Series At Ranchi

With South Africa drawing first blood in the previous ODI, it was a do-or-die for the Indians with the second ODI in Ranchi. The Men in Green chose to bat first on a rather flat deck with plenty of runs in it. De Kock perished early, chopping on to Siraj. Malan and Hendricks looked to tick the scoreboard along with a partnership of 33 before Malan fell for a solid looking 25. Hendricks and Markram then took the attack to the hosts with plenty of good-looking pulls and flicks. Markram chimed in with some sumptuous drives, both along the ground and over the top. The duo got to their 50s and didn’t take the foot off the accelerator.

The long standing partnership was broken by Siraj with Hendricks finding the man at deep square leg. But even after that, SA looked well and truly in control as Klaasen placed the ball into the gaps and sent the odd bad ball off to the fences. A mistimed shot sent him back for 30. Wickets seemed to fall in a bunch after that. India’s death bowling seemed to have improved a great deal since the last game as South Africa ended up with 278 one the board, a fighting total.

India started off the chase with Shubman Gill looking sublime with extremely beautiful drives through the off side. Parnell and Rabada seemed to have no answer for Gill’s straight bat cover drives. Dhawan went early and that brought hometown boy Ishan Kishan to the crease. After Gill chipped one back to Rabada, Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan flayed the South African bowling line-up right from word go. Iyer was timing the ball to perfection from one end while Kishan was bludgeoning the Left-arm spinners from the other. It was a sight to behold as both of them got to quick-fire fifties. The free flowing biggies from Kishan’s blade were a treat to watch. Iyer peppered the off side with cuts and drives.

Kishan was distraught after he fell short of a well-deserved century as he was caught at deep midwicket. India were well and truly ahead of SA at this stage. Shreyas Iyer got to a magnificent hundred in the 43rd over, his second in ODIs. Samson continued his fluency from last game with a few dabs and pulls. Iyer appropriately scored the winning runs, digging out a wide yorker to deep backward point and levelling the series 1-1. It will be all to play for in the series decider at Delhi on 11th with both sides looking to clinch the series.

-Vibhor Dubey

India’s number four Shreyas Iyer gets to a belligerent 100 against South Africa in the Second ODI against SA. ©BCCI

Proteas Get Head Start in Opening Encounter

Coming off a comprehensive win against India in the 3rd T20I just a couple of days ago, South Africa were in a position to continue their momentum in the three-game ODI series. Batting first, Janneman Malan and Quinton De kock got their side to a steady start. Three quick wickets in a span of three overs put SA in a spot of bother. India’s pacer Shardul Thakur was looking in wonderful touch with the ball, getting the ball to seam quite considereably.

Quinton de Kock followed soon after, with Ravi Bishnoi wrapping him plumb in-front of middle peg. At 110-4, the game was tilting much in favor of the home side. But as is often the case in situations of batting collapses, SA gained back the control the lost after their fourth scalp, courtesy Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller. Both of them were quick to pounce on any loose delivery, of which there were plenty. India erred on their lengths and got dispatched by the duo. India’s lackluster fielding didn’t help as a lot of catches were spilled towards the backend of the Proteas innings.

That set the hosts 250 to get, a total to be proud of for South Africa given the dire straits they were in during the middle overs. The Indian openers got off to a hiccup, with Rabada and Parnell cleaning up Gill and Dhawan. Gaikwad couldn’t get going either, failing to impress after scoring a measly 19 off 42 balls.

There was a stage of rebuilding from Iyer and Samson, with both of them getting to crucial fifties. Iyer was at his best, dispatching anything full and in his arch right over the side-screen, but fell trying to pull a short delivery over mid-on. Samson looked in incredible touch as he was timing the ball to perfection. His flawless base and steady head allowed him to pick up length with ease and pull the likes of Shamsi and Maharaj over the ropes.

