Harshal Patel, David Willey and Wanindu Hasaranga essayed key roles in RCB's win against RR ©BCCI/IPL
Ravichandran Ashwin punched the air and jumped in celebration. It was the end of the 15th over and he'd just had Glenn Maxwell caught at backward point. In a 44-ball stay, Maxwell forged a short but intriguing mini-battle against the wily Ashwin, and looked to take him on almost every ball. Switch hits, reverse ramps and swipes down the ground were all attempted with varying degree of success but the Rajasthan Royals spinner stood unvanquished as Maxwell trudged off after a scintillating 77.
That moment may have silenced the Chinnaswamy crowd who'd just witnessed a cracking counterattacking clinic by Maxwell and Faf du Plessis, but the groundwork was laid perfectly for death-overs consolidation to help them find their voices again. RCB had 156/4 in 15 overs and Dinesh Karthik walked out in a situation that fits his game like glove, to redeem his form and reputation that has taken a hit this season.
But on a day when the surface didn't entirely side with the batters, Sanju Samson maneuvered his fields and bowling options expertly. So on came Yuzvendra Chahal in the 17th over, as a favourable match-up against the RCB finisher. The pressure to tee-off was already built after Karthik and Mahipal Lomror - another Indian batter with a reputation to hit big - played out six singles off Jason Holder in the 16th over. But the six-run over was followed with one that began with Karthik playing a forward defence and finished with just two runs added to the tally for the loss of Lomror - who holed out to long on - and Suyash Prabhudessai - victim of a 'yes-no' call for a run.
Chahal frustrated Karthik with tossed up deliveries in the fourth stump channel and the death overs, which produced a solitary four, ended with just 33 runs off the last 30 balls. The lack of ideal follow-up acts from the middle-order quartet of Karthik, Lomror, Prabhudessai and Wanindu Hasaranga (a combined 30 off 28 balls) left RCB in a familiarly-vulnerable position of squandering another Faf-and-Maxwell show (127 runs off 67 balls),
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