4.6 overs (0 Run) OUT! BOWLED 'EM! Glenn Maxwell strikes and does the job for Bangalore. He serves an arm ball, a bit short and around off, Shikhar Dhawan kneels down for the sweep shot but is early into it. The ball arrives late and gets a safe passage to reach the stumps. Dhawan is gone and Bangalore have managed to break the opening partnership.
4.5 overs (1 Run) Uses his feet to a full ball and knocks it down to long on for a run.
4.4 overs (2 Runs) NOT OUT! Tossed up, on off. Bairstow tucks it to deep mid-wicket and calls for two. Mahipal Lomror there hits the bull's eye at the bowler's end and the ball ricochets off the stumps to the fence at deep point but the fielder gives a chase, slides and saves a boundary. The third umpire checks for the run out but Dhawan was well in. Also, he checked for the boundary but the fielder had done a decent job near the fence.
Appeal for a run out. There's a direct hit at the bowler's end. Shikhar Dhawan is safely in. The third umpire also checks for the boundary and it turns out to be a clean effort from the fielder.
4.3 overs (1 Run) Leg bye! Angles it on the pads, on the shorter side. Dhawan misses his flick. It goes off the pads to covers and they take a leg bye.
4.2 overs (0 Run) Flatter and on middle. Dhawan blocks it to covers. He wants a single but is sent back.
4.1 overs (6 Runs) SIX! A superb start to the over! Maxwell drops it a touch short and around off. Dhawan comes down the track and lofts it through the line, over long on for yet another biggie.
Glenn Maxwell returns to bowl his second over inside the Powerplay.
3.6 overs (0 Run) Hazlewood steams in and fires a full ball, angling around middle and leg. Bairstow fails to flick it away and gets hit on the pads. An appeal for LBW but it's going down the leg side. Perhaps, a little inside edge was also present.
3.5 overs (1 Run) A length ball, outside off, cut away to point for a single. 50 up for Punjab, the joint-fastest by a team this season!
3.4 overs (2 Runs) Bangs a bouncer on middle, Dhawan awkwardly pulls it to deep square leg for a couple of runs. Not in a comfortable position there but the ball falls safely.
3.3 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Thumped back! A length ball, around off. Dhawan smashes it to the left of Josh Hazlewood who fails to get his left hand out and as a result, the ball races away to the long on fence.
3.2 overs (0 Run) Fuller ball, outside off. Dhawan tries to drive but ends up dragging it off the inner edge to short mid-wicket.
3.1 overs (0 Run) Too full and around off. Dhawan drives it straight to short cover.
Will Faf du Plessis give one more over to Josh Hazlewood? Yup, the Aussie will continue...
2.6 overs (0 Run) A full toss from Siraj but Bairstow pushes it with soft hands to mid off. Dot to end but another big over for Punjab.
2.5 overs (1 Run) On a length and outside off. Dhawan hits it uppishly to third man for one more.
2.4 overs (1 Run) On middle, on a length, it is pushed to mid on for a single.
2.3 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Everything Jonny Bairstow is touching is turning to gold! Short of a length and on middle. It sits nicely again for Bairstow as he pulls it over deep square leg for a biggie.
2.2 overs (1 Run) Outside off, it is dabbed to third man for a single.
2.1 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! And Siraj is under pressure straightaway! Length ball, angling across, outside off. Dhawan does not power this one, he just guides it past point for a boundary.
Mohammed Siraj replaces Glenn Maxwell in the attack.
1.6 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! 22 runs from Josh Hazlewood's first over! This one was streaky! It is full and outside off. Bairstow looks to drive but gets a thick outside edge to the right of short third man and to the fence in no time.
1.5 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Jonny Bairstow is hitting everything right from the middle! Josh Hazlewood is not learning his lesson. He serves another one around off and on a length. Bairstow with minimum effort swings across the line and it sails over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.
1.5 overs (1 Run) Wide! On a length but down the leg side. Bairstow misses his whip. Wided.
1.4 overs (6 Runs) SIX! Jonny Bairstow is already into the 5th gear here! Another back-of-a-length delivery, just outside off. Bairstow takes a step forward and heaves it over cow corner for a maximum.
1.3 overs (0 Run) Back of a length and around middle, it nips back in. Bairstow again tries to pull but misses and gets hit on the thigh pad.
1.2 overs (4 Runs) FOUR! Good shot! Hazlewood serves a shortish length ball, around off, it is there to be pulled and Jonny Bairstow is quick to his shot. He pulls it to deep mid-wicket for a boundary.