Shardul Thakur contributed as well, with a handy 33 consisting of five boundaries. India were inching close with Samson looking ominous, but it wasn’t to be as they fell nine runs short of SA’s 249. India isn’t playing their best eleven by any means and their fielding at the death could possibly have cost them the game and it will be interesting to see if they can rectify that going into the second ODI in Ranchi to level the series.

-Vibhor Dubey

Shreyas Iyer walks back after being dismissed off a short ball by Lungi Ngidi. ©BCCI

Boyce’s Brilliance Not Enough To Clinch MCG Thriller

Sydney Thunder’s opening duo of Alex Hales and Usman Khawaja were at their brutal best in the starting six overs of their innings as the Melbourne Renegades bowlers perished no matter where they bowled on a belter of a MCG strip. Hales was powering along and his partner Khawaja was timing the ball to perfection and being cheeky as they raced along to 75 for no loss after six.

Then came in Cameron Boyce, Renegades’ experienced leg-spinner whose first five deliveries were beautiful leggies. Flight, guile, drift and turn, Boyce’s deliveries had it all. He broke the ominous opening partnership as Alex Hales was holed out at long-off. In the second over of his spell, Boyce sent Jason Sangha packing as he was stumped while trying to step-out to a slowed-up stock delivery. Boyce was on a hattrick, and Thunder’s Alex Ross played a ridiculous stroke, a reverse sweep and was given out. If it wasn’t crazy enough already, Daniel Sams, the next man in was also trapped plumb in front on his very first ball. Boyce had picked a double hattrick. 4 in 4.

Melbourne Renegades’ Leg Spinner Cameron Boyce rejoices after picking a double hattrick. © Getty Images

In just two overs, Cameron Boyce had not just put the brakes on the Sydney Thunder onslaught, but put the Renegades well and truly in front. And the leg spinner wasn’t done. In his third over of the spell, he picked up his fifth. He also inflicted a run out off his own bowling. Boyce ended with figures of 5/21 in his four overs. It was insane viewing, a comeback nobody had seen coming.

Boyce walks back with the ball after picking a magnificent game changing 5fa. © Getty Images

The runs soon became hard to come by and the Renegades pacers did well to dry up the scoring with change of pace deliveries bowled on a back of a length. Thunder ended up on 170/8, a surprisingly par score after their rollicking start.

The men in red started off poorly as their opener James Seymour was caught off a well directed bumper by Gurindar Sandhu on his very second ball. Skipper Aaron Finch then strung together a 59 run partnership with Shaun Marsh. Once Marsh was dismissed, it was level-pegging. Unmukt Chand was the next man in, the first Indian male to play in the BBL. Despite a disappointing debut the previous night, he looked in complete control this time around as he hooked Sams for a six over fine leg early on in his innings. He went on to play a few more gems, one six over midwicket and one boundary over the bowler’s head.

Aaron Finch too, on the other end was rotating the strike well and putting the odd bad ball away to the fence. The way the Renegades were cruising along, 10 off the last over looked as though it would be easily chased down.

Melbourne Skipper Aaron Finch continued his rich vein of form, pulling one powerfully through the leg side. © Getty Images

But Gurindar Sandhu had other plans as he hit the hard length brilliantly. Jason Sangha was sharp at midwicket with a dive to run out Sam Harper. With 9 off 4, the well-set Finch slogged one to deep midwicket and got caught. It was nail-biting stuff. Sutherland off his very first ball flat-batted Sandhu for a six off long on and it looked as though that would seal the deal. But Sandhu bowled a magnificent wide yorker on the penultimate ball of the game.

The man who had all the limelight on him in the first innings was on strike to face the final ball with two to get. It would’ve been the stuff dreams are made off had Cameron Boyce finished it off. But as the old adage goes, Cricket is a leveler. Boyce cut a short and wide ball straight to point and the Renegades fell short of the target by one run. Boyce was distraught and just knelt down in disappointment in the middle of the MCG. Could’ve been his greatest day on a Cricket field, but it wasn’t meant to be. Boyce’s brilliance couldn’t suffice.

– Vibhor Dubey