David Miller Takes DC Home vs RCB With Last-over Exploits After Stubbs, Rahul Set Up Chase
David Miller sort of redeemed himself with two last-over sixes after KL Rahul made a 57 rooted in classicism and Tristan Stubbs produced an equally chic 60 as Delhi Capitals edged Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets
David Miller sort of redeemed himself with two last-over sixes after KL Rahul made a 57 rooted in classicism and Tristan Stubbs produced an equally chic 60 as Delhi Capitals edged Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six wickets in their IPL match in Bengaluru on Saturday. Considering the slow nature of this particular Chinnaswamy strip and the quality of RCB's bowling ranks, the chase of 176 was never going to be straightforward. Miller (22 not out, 10 balls) could not take Delhi home in the outing against Gujarat Titans when they needed two runs off two balls, inviting sharp criticism.
However, he did not make any mistake on Saturday. He hammered Romario Shepherd for two huge sixes as DC, who needed 15 runs off the last over, scampered home and RCB crashed to their second defeat of the season.
DC found saviours at various times in Rahul (57 off 34 balls), Stubbs (60 not out off 47 balls) and Axar Patel (24, retired hurt) to make 179 for four, ending a two-match losing streak.
Rahul played an innings of rare quality - a bit un-T20, if you may - to rescue DC from a disastrous start and set the chase in order. He took a particular liking to Josh Hazlewood, carving him for two sixes and three fours.
In fact, both his sixes were of exceptional quality - the first an inside-out lofted shot over cover, and the second a flick executed with a last-minute snap of the wrists.
Rahul brought up his half-century in 30 balls but fell to Krunal Pandya, hitting the spinner into the hands of a diving Virat Kohli at long-on.
By then, Rahul and Stubbs had added 69 runs for the fourth wicket as DC fought back from a precarious 18 for three in 2.5 overs. Stubbs and Axar then added 47 for the fifth wicket before the latter had to hobble off the field with a niggle.
At that stage, DC were 134 for four in 15.5 overs, needing 45 off 25 balls.
Stubbs then found an able ally in Miller as the pair knocked off the required runs with a ball to spare.
It would have been hugely satisfying for DC, especially as Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/26) had plucked the wickets of Pathum Nissanka, Karun Nair and Sameer Rizvi in his opening burst, showcasing the virtues of old-school swing bowling.
Earlier, despite Phil Salt producing a well-crafted 63, Delhi Capitals muffled the big guns in RCB's batting unit to restrict the defending champions to a sub-par 175 for eight.
After being asked to bat first, RCB's start was anything but smooth as the Capitals bowlers stuck to disciplined lines in the first four overs.
Virat Kohli (19), who added 52 runs for the first wicket with Salt - whose fifty came off 38 balls - played a couple of delectable shots off pacer Mukesh Kumar, while his England teammate unfurled a cracking four off Auqib Nabi.
Even then, the run rate remained a tad above eight during that phase. However, Axar's decision to hand a third over to Nabi shifted the momentum in RCB's favour.
Salt feasted on Nabi's medium pace, carting him for two fours and a six in the fifth over, which yielded 18 runs.
It helped RCB finish the powerplay on a positive note of 59 for one, despite losing Kohli to Lungi Ngidi.
Salt too appeared to have shed his indifferent form, bringing up his fifty in 30 balls.
Salt and Devdutt Padikkal added 47 runs for the second wicket before the latter skied a simple catch to David Miller at deep off Axar (2/18).
That breakthrough allowed DC to gain a foothold in the match, which they used brilliantly. Soon after, Salt hoicked Kuldeep Yadav (2/32) to Stubbs in the deep as RCB slipped to 105 for three.
Skipper Rajat Patidar and Tim David briefly threatened with a familiar destruction act, striking a couple of big blows.
But Patidar chased a wide delivery from Mukesh, edging it to Rahul behind the stumps, while David failed to negotiate Axar's spin, his heave ending in the hands of T. Natarajan at the edge of the circle.
The much-improved spells from Axar and Kuldeep meant RCB could not build their customary momentum through the middle overs.
After reaching 99 for two in the first 10 overs - a reasonable platform - RCB managed only 76 runs in a listless final 10-over phase, ending with their first total under 200 in a completed innings this season.
David Miller
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Royal Challengers Bengaluru