1.1 overs (1 Run) TAP AND RUN! A length ball, around off. Dhawan drops it in front of covers and rushes across for a quick single. Rajat Patidar underarms it but misses his shy at the keeper's end.
Josh Hazlewood to bowl from the other end. Let's see what he can extract from this surface. One slip in place...
0.6 over (0 Run) Maxwell keeps it wide, on a length and outside off. Bairstow hangs on the back foot to cut it but misses.
0.5 over (6 Runs) SIX! Straight down the ground! This one is straight, fuller and on off, Bairstow lofts it straight over the bowler's head for a biggie. Minimum effort, maximum result.
0.4 over (1 Run) On a length and angling on the pads, Dhawan flicks it to mid-wicket for a single.
0.3 over (0 Run) Tossed up, quicker this time, around off. Dhawan knocks it to point.
0.2 over (1 Run) Punjab are underway! Tossed up, outside off. Bairstow shuffles down and across to tuck it away to deep mid-wicket for a single.
0.1 over (0 Run) Maxwell starts with a flatter ball, outside off. Bairstow punches it to point.
All in readiness here at the Brabourne Stadium. Bangalore have not won at this venue in this edition and would try to change that record. They are in a huddle at the moment. Now, the Bangalore players are taking the field and the crowd is cheering massively for them. Jonny Bairstow and Shikhar Dhawan are the openers for Punjab. As has been the case of late, Faf du Plessis is starting with the spin of Glenn Maxwell. Here we go...
A quick chat with Dinesh Karthik. The wicketkeeper batter calls it an important game for both teams. Shares that before the start of the season, he and the coach worked out what's required from him this season. Mentions that they have tried to do things differently and avoided getting predictable. States that the feeling is very good when you contribute to the team. Adds that he has a certain goal in his mind that he is trying to achieve.
Right then, Bangalore have retained their last XI and that shows the kind of confidence they have now. For Punjab, it's a must-win, so they will have to bat really well as this is a high-scoring ground. It seems that Mayank Agarwal will continue to bat in the middle order although Sunil Gavaskar (on air) was of the opinion that he is best-suited for opening the innings.
Mayank Agarwal, the skipper of Punjab, opines that it's not a bad toss to lose. Feels that it's an opportunity to put a good total on the board and defend it. Informs that Harpreet Brar is in for Sandeep Sharma as a left-arm spinner against Bangalore is a good match-up. Mentions that they have been playing good cricket but it's been a bit on-and-off.
Faf du Plessis, the captain of Bangalore, says that they want to bowl as the trend suggests that the wickets are getting better. Also adds that one side of the ground is a bit short and that's a factor as well. Informs that they are going in with the same team. Feels that they are improving with every game and in the last game, they played an all-round game, and it's a good sign. Tells that the pitch is good, but he is unsure how it will play initially and that's why he wants his bowlers to make the first use of it.
Punjab (Playing XI) - Jonny Bairstow, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Mayank Agarwal (C), Jitesh Sharma (WK), Liam Livingstone, Rishi Dhawan, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Harpreet Brar (In for Sandeep Sharma).
Bangalore (Unchanged playing XI) - Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (C), Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik (WK), Mahipal Lomror, Shahbaz Ahmed, Wanindu Hasaranga, Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj.
TOSS - Bangalore have won the toss and they have elected to BOWL first!
Pitch report - The pitch is nice and hard, has a good covering of grass and there will be some swing with the new ball as the conditions are quite humid. Survive the initial period as a batter and it will become an absolute belter of a pitch. The bowlers will have to get it right as the square boundaries are on the shorter side.
Punjab are one of the members of the chasing pack, and a win for them will keep the hopes alive for all the aspirants, currently outside the top four. But for Punjab, just one win won't do as they've to win all their remaining games to remain on the list of the playoff hopefuls. That being said, Punjab haven't won back-to-back games this term, so winning three on the bounce looks tough, although not impossible. They will have a fond memory of edging out Bangalore in a thriller in the reverse fixture and doing the double over them will be on their agenda.
Bangalore are in a much better position on the table, but they know that even a minor hiccup at this stage of the tournament can harm them majorly. They occupy the fourth spot currently and have a chasing pack breathing down their neck. A win this evening will open up a significant gap, and Bangalore will be eager to gain that breathing space.
Welcome, everyone! We're here for an important match of this season, and it involves Bangalore and Punjab. The relevance of this game could be different for these teams, but their sole aim is to earn the elusive ticket to the playoffs. Expect them to come out all guns blazing in this crunch encounter.
... MATCH DAY ...
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