Royal Challengers Bangalore scraped through to a last-over win against the Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets. Wanindu Hasaranga was exceptional with the ball, picking up figures of 4/20, along with a brilliant spell from Harshal Patel. Umesh Yadav and Tim Southee returned the favor with a fiery new-ball spell for KKR and rocked RCB before Dinesh Karthik did what he does best – finish the inning on a high. Let’s look at some key points from match six of the 2022 IPL.
RCB’s short-ball tactics
In this IPL, there seems to be a plan from most of the teams to keep the ball in the good length area or maybe just short of a good length at the start of the innings. With the pitches being fresh during the initial phase, it makes sense as the ball will get a good bounce from that length, and it also makes it difficult for batters to hit from that length.
RCB not only kept it tight by bowling on a good length, but they also mixed it up by bowling short-length balls. The first three of the KKR wickets all fell to balls that were pitched short. The good length, and even the short of good length balls were bouncing till hip height or at best waist height for a batter. But in Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj, RCB had the pace that could make the short-pitched balls count, and they did exactly that.
With the extra pace of both the bowlers (both bowled balls over 140 KPH), the short-pitched balls hurried the batters, and the chest-high balls resulted in mistimed pull shots. Akash Deep used them smartly, especially with his angle taking the ball away from the left-handed batters.
Harshal Patel outsmarts Russell
Harshal Patel wasn’t introduced into the attack till the 12th over. Although KKR had already lost six wickets by then, they weren’t out of the contest as they still had Sam Billings and Andre Russell at the crease. But when he came to bowl, he made sure that both the batters danced to his tunes.
Against Billings, Patel used all his variations, be it in length or his speed. His first two balls were pacey deliveries – the first one was just outside off, and the second one was around the same line. But the difference was the use of crease from Patel, who went wide of the crease, and despite the length and line being similar, his angle squared up Billings. He then got Billings with a slower ball pitched on a short length, which Billings failed to time and was out caught.
However, against Russell, Patel didn’t bowl a slower ball. Russell has been susceptible to short-pitched balls, especially when they are aimed at his body. Patel kept the ball on a short of good length, and after bowling them straight for three balls, he then bowled it wide to Russell, who could just edge it to Karthik. Patel did not just use his variations to get these two dangerous batters out, he outsmarted them.
Karthik – An elite finisher
Few batters in cricket are better than Dinesh Karthik in the finisher’s role. Since the start of the 2017 IPL season, Karthik has a strike rate of 180.84 in the last four overs of the innings. Only Hardik Pandya (190.33), Kieron Pollard (185.76), and MS Dhoni (184.37) have scored more runs than Karthik at a better strike rate in this phase.
Karthik’s finishing skills have been on display in this year’s IPL too. His 32 runs against Punjab Kings at a strike rate of 228.57 took RCB from 168/1 after 16 overs to 205 at the end of the innings. Against KKR, RCB needed 28 runs off the last four overs when Karthik walked out to bat. The equation eventually became seven runs off six balls before Karthik took down Russell with a four and a six, finishing on 14 off just seven balls.
KKR mismanaged Karthik in the last couple of seasons by sending him earlier than he prefers. But so far, RCB have been spot on in utilizing Karthik and his finishing skills at the death